Two new FIRs lodged, CBI raids 13 places

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered two new FIRs in the coal block allocation case. The FIRs have been registered against Nagpur-based Grace Industries and Kolkata-based Vikash Metals and Power. Investigators on Saturday carried out simultaneous raids at 13 places in seven cities, including Nagpur, Purulia and Asansol.

These are the second such raids by the agency, which had registered five cases on September 4 against JLD Yavatmal, JAS Infrastructure, AMR Iron and Steel, Vini Iron and Steel and Navbharat Power on charges of misrepresentation of facts and criminal conspiracy.

CBI investigators have found in the probe that directors of Grace Industries made false claims before the screening committee related to the net worth of the company and capacity of the end-use plant. While Vikash Metals and Power has also been accused of making false claims related to land allocation to get undue advantage in allocation.

 

“Grace Industries changed its ownership structure after the company was allocated the Lohara (East) block in Maharashtra in 2008. The company had claimed its net worth was Rs 120 crore but the investigation revealed it was actually Rs 3.3 crore. The company had also claimed the capacity of the end-use plant was 120,000 tonne per annum (TPA) while the capacity was actually 60,000 TPA,” said a senior CBI official.

The investigation has also revealed directors of Grace Industries Mukesh Gupta and Seema Gupta had sold their stake to Sanvijaya, a Nagpur-based company. The CBI has found that after the stake was sold, Seema and Mukesh Gupta had made a profit of Rs 20 crore.

CBI officials elaborated that Vikash Metals and Power wrongly claimed it had been allocated 300 acres of land in Begusarai in Bihar by the Bihar Area Development Authority. But the CBI found the land was de-allocated, however, the directors failed to inform the screening committee members. The CBI has found Vikash Metals and Power was given the Maurya Madhujore (North and South) block in 2009.

Senior officials have booked Mukesh Gupta and Seema Gupta under sections 120 (B) and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Also booked are Vikash Metals and Power directors, Vimal Patni, Vikash Patni, Anand Patni, Virender Kumar Jain, Kailash Chander Jain and Vijay Kumar Jain, along with Anand Mallick, the authorised signatory for the company.