Coalgate: CBI issues summons to Congress MP Naveen Jindal

The Central Bureau of Investigation issued a summons to Congress MP Naveen Jindal in the coal block allocation scam on Monday evening, CNN-IBN reported. Jindal is an MP from Kurukshetra and the chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Limited. The Naveen Jindal group was allotted a total of 11 coal blocks, thereby making it the single largest beneficiary of coal block allocations. [caption id=“attachment_1128885” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Congress MP Naveen Jindal. AFP[/caption] The CBI had in July this year named Jindal as an accused in its 12th FIR in the coal block scam. According to the FIR, the Jindal Group was not recommended by the Jharkhand government for coal block allocations yet the group managed to get coal blocks. It charged Jindal’s firm with ‘misrepresentation of facts’. According to a Times of India report, the FIR which was filed before a special CBI court, stated that the power ministry did not recommend the proposal for allocating the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Group firms — Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd. Both the firms have also been named as accused in the FIR. According to the report, the firms did not meet the criteria of preparation adopted by CEA, which shortlisted companies on the ministry’s behalf.