Coal scam: Court to hear Javadekar's protest petition on Mar 1

A special court today fixed March 1 for hearing the objections filed by Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Hansraj Ahir against CBI's move to close a coal scam case, allegedly involving Prakash Industries Ltd (PIL) and others.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar will hear the arguments on the protest petition filed by HRD Minister Javadekar and Minister of State for Home Ahir, who are complainants in case.
Central Vigilance Commission had started its proceedings on the complaints made by both the ministers. The two politicians have moved the court seeking rejection of CBI's closure report filed in the case and a direction to the agency to further investigate it and file a supplementary charge sheet.

They have alleged in their petition that PIL had deliberately misrepresented facts to the 35th Screening Committee with the connivance of other accused to get the coal block. They have alleged that CBI had wrongly accepted the claims made by the accused.
Their petition came in response to the court's earlier notice asking them if they wanted to submit anything on the final report in the case.
The court had earlier issued notices to the two ministers after CVC Director Sanjay Agarwal informed it that the anti-graft watchdog was not a complainant in the matter and had no role to play in the case. It was these two leaders on whose complaint the Commission had started its proceedings, he had said.

The court had said that before accepting CBI's closure report, it was duty bound to issue notice to the complainant.

It had earlier directed the CVC to clarify its stand on CBI's closure report in the case in which an FIR was lodged on following CVC's reference.
In its closure report, CBI had said no incriminating
evidence had come on record warranting prosecution of any accused.
According to CBI, the Fatehpur coal block was allocated jointly to PIL and another firm by 35th Screening Committee.
The FIR was lodged against PIL, its three officials, some officials of the Coal Ministry and others on the charge that the firm had misrepresented its net worth while applying for the block.

The FIR was registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI had alleged in its FIR that while the company had misrepresented facts relating to its net worth, the screening committee had deliberately not followed the guidelines and showed undue favour to it.