New Delhi:
The CBI has been ordered by the Supreme Court to complete its investigation into "Coal-Gate" by the end of this month.
The arbitrary allocation of coal mining rights cost the country Rs 1.86 lakh crore, according to the national auditor. As the UPA government seeks a third consecutive term in power, the scandal has dogged the coalition, not least because for some of the years under scrutiny, the Prime Minister held direct charge of the Coal Ministry.
But in what will offer some relief for the ruling Congress, CBI has decided that Congress MP Vijay Darda, and his family members, are likely to see the case against them closed. They are directors of the group JLD Yavatmal, which was probed for landing coal block in Chhattisgarh after misrepresenting facts in its applications. The misrepresentations include specifications and their financial viability which were exaggerated in order to get the allocation.
However, Vijay Darda, a law-maker from Maharashtra, still faces criminal charges for the allocation of a coal block to the AMR Group in Maharashtra, for similiar charges of misrepresenting facts.
NDTV has learnt the investigating agency has also filed a closure report -a formal request to close the case - against Jas Infrastructure which is owned by Manoj Jayaswal and Abhishek Jayaswal, who are allegedly related to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal. They had allegedly landed mining licenses in Jharkhand by also showing false information.
The CBI courts in Delhi will decide whether to let these cases end but the last word is with the Supreme Court.