Coal scam: CBI registers case against KPCL officials

Says officials ignored JV conditions to give pecuniary gains to private partners

The CBI registered a fresh case of cheating and corruption in coal block allocation scam against unknown officials of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and others for allegedly ignoring joint venture conditions to give pecuniary gains to private partners.

KPCL was allocated six coal blocks - Kiloni, Manora Deep, and Baranj I-IV in 2003 under the NDA government.

CBI has said the agency teams today swooped down at one location each in Bangalore, New Delhi, Kolkata, Nagpur in connection with the case.

The sources said besides KPCL, unknown officials of Karnataka EMTA coal Mine Limited, Bangalore, EMTA, and erstwhile Gupta Coal Fields and Washeries Limited (now known as Gupta Global Resources Pvt Limited) have been mentioned as accused in the FIR, which is 39th in the coal scam probe.

The agency spokesperson said here today that a case of alleged cheating under IPC and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act has been lodged against them.

"It is alleged that the officials of state public sector undertaking KPCL who had been allocated coal block had shown undue favour to joint venture partner by deliberately ignoring and overlooking the condition of JV relating to certification of the quality of the coal by an independent agency," CBI has alleged.