HC rejects plea for CBI probe into coal scam

The Orissa High Court today rejected the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking CBI probe into multi-crore coal scam and directed the state vigilance department to conduct thorough investigation into the matter.

This has come as a major relief to the state government as two of its ministers were accused of involvement in the scam.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra.

Expressing satisfaction on the status report submitted by the state vigilance department, the court directed it to continue investigation into the matter and observed there is no need of handing over the case to CBI.

The court also directed the vigilance department to take punitive action against those proved guilty.

Petitioner Nishikant Mishra said he will appeal against the High Court verdict in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the vigilance director, Anup Patnaik said, the investigation is in final stage and the charge-sheet will be filed soon. The scam involved large-scale diversion of coal linkage to the open market by supplying the subsidized coal to non-existent firms.

The coal scam in Orissa had snowballed into a major controversy with the Opposition political parties steadfast in their demand for the resignation of the two ministers- minister for housing and urban development Badri Narayan Patra and minister for school and mass education Pratap Jena, for their alleged involvement in the scam.

The Opposition MLAs had stalled the Assembly proceedings in the of the state legislative assembly and had even boycotted the house over the scam in the last monsoon session

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had, however, given a clean chit to the two ministers.

The scam is being probed by the State Vigilance and many officials of Orissa Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) and District Industrial Centres (DICs) were arrested in connection with the scam. The scam related to ripping off crores of rupees through supply of coal at concessional rates to the small scale industries.