Covered 'substantial ground' in probe against Ranjit Sinha in coal scam cases: CBI to SC

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday told the Supreme Court that it has "covered substantial ground" in its probe into the allegation of "prima facie abuse of authority" against its former Director Ranjit Sinha for meeting the accused in the coal scam cases at his official residence.

"They have covered substantial ground," senior counsel R.S. Cheema told the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice A.K. Sikri, seeking six more months to complete the probe.

Cheema who is Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) representing the CBI in the trial of coal scam cases before the Special CBI Court presided over by Judge Bharat Parashar told the bench they have substantially done the exercise involving the entries in the visitors book, identifying the car numbers in which visitors came and banking transactions.

As Justice Lokur said that all the banking transactions are computerised and are available on the click of mouse, Cheema said that transactions are moving from X to Y account and then to Z account and it takes time to track them.

Asking CBI to file a status report on its investigation against Sinha on the next date of hearing in March, Justice Lokur said:

"Something has happened here, which may have impacted (something) there" and told CBI not to segregated the cases involving the accused who had met Sinha.

The top court in January 23, 2017 had directed the CBI Director Alok Verma to probe the allegations of "prima facie abuse of authority" by Sinha with a view to scuttle enquires, investigations and prosecutions in coal scam cases.

Asking the investigating agency to act as a SIT, the court in its verdict had said that "it was completely inappropriate for Sinha to have met persons accused in the coal block allocation cases without the investigating officer being present or without the investigating team being present."

In the meanwhile, the court also asked Cheema and senior counsel Ararendra Sharan to examine the 55 cases which are being enquired, investigated or prosecuted by the CBI to ascertain how many of them involve probe by the Directorate of Enforcement for alleged money laundering.

"You tell them which case needs to be dropped. (if) No offence is made out, (then) there is no point in flogging the dead horse," Justice Lokur told Sharan appearing for the CBI.

The court said as it was told that ED was filing Enforcement Case Investigation Report (ECIR) "mechanically" and not all ECIR have resulted in money trail.

--IANS

pk/rn