CBI to file status report in coal scam probe in SC soon

The CBI will file its status report in the coal scam probe in the Supreme Court soon, officials said Saturday.

"We will be informing the Supreme Court soon about all the progress in the cases and without its permission no details can be shared," agency spokesperson Abhishek Dayal told PTI when asked to comment about reports that the decision of then CBI chief Alok Verma on clearing prosecution of a senior PMO official in one of the cases related to the scam.

"The news item published in a national daily...is factually not correct and is denied. It is stated that the orders issued by the agency are only with respect to the transfers of officers alone, and nothing else," he said in a statement during the day.

The report had alleged the prosecution clearance given about the officer by Verma was one of the decisions revoked by Interim CBI Director M Nageshwar Rao Friday after taking over.

Verma, who was reinstated by the Supreme Court, was removed within 48 hours by high powered selection committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri and leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge through a split verdict on Thursday.

The committee had relied on a controversial CVC report.

"Further, as regards the matters relating to cases of allocation of coal blocks, it is clarified that these are Supreme Court monitored cases and the CBI submits periodic status reports to the Supreme Court. With reference to the specific case mentioned in the news item, the status report giving complete details and facts is being submitted to the Supreme Court, and what has been alluded to in the news item is denied as being factually incorrect," Dayal said.

He said there is no question of reversal of any decision taken with regard to investigations and inquiries.