Coalscam: court asks CBI to furnish preliminary enquiry files

A special court today directed CBI to place before it all relevant files pertaining to preliminary enquiry conducted in a coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving Prakash Industries Ltd and others.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar asked the investigating officer (IO) about the files of the preliminary enquiry conducted in the case in which the agency has filed a closure report.
"It is directed that relevant files of the preliminary enquiry pertaining to the present case be produced on the next date of hearing on March 24," the court said, adding that it would first go through the preliminary enquiry files before proceeding further.

CBI had earlier filed before the court a copy of the reference made by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the basis of which the case was lodged against Prakash Industries Ltd and others.
The court was hearing the matter in which CBI had filed a closure report saying no prosecutable evidence could be found during its investigation in the case.
CBI had lodged an FIR against Prakash Industries Ltd and others in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of Chhattisgarh's Fatehpur coal block.

According to CBI, the Fatehpur coal block was allocated jointly to Prakash Industries Ltd and another company by the 35th Screening Committee.

The FIR was lodged against Prakash Industries Ltd, its three officials, some officials of the Ministry of Coal and others alleging that the firm had misrepresented its net worth while applying for the Fatehpur coal block.
The FIR was lodged in the case for offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The agency, in its FIR, had alleged that while the company had misrepresented facts relating to its net worth, the Screening Committee deliberately did not follow the guidelines and showed undue favour to the firm.