Missing coal files needed for chargesheets: CBI

Probe agency chief says too early to decide on whether to question the prime minister for allocations when in direct charge of ministry

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will not be able to file chargesheets on many of the First Information Reports (FIRs) in the coal allocation controversy if it does not get access to certain missing files, agency chief Ranjit Sinha said on Thursday.

The files in question are not traceable at the coal ministry and this has created a new controversy. The CBI director had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and apprised it of the limitations in probe on the issue.

On whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could be questioned on the issue for actions taken when he was directly in charge of the coal portfolio, Sinha said it was too early to say so.

Without elaborating on the “untraceable files”, he said the information pertained to the decision onf allocations and process followed therein by the then screening committee.

CBI is likely to register more FIRs in the scam. It has provided a fresh list of documents to Attorney-General Goolam E Vahanvati which it needs from the coal ministry. The new list mentions 26 papers pertaining to allocations to about two dozen companies, including Tata Sponge Iron, Sunflag Iron & Steel, Adhunik Corp, Jharkhand Ispat, Rathi Steel & Power, Pushp Steel & Mining, Bhushan Power & Steel and Vandana Energy & Steel.

The list also mentions a recommendation letter from former Member of Parliament Vijay Darda, forwarded by the Prime Minister’s Office, for allocation of the Bander coal block to AMR Iron & Steel, as well as a report by Coal India experts on the financial strength of the applicant companies.

CBI has registered 12 FIRs in the scam so far. The last case named Congress MP Naveen Jindal and former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao.