Partial HC relief for two erring mining companies

The Orissa High Court today allowed two mining companies Indrani Patnaik & Co and Triveni Earthmovers & Transport Company to operate their bank accounts which were made non-operational by Enforcement Directorate in May this year.
A division bench of the HC headed by Chief Justice D H Waghela, however, in the interim order, asked the two mining companies not to liquidate their fixed deposit accounts till the petitions in the HC were disposed of.
The two companies had moved the court challenging ED's action following raids and seizure of bank accounts by the central agency on account of the ongoing probe into the mining scam in the state.

Terming ED action as "uncalled for" since the state vigilance directorate had already begun investigating into the matter, the mining companies had urged the court for appropriate directions to ED.
ED had earlier this year registered cases against the mining companies. The same mining companies were also booked by the state vigilance directorate on allegations of excessive production thereby causing pecuniary loss to state exchequer.