New Delhi:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today filed the first chargesheet in the coal block allocation scam in a Delhi court.
The chargesheet has been filed against Navabharat Power Private Limited and its two directors, charging them with cheating and conspiracy. The chargesheet says that Navabharat, along with other companies, misrepresented facts to get coal block allocation.
The CBI has already filed 16 First Information Reports (FIRs) which includes those against AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal Energy, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog, JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd, Grace Industries, Jindal Steel and Power, Rathi Steel and Power Ltd, Jharkhand Ispat, Green Infrastructure, Kamal Sponge, Pushp Steel, Hindalco, BLA Industries, Castron Technologies and Castron Mining and Nava Bharat Power Private Limited.
These FIRs were registered after the agency probed three preliminary enquiries related to coal block allocation between 2006 and 2009, 1993 and 2004 and projects given under a government scheme.
The CBI, which is probing the scandal, dubbed as Coal-Gate, says precious coal blocks were allotted arbitrarily to beneficiaries close to the government. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), an estimated loss of Rs. 1.86 lakh crores was caused to the national exchequer in the scam.
What remains to be seen is whether any government official will be named in the chargesheet. Coal-Gate is particularly sensitive for the government because for some of the years under review, the Prime Minister held direct charge of the Coal Ministry.