CBI registers two enquiries on missing coal files

CBI today registered two enquiries to look into the issue of missing files on coal block allocations from the Coal Ministry.
"We have registered two preliminary enquiries. One is for the period between 1993 and 2005 and another is for the period 2006-09," CBI Director Ranjit Sinha told PTI.
CBI sources said the agency received a letter from the Coal Ministry on Wednesday giving list of documents which have been traced in the Ministry record rooms. The ministry urged CBI to consider the letter as complaint.
"The preliminary enquiries have been registered against unknown persons," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said.

Later, the agency officials held a meeting with the Coal Ministry officials to reconcile the files which are still not traceable and require a thorough probe by the agency.
The sources said during the reconciliation it became clear that 15-18 crucial files which are related to coal block allocations done in different batches are not traceable and it is affecting the agency's probe.

Based on the conclusions drawn during the meeting, the agency decided to split its enquiry in two parts-- files relating to allocations done during the period spanning from 2006-09 in which CBI has registered 13 FIRs so far and files related to the period between 1993 and 2005 in which no FIR has been registered, the sources said.

They said the agency decided to proceed with the preliminary enquiry as there was not enough material to register a regular case or FIR.
During the analysis of documents and interactions with the Coal Ministry officials, CBI found that some of the crucial files are not in existence.