Coalgate: CBI questions former coal secretary Parakh

CBI sources said that Parakh has been called for questioning again tomorrow

Former coal secretary P C Parakh on Thursday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials for questioning in connection with a case of allegedly abusing his official position to grant an Odisha coal block to Hindalco.

“I have already said what I had to say. Let me see what they want to ask,” Parakh told reporters before entering the CBI headquarters.

CBI had served a fresh summons to the former Indian Administrative Service officer seeking his appearance on Thursday. Parakh had expressed inability to appear before the probe agency officials on April 25.

Parakh (69), who retired as coal secretary in December 2005, has been accused of abusing his official position to grant a coal block to Hindalco, an Aditya Birla Group company, in a CBI first information report (FIR).

CBI had last year registered a case against Parakh, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group of companies, and unnamed officials of Hindalco and the coal ministry. Birla and Hindalco have denied allegations of irregularities.

The agency has alleged that during 2005, these persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy and the then public servant (Parakh) abused his position and showed undue favour to the Odisha industry in allocation of Talabira II and Talabira III coal blocks.

CBI has also quizzed former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao and prime minister’s advisor T K A Nair in the case. According to the first information report, Neyveli Lignite Limited was to be given Talabira II coal block but Parakh allegedly favoured Hindalco and allowed it to share the block with Neyveli leading to notional loss to the exchequer. Parakh has denied any quid pro quo as alleged by CBI in its FIR about his meeting with Birla and also maintained that there was no pressure exerted by the Prime Minister’s Office in clearing the deal in favour of the Birla group.