Court pulls up CBI on final coal block probe report

A court here pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation for not filing in the proper manner the final report in the coal block allocation case against former Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal and others.

The final investigation report was filed on the basis of the statement given by prosecution witness, Chartered Accountant and New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. Director Suresh Singhal, who has turned approver in the case.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar pulled up the probe agency for not filing the report in a proper format and asked it to file it as per the provisions of law by January 23.

Meanwhile, the CBI Investigating officer (IO) of the case told court that further investigation in the matter is complete.

"Since IO has submitted that the further investigation in the matter is complete, so in view of the fact that already sufficient time in the present matter has lapsed pursuant to the directions of this court to direct further investigation, the present report is being taken on record with the direction that report in the proper format shall be submitted by January 23," the court said.

The CBI with its report has also submitted expert opinion from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and statement of at least 50 prosecution witnesses, including Singhal, and supplementary list of documents and articles.

The case relates to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

Besides the industrialist, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta are also accused in the case.

The CBI in April 2015 filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and Gupta.

The other accused in the case include Jindal Realty Director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge Directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf and Sowbhagya Media's Managing Director K. Ramakrishna.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- were also named in the chargesheet.

The companies are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd., Jindal Reality Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. and Sowbhagya Media Ltd.

The accused have denied the charges.

--IANS

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