Law Minister, PMO made changes in coalgate report: CBI to SC

In yet another damning report, the CBI today told the Supreme Court that Law Minister Ashwani Kumar made certain "significant changes" in the agency's draft probe report on Coalgate while top law officers and government officials including those from PMO suggested amendments.
In his nine-page affidavit which will be taken up by the apex court at its hearing on Wednesday, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha detailed at least four changes, two made by the Law Minister and two by joint secretaries of PMO and Coal ministry Shatrughna Singh and A K Bhalla respectively.
The CBI version contradicts reports of Kumar's account that he was not involved in drafting the changes.

It also belies Attorney General G E Vahanvati's earlier statement in the court that he did not see the status report. The affidavit stated that "a few changes were also done on the suggestion of the AG and officials of PMO and Coal ministry".
However, the affidavit said, "It is difficult at this stage to attribute each change to a particular person with certainty. The changes which can be termed significant are elaborated."
Sinha attributed two significant changes in the draft report to the Law Minister and said those would be seen in paragraph 1.21 and 1.23 of the final status report pertaining to preliminary enquiries (PE).

"Further, from paragraph 1.23 of the same report, deletion of a sentence about scope of enquiry with respect to legality of allocation while the amendments in law were in process, was done by the Union Minister for Law and Justice," the affidavit said.

"The other tentative findings about non-preparation of broadsheet or chart by the screening committee to the best of our recollection was deleted by the Law Minister," it said.
"From paragraph 1.21 of PE 2, the tentative finding about the non-existence of a system regarding allocation of specific weightage/points was deleted at the instance of the officials of the PMO and the Coal Ministry," the affidavit said.

The affidavit also said, "These changes made by the Law Minister, PMO and Coal ministry officials were accepted by the CBI as they pertained to its tentative findings."
The Director, however, asserted that neither the central theme of status reports got changed after meetings nor any deletion of any evidence against any suspect or accused took place.