Coalscam: CBI files closure report, clean chit to govt servants

The Investigating Officer was directed by the court to submit a list of public servants who dealt with the coal block allocation applications and their subsequent verification

CBI today filed a revised closure report regarding the role of public servants in a coal blocks allocation scam case in which Navbharat Power Pvt Ltd and others were earlier chargesheeted as accused. CBI, in its revised supplementary report, told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that during the probe, it has not found any offence committed by the public servants.

"A revised supplementary final report has been placed which again is in the form of closure report stating that no offence was found to have been committed by any of the public servants," the court said in its order. CBI had earlier filed charge sheet against Navbharat Power Pvt Ltd (NPPL), its Managing Director and Vice-Chairman Harish Chandra Prasad and Chairman P Trivikrama Prasad in the case.

The charge sheet was filed against NPPL and its officials for offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of IPC for allegedly misrepresenting facts, including inflated net worth, to acquire coal blocks. During the hearing, the court heard part arguments of Special Public Prosecutor R S Cheema, appearing for CBI, on the closure report and fixed the matter for further arguments on October 14.

Cheema told the judge that he has instructed the investigating officer (IO) to file all the relevant records of the case in the court. The IO assured the court he would file those documents, including the documents collected during search and statement of witnesses recorded under the provisions of the CrPC, within three-four days. The IO was directed by the court to submit a list of public servants who all dealt with the coal block allocation applications and their subsequent verification.

The court asked the IO to give the present status of those public servants as to whether they have since retired.