Coal scam: CBI suppressing material facts, says accused

Director of a private firm, who is accused in a coal block allocation scam case, today said that CBI has suppressed material details from the special court and concealed facts relevant for arriving at a just decision in the case.
Pushp Steels and Mining Pvt Ltd's (PSMPL) Director Atul Jain, an accused in the case along with the company, told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that CBI should be directed to place the entire documents of the case before the court.
"All materials collected by CBI during the investigation has to be brought before the court. They (CBI) might not rely on some documents but they have to inform the court about it," advocate R K Handoo, who appeared for Jain, said.

He also said it was not upto the CBI to "pick and choose" and asked why the agency had not lodged case against firms which were allotted coal blocks by the same screening committee which had recommended allocation of block to PSMPL.
"Accused has great apprehension that certain documents have not been filed before the court," he said, adding, "I am only saying that these documents should be placed before the court. If after perusal, the court will say that I am not entitled for these documents, I will not say anything."
Countering his submissions, CBI's senior public prosecutor Sanjay Kumar said the accused was not entitled to get these files as they were not relied upon by the agency.

"Some documents sought by the accused contain various notes of the senior supervisory officers of CBI and the law officers and accused cannot be supplied these documents," he said while seeking dismissal of Jain's plea.

The prosecutor said probe of all the coal scam cases were being monitored by the Supreme Court.
However, during the arguments on the plea, the judge told Jain's counsel, "Your arguments are overlapping with arguments on charges which you will advance later. I think you are arguing it a bit early."
"You should have argued it simultaneously with arguments on charges in the case," the judge said after which Jain's lawyer said the plea be kept pending at this stage.

"Arguments have been heard. ... Counsel for accused very fairly stated that the application may be kept pending for decision during the course of arguments on the point of charge or may be decided simultaneously on the issue of charge," the judge noted in his order.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Brahmapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to PSMPL.
The court had earlier granted bail to Jain and former CoalSecretary H C Gupta, who were summoned as accused in the case. The court is scheduled to hear arguments on framing of charges in the case from September 14.