Coal case: Court directs CBI to expeditiously file final report

NEW DELHI: A special court on Monday directed CBI to expeditiously file the report on its further probe in a coal block allocation scam case against Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao and others.

The court’s direction came after CBI filed an application saying the report of further investigation was still under scrutiny and some time was required to finalise it.

“The CBI officers have been told that already sufficient time has been given for submission of report of further investigation. They are directed to expedite the same.

“Accordingly, matter be now put up for filing of further investigation report on March 6,” Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said. The court had earlier too granted time to CBI to file the report in a proper format. The court, which had rapped the CBI for not filing the final report in a proper format, later accepted the further probe report noting that sufficient time has already lapsed in the matter and asked the agency to file the documents in a “proper format”.

While filing the report which contains CFSL report, list of documents, list of witnesses and their statements, the CBI had told the court that the probe was complete.

CBI had alleged that former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, also accused in the case, had favoured Jindal group firms -- Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL) -- in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand.

Opposing CBI’S contention, all the accused had said there was no evidence to show that there was any conspiracy during the coal block allocation process. They had also denied the allegations levelled against them by CBI in its charge sheet.