The CBI filed its first charge sheet in the multi-crore coal blocks allocation scam before a Delhi court on Monday.
In the voluminous charge sheet filed before Special CBI judge Madhu Jain, the investigating agency accused Navbharat Power Private Ltd and its promoters P. Trivikrama Prasad and Y. Harish Chandra Prasad of conspiracy and cheating by misrepresenting information to secure coal blocks allotments.
“A probe against suspected public servants is still under way and a report in this regard will be submitted to the designated court once the investigations conclude,” said a CBI official.
Sources said Navbharat Power and its two directors were charge sheeted under section 120-B and 420 IPC for criminal conspiracy and cheating. The agency has not invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against them.
After the CBI said it was yet to file certain necessary documents with the charge sheet placed before the court, the judge granted it time till March 27.
The charge sheet is the first to be filed in the 16 cases registered by the CBI in the coal scam and the first of the six it told the Supreme Court it would file in the trial court.
The apex court on Monday directed the agency to file the five remaining charge sheets by March 28.
CBI had, in its FIR registered in September, 2012, named Navabharat Power Pvt. Ltd. and its two directors, along with some unknown public servants, in the case.
The FIR was lodged after a preliminary enquiry was initiated on the reference of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
The CBI said Navbharat Power claimed a wrong net worth to receive coal blocks. It accused unknown officials of the Coal Ministry of conspiring and failing to scrutinise the company’s document, thereby allowing them to gain an undue advantage during coal blocks allocation.
The agency said that after allocation of Rampia and Dip Side of Rampia coal blocks, the promoters and shareholders of Navabharat Power Pvt. Ltd sold their entire shareholdings in July 2010 to Essar Power Ltd and its subsidiary company at a “huge profit of over Rs. 200 crores.”
Sources, however, said Essar Power Ltd was not named in the charge sheet.
Rampia and Dip Side of Rampia coal blocks in Orissa, which were to be allocated to the power sector, were among the 38 coal blocks for which the Ministry had invited applications.
