Coal news and updates

SC asks ex-CBI official to probe Ranjit Sinha’s conduct in coal cases

The Supreme Court on Monday asked former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director M.L. Sharma to head an investigating team to probe the ex-CBI chief Ranjit Sinha’s “inappropriate” conduct in the coal allocation investigations.
A bench of justices Madan B. Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A.K. Sikri suggested Sharma’s name, citing his track record.
If Sharma agrees to head the team, he will be required to name two or three officers from either the CBI or the Enforcement Directorate to join him.
On 14 May, the court had termed Sinha’s meetings with some of the accused in the coal allocation cases at his residence “completely inappropriate”.
It had then asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to assist the court in ascertaining if Sinha’s conduct could have affected investigations in any way. On Monday, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, representing the CVC, said the commission itself could not conduct the probe, but could suggest a team to do so.
However, Common Cause, a non-profit and petitioner in the coal allocation case, represented by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, said the involvement of the current chief vigilance commissioner K.V. Chowdary would be “totally inappropriate” because he too had met Sinha at his residence.
The court will hear the case again on 13 July.
In a related case, the issue of diversion of coal from Reliance Power-owned Sasan ultra-mega power project (UMPP) and recovery of certain diaries and Rs.25 crore in cash from Hindalco offices (after income-tax raids) was heard by the three-judge bench.
The court asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to respond in a plea by Common Cause seeking a probe into the alleged coal diversion and the diaries.
According to the Common Cause petition, diversion from the Sasan coal block led to a post-bidding concession of Rs.29,000 crore to Reliance Power Ltd. The petition seeks a thorough probe into what it called “hawala transactions” of the Aditya Birla group and the permission granted to Reliance Power to divert coal from the Sasan UMPP block.
Reliance Group companies have sued HT Media Ltd, Mint’s publisher, and nine others in the Bombay High court over a 2 October 2014 front-page story that they have disputed. HT Media is contesting the case.

source: http://www.livemint.com