'Don't think we are fools': CBI chief defends Birla FIR

Facing criticism from those implicated and from a section of the UPA’s ministers for its FIR against Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, CBI chief Ranjit Sinha has hit out at critics saying they were not fools to file a case without evidence.

“There is no personal enmity that we have with anyone. Please don’t think we are such fools that we will file a case without strong documentary evidence,” Sinha said in an exclusive interview with Economic Times.

The CBI chief promised a thorough investigation and said that the FIR was just the first step that came after a long preliminary enquiry which had resulted in the investigating agency collecting documentary evidence.

“The accused persons named in it — Mr Birla and Mr Parakh — may turn out to be innocent at the end of the probe. We promise them a fair and thorough investigation,” Sinha said .

He also pointed out that in this case the investigating agency was answerable to no one but the Supreme Court and they would put all the facts forward before the Supreme Court.

Former coal secretary, PC Parakh, in an interview to CNN-IBN yesterday , had defended his decision to allocate the coal mine to the Aditya Birla Group and said that the Prime Minister should also be made an accused in the case. Birla’s firms have also denied any wrongdoing.

The CBI has said it found Rs 25 crore in unaccounted cash in an office of Hindalco office after raids carried out on Tuesday, but hasn’t explained how it is linked with this case dating back to an allocation made in 2005.

The CBI in its FIR claimed has claimed that Parakh abused his official position to allocate the coal mines to Hindalco after meeting with Birla.

“Pursuant to these letters and personal meeting between Parakh and Birla, Parakh, by abusing his official position as a public servant recommended the allocation of Talabira II along with Talabira III coal block to Hindalco Industries Limited, along with other two companies without any valid basis or change in circumstances and with the sole intention to show undue favours to Hindalco Industries Limited,” the agency alleged in its FIR .

The agency claimed Parakh ignored the considered deliberations and recommendations of Screening Committee of which he was the Chairman.