Coal Scam: Completed probe in case involving Vikash Metal, says CBI

New Delhi: CBI informed a special court that their further probe in a coal blocks allocation scam case pertaining to allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks in West Bengal to Vikash Metal and Power Ltd (VMPL) has been completed. [caption id=“attachment_2042273” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Stake sale in Coal India. Reuters[/caption]The agency filed the progress report of its investigation in the case before Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar who fixed the matter for further proceedings on 3 March. Progress report of further investigation has been filed. It has been submitted that investigating officer has completed further investigation and the file has been submitted to the higher authorities so that after necessary approval the report of further investigation may be filed in the court," the court said. The court was hearing a case involving VMPL and its officials in which they are accused of making false claims relating to land allocation to get undue advantage in the coal block allocation. The FIR was filed in September 2012. CBI had, however, later filed a closure report saying the charges against VMPL or its directors or even against the public servants could not be substantiated during the course of investigation. On 30 January, the court had pulled up CBI for “sitting over” and delaying further investigation in the case and has directed it to expedite the ongoing probe. While seeking time to conclude the probe, CBI had told the court that since investigation officer of the case was probing another coal scam matter, the agency should be given more time to complete the probe. The FIR was registered against VMPL, its directors, including Vimal Patni, Vikash Patni and Anand Patni, and Anand Mallick who was the authorised signatory for the company. They were booked for the alleged offences under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC. The court had on October 15 last year refused to accept the closure report and passed an order asking CBI to further investigate the case. The court had noted in its order that it would have taken cognisance of offences of criminal conspiracy and cheating against VMPL and its directors or others involved but the probe about alleged role of Coal Ministry officers and other public servants in the entire process of allocation of coal block needed to be further carried out. CBI, in its FIR, had said that VMPL had wrongly claimed that it had been allocated 300 acres of land in Begusarai in Bihar by the Bihar Area Development Authority. The agency had found that the land was de-allocated and directors of the company failed to inform the screening committee members about it, it had said. PTI