Court orders further probe into coal allocation case

The Special Court on coal allocation case Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to hold further probe into the matter involving a lawmaker, and file a progress report to it by Dec 19.

The CBI earlier filed a closure report in the case that involves Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda, among others. The fresh order was issued by Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar.

The CBI filed the closure report after an initial report against JLD Yavatmal Energy, its directors Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda, Rajendra Darda, Manoj Jayaswal, Anand Jayaswal and Abhishek Jayaswal and other unknown persons.

Filing the closure report, the agency said that no undue benefit was given to JLD Yavatmal Energy by the coal ministry in allocating the blocks and nothing substantial has emerged to establish cheating or criminal conspiracy by the government officials and the company's directors.

The probe agency earlier in its first information report alleged that JLD Yavatmal had wrongfully concealed previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005.

But in its closure report, the CBI said even if this information had been revealed, it would not have been disqualified the company from getting the coal blocks.