CBI faces court anger after saying it can't file report due to lack of approval

The CBI today faced the ire of a special court for its delay in getting the necessary approval to file the final report of its probe in a coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving Vikash Metal and Power Limited (VMPL). Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar pulled up the agency after the investigating officer (IO) informed the court that although the probe was complete, the final report was pending with concerned authorities for necessary approval. [caption id=“attachment_2133601” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image: AFP[/caption] The IO sought three weeks time to file the final report before the court in the case pertaining to allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks in West Bengal to VMPL. “IO submits that though the process has been completed but the report has not been cleared by higher authorities for which three weeks time is needed to file the final report. I don’t deem it fit to grant three weeks time. Put up the matter for further hearing on March 10,” the judge said. Questioning the delay in filing of the final report, the court asked the IO as to why the matter relating to grant of approval on the report was pending for so long. “It’s around 11 days since the last hearing. You are reiterating same thing what you said in last hearing. This should not go on,” the court said. Responding to it, the IO said that the file was pending with the higher authorities. The court was hearing a case allegedly 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 registered in September 2012. CBI, however, had 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. The court, on October 15 last year, had refused to accept the closure report and passed an order asking CBI to further investigate the case. PTI