CBI registers 13th case in coal blocks allocation

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Wednesday registered its 13th case against a Delhi-based private steel firm for alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocations and carried out searches in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Odisha.

The agency registered the 13th First Information Report (FIR) against Rathi Steel and Power Ltd., its CEO Udit Rathi and its directors and others for misrepresenting facts while applying for a coal block.

Sources said the company, earlier known as Rathi Udyog Ltd., was Aug 5, 2008, allocated Kesla North coal block in Korba, Chhattisgarh, for its sponge iron plant.

"The company misrepresented on account of stage of preparedness in terms of possession of land to get the coal block. It was also favoured for allocation of coal block over other better placed applicants," said a CBI official.

The investigating agency also carried out searches at nine different locations in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Sambalpur in Odisha in connection with the case.

A preliminary inquiry to examine the irregularities in allocation of coal blocks during the period 2006-2009 was registered on reference of the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) in June 2012. Earlier, the CBI had registered 12 cases in the allocations.