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CBI refuses to share documents with ex-coal secy Parakh

In its FIR, the agency had alleged that Parakh abused his official position and reversed his decision to reject the coal block allocation to Hindalco within months.

The CBI has refused to share any information with former coal secretary P C Parakh after he demanded documents from the agency which have been used to name him as an accused along with industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla in the coal block allocation scandal. The agency recently informed Parakh that since he has been named in the FIR, he has no right to get the documents currently, and would only be provided them after questioning and filing of the chargesheet, said officials.

The agency, in a letter, also cited the criminal manual and said no accused is entitled to get the documents from the agency unless a chargesheet is filed. The agency said they had received a letter from Parakh in November demanding the copies of all documents.
Since the CBI did not reply, Parakh is learnt to have sent a reminder recently, after which CBI director Ranjit Sinha directed his team to decline his request. CBI officials said the legal view of the agency’s prosecutor was also taken in the matter. However, the agency has agreed to supply a copy of the certified FIR.

“Yes, they have sent me a letter stating that since the matter is under investigation, they cannot share the documents,” Parakh said over phone. CBI officials said they are also writing to the Income Tax department seeking replies sent by Birla’s counsel on the names of political parties and leaders whose names have been found in a diary recovered during raids.

In its FIR, the agency had alleged that Parakh abused his official position and reversed his decision to reject the coal block allocation to Hindalco within months “without any valid basis or change in circumstances”, and also showed “undue favours” while allocating Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005 to Hindalco. Parakh, however, maintained that the CBI has falsely named him and did not carry out professional work. He also claimed that the agency sought documents from the PMO after registering the FIR.

Source: The Indian Express