Coalgate: CBI questions Parakh

P.C. Parakh, former Coal Secretary. File photo

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday quizzed former Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of >Talabira coal blocks in Odisha to Hindalco. The questioning will continue on Friday.

“Mr. Parakh, who is an accused in the case along with Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, was questioned for about eight hours at the CBI headquarters,” said an official. Confirming that he had again been called on Friday, the former Coal Secretary told the media that he was satisfied with the examination by the CBI officials.

“The whole idea of the questioning is to understand [how the allocation was made]. I am in the process of making them understand. They have a point of view and I am trying to put my point of view,” he said.

The CBI, in its

>FIR registered last year, accused Mr. Parakh of abusing his position to extend favours to Hindalco in 2005 by overturning the 25th screening committee’s recommendation to allocate the coal block to public sector unit Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited.

The agency earlier recorded statements of Prime Minister’s Advisor >T.K.A. Nair and former Minister of State for Coal >Dasari Narayana Rao .

Taking a strong exception to him being named as an accused in the case, Mr. Parakh has,

>in his book released recently, questioned the CBI’s approach.