The CBI will on Monday submit reports on investigations against 20 companies, as part of the preliminary enquiries instituted into the coal block allocations scam to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), for a review following a Supreme Court directive.
“These reports are being sent to the CVC in sealed cover for perusal, as there was a difference of opinion between the investigating officers and the headquarters over sufficiency of evidence in going ahead with the prosecution proceedings in these cases,” said an official.
A couple of days ago, the court had directed the CVC to review the 20 cases, asking the CBI to submit the reports to the Commission within five days.
The apex court has also asked the CVC to review the cases against two companies — Vikas Metals Private Limited and Kamal Sponge and Power Private Limited — in which the CBI has filed closure reports.
This after the CBI Deputy Inspector-General Ravi Kant Sharma, who is supervising investigations into the coal block allocation cases, submitted before the Supreme Court that he wanted to file charge sheets against the two companies. The probe against 20 other firms under scrutiny for alleged irregularities in allotment of coal blocks was closed despite some officials’ opinion that it should have been carried further.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court directed the CVC to look into these cases and submit its recommendations within four weeks. The CBI has so far registered five preliminary enquiries, including the two in connection with the missing coal block allocations-related files. While 18 cases have been registered, the agency has filed charge sheets in two cases.
The agency has registered two latest cases against Prakash Industries and Central Collieries.
