Coal Gate: CBI files case diary in sealed cover

The development comes after the CBI Judge Bharat Parashar on Tuseday directed the federal agency to furnish the case diary of the matter.

The court was hearing a case against industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, ex-Coal Secretary P C Parakh and others relating to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in Odisha in 2005 to Hindalco.

The special court had on Tuesday asked the nation’s premier investigation agency why it had not quizzed former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the illegal allocation of a coal block to a firm owned by industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla in 2005.

Singh had holding the portfolio of coal ministry when Birla's firm Hindalco was allocated coal blocks in Orissa's Talabira II & III in 2005.

Neither the judge nor the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) referred to him by name in their exchange.

“Don’t you think examination of the then coal minister was necessary in the matter?” the judge asked.

The agency also responded saying the then Coal Minister was not permitted to be examined, reports said.

The court's observations came after the CBI submitted that though initially it felt Dr Singh's examination was required, later it was found to be not necessary.

At the end of the hearing, the court had summoned the case diary and crime files in a sealed cover, which was submitted today.

A  First Information Report or FIR was lodged in this regard in August, last year by CBI.

Agency alleged that Parakh had reversed his decision to reject coal block allocation to Birla's firm Hindalco within months "without any valid basis or change in circumstances" and shown "undue favours".

CBI had booked Birla, Parakh and other Hindalco officials under various sections of the Indian penal Code, including criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct on part of government officials.

But surprisingly, a year after, The CBI had on this year's August filed a closure report in the case, giving clean-chit to Birla & 1 others including Parakh.

CBI in its report has said that it has found "no evidence of criminality" against the Chairman of Aditya Birla Group.

Following which, the Supreme Court in September 12,  slammed the agency and directed it to clarify why a closure report has been filed against Birla & others.

Top Court asked the CBI not to take any final decision on any case arising out of multi-crore coal scam after serious allegations were leveled against its Director Ranjit Sinha for protecting some accused.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Public Prosecutor R S Cheema for CBI had submitted before the judge that the court can take cognisance of the offences mentioned in the closure report as there was prima facie "evidence against the accused to show their involvement".

On November 10, CBI had told the special court that there was "prima facie enough material" to proceed against some private parties and public servants in the case.

The court has now fixed the matter for December 12.

It can be mentioned that in August this year, the Supreme Court had cancelled nearly 200 coal block allocations.

The government is now set to auction those coal fields.