Allegations are baseless, says Dasari Narayana Rao

Former union minister of state for coal Dasari Narayana Rao, who faces CBI probe in the coal scam, Wednesday denied his involvement and said the "truth will prevail".

A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided his house and office here, the filmmaker-turned-politician said all the allegations against him were baseless.

"All the events are happening in a planned manner. I am confident the truth will prevail. I thank my fans for their support. I advise them not to worry," he said in a statement here.

The CBI had Tuesday registered a first information report (FIR), the 12th in the coal blocks allocation scam, against Dasari and Congress MP Naveen Jindal.

Dasari, who was junior minister from 2006-09, is facing allegations that he received Rs.2.25 crore camouflaged as investment in his company from one of Naveen Jindal's firm within a year of allocating him a coal block.

The CBI officials raided Dasari's house and his company Sowbhagya Media Private Limited here and seized some documents.

"I am not a boggu puli (coal tiger) but a Bobbili Puli (Bobbili tiger)," Dasari said in Telugu version of his statement, reacting to headlines of some Telugu newspapers describing him as 'coal tiger'.

The reference was to his famous Telugu film 'Bobbili Puli' starring the legendary N.T. Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR. The actor, who played the role of an honest and courageous military officer in the 1982 movie, later founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and became chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Dasari, a multi faceted personality, directed over 150 films.