Coalscam: Have given records to competent authority, says CBI

The CBI today told a special court that they have furnished necessary records before competent authority for considering granting sanction to prosecute the public servants allegedly involved in a coalscam case relating to allocation of blocks to Navbharat Power Pvt Ltd (NPPL).
The agency told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that they were awaiting response from the competent authority on the issue.
"It is submitted (by CBI) that the necessary records have been submitted to the competent authority for considering according sanction to prosecute public servants. The same is awaited," the court said and fixed the matter for further hearing on March 12.

The agency was earlier directed by the court to further investigate the matter in which it had filed a charge sheet against NPPL, its Managing Director and Vice-Chairman Harish Chandra Prasad and Chairman P Trivikrama Prasad.
CBI had told the court that further probe in the case was going on in pursuance of the order passed by the court.
The court, in its order passed on November 12, 2014 had said that the acts of former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and two other public servants overlooking alleged misrepresentation by NPPL for acquiring coal block in Rampia in Odisha prima facie amounted to criminal misconduct.

The court had differed from CBI's conclusion that no malafide intention was found on the part of public servants, saying it was prima facie clear that decision of allocating coal block to NPPL was taken by officers of Ministry of Coal (MOC) and screening committee without keeping public interest in mind.
The court had also asked CBI to place before sanctioning authority the records of the case for considering the issue of according sanction to prosecute public servants involved for the offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.