Coalgate: Centre, CBI heading for collision in SC on sanction issue

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Centre appeared heading for a confrontation in the coal block allocation case, with the agency on Tuesday asserting in the Supreme Court that no prior sanction was required to prosecute bureaucrats in the scam, a stand contrary to that of the government.

In a six-page affidavit, the CBI referred to the court's judgment in the 2G telecom spectrum scam, in which a time period for the government was stipulated in granting sanction in other cases. “There is no need of sanction for prosecution in cases where the court has either directed investigation or is monitoring investigation of the case.”