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Parakh blames CBI for spoiling reputation by filing wrong case

Former Coal Secretary PC Parakh has said the Supreme Court must take "strong note" of CBI's reported move to close its investigation into the 10-month old coal scam probe against him and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, as the agency had "spoiled reputations" by lodging the case in the first place.

"The Supreme Court is monitoring the coal scam probe and must take note of such a step by the CBI as such cases, when lodged wrongly against retired bureaucrats and top industrialists, simply end up defaming the person. SC should advise the CBI suitably on how to go about these cases," Parakh told ET on Wednesday. He added that he "always got the sense" from the CBI team that had questioned him that there was nothing much to the case. "I always maintained that there was nothing in the case and it was a wrong call by the CBI to question a policy decision of the government.

When I met the CBI team, I got the same sense from them. In fact, I had questioned the entire absurdity of the case in my book in great detail. It seems the CBI has now veered towards the same view and will be closing the case," Parakh told ET. He, however, said he was not demanding any apology from CBI yet. "I will wait first for CBI's official move first to close the case," Parakh said.

The former coal secretary had strongly criticized the CBI in his book which was released earlier this year in April, in which he even accused CBI Director Ranjit Sinha of abusing his office to book him. "I got a reward for my good work, eight years after retirement - in the form of a CBI raid," Parakh had said in April. A senior CBI official however said Parakh had escalated matters unnecessarily and should have had faith in the CBI given the Director had already said last year that the case will be closed if no prosecutable evidence is found. "CBI had no personal animosity with Parakh or Birla," the CBI official said.

ET reported on Tuesday that the CBI is expected to file a closure report in the case by the end of this month as it has found no prosecutable evidence or proof of quid quo pro in the case. As a consequence of its decision not to proceed further with the case, CBI has also decided not to question Birla or former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the matter, ET has reported.

Source: The Economic Times