Coal news and updates

CBI to file seven chargesheets in coal scam

The CBI, while filing a status report on its probe into irregularities in allocation of coal blocks on Monday, informed the Supreme Court that it will soon file seven chargesheets out of 16 FIRs registered so far, sources said.

CBI sources said investigations in seven cases registered in 2012-2013 in the coal scam were complete and charge-sheets were almost ready and would be filed once CBI director Ranjit Sinha gives his approval.

The agency also informed the apex court that investigations in three preliminary enquiries, related to alleged irregularities in allocations since 1993, were going on but it had not found any criminality so far in approximately 60 allocations, as reported by TOI on Monday.

About the two preliminary enquiries related to missing coal files, CBI reportedly informed the Supreme Court that a few files were still missing while some important files were recovered and they would close these two PEs.

The status report was filed in a sealed envelope and the Supreme Court might go through it on January 15 when a bench headed by Justice R M Lodha will hear a bunch of PILs on the coal scam.

CBI sources said they had analyzed the records in detail and concluded there was no criminality involved in the allocation of approximately 60 coal blocks, but a final decision whether to drop them from the ongoing probe would be taken after Supreme Court directives.

The sources said 195 coal blocks allocations are being probed out of which in 16 cases CBI has found prima facie material which indicates cheating, criminal misconduct and corruption based on which the agency has registered FIRs.

CBI has filed 16 FIRs against AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal Energy, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog, JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd, Vikash Metals, Grace Industries, Gagan Sponge, Jindal Steel and Power, Rathi Steel and Power Ltd, Jharkhand Ispat, Green Infrastructure, Kamal Sponge, Pushp Steel, Hindalco, BLA Industries, Castron Technologies and Castron Mining.

All these FIRs are rooted in three preliminary enquiries related to coal block allocation -between 2006 and 2009, 1993 and 2004, and projects given under the government dispensation scheme.

Source: The Times of India