CBI registers two separate cases against Mumbai & Kolkata based private companies and others for alleged irregularities in coal block allocations

New Delhi/Jalandhar, January 8, 2014: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered two separate cases U/s 120-B r/w 420 of IPC and 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of PC Act, 1988 against Mumbai & Kolkata based private companies and others for alleged irregularities in coal block allocations.

The first case has been registered against a Mumbai based company & its Managing Director, unknown public servants & unknown private persons. The company had been allocated two coal blocks and it has been alleged that the company, instead of establishing an end use project for which the coal blocks were allocated, was mining the coal and selling it in the market. The public servants, in conspiracy with the company, are alleged to have favoured the company for such an action.

The second case has been registered against Kolkata based two companies & its Directors, unknown public servants & unknown private persons. The coal block in the State of Jharkhand, was allegedly allocated though this did not fit into prescribed norms and extant guidelines for allocation of coal blocks for captive end use. It has been alleged that the private company, in conspiracy with public servants, managed to get the coal block with no clear cut end use project.

Searches have been conducted at nine locations in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dhanbad, Bhopal and Narsinghpur (Madhya Pradesh) today.

A Preliminary Enquiry to examine the alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks during the period 1993-2005 was registered on reference from CVC in September, 2012.  These are the first two cases in this Preliminary Enquiry.

It is pertinent to mention that CBI, till now, has registered a total of 16 cases in coal blocks allocations.

Further investigation is continuing in the matter.