CBI submits status report in Hindalco coal block case

Seeks two more weeks to complete investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a status report on its investigation into the Hindalco coal block allocation, in a sealed cover, with the trial court here. It sought two weeks more to complete the probe.

The case relates to alleged irregularity in allocation of the Talabira-II and -III coal blocks in Odisha to Hindalco Industries (an Aditya Birla Group company), in which the group’s chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, and former coal secretary P C Parakh were allegedly involved.

CBI also filed recorded statements of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, his then principal secretary, T K A Nair, and then private secretary, B V R Subramanyam, on the court’s order. Singh, who held additional charge of the coal ministry at the time of the controversial allotment, was examined by the agency last week.

Singh is believed to have told the CBI that Hindalco was not favoured in any manner and allocation was done by prescribed procedure, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

CBI requested the court not to open the sealed cover until the probe into the matter had been completed. However, the special judge said he had “perused the statement of the persons” and requested to put the report back in a sealed cover. The judge posted the next hearing on February 19.

Senior Public Prosecutor V K Sharma had filed a status report following the court’s December order, in which the judge had quashed CBI’s closure report in this case and asked for a fresh probe, after examination of senior government officials.

The case relates to allocation of Talabira-II and -III blocks jointly to Hindalco and two other firms in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district in 2005. CBI had booked Birla (then non-executive chairman of Hindalco), P C Parakh (then coal secretary) and other Hindalco officials under various sections, including criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct on the part of government officials. CBI had sought to close the case as it did not have sufficient evidence to proceed.

TWISTS AND TURNS

2005

• Sep: Former coal secretary P C Parakh recommends allocation of Talabira-II and -III coal blocks jointly to Hindalco (an Aditya Birla Group firm), Mahanadi Coalfields and Neyveli Lignite
  

 

Oct: Then prime minister Manmohan Singh (with additional charge of coal ministry at that time) approves the proposal

2013

• Oct: CBI files FIR, names Aditya Birla Group Chairman K M Birla and Parakh for criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct, etc

2014

• Aug: CBI files closure report in the case, citing lack of evidence of wrongdoing against Birla and Parakh
   
• Sep: Court pulls up CBI for being in a hurry to close the case
   
• Oct: CBI files revised report
   
• Nov: CBI says it has enough material on record to take cognisance of the offences; Court asks CBI why Manmohan Singh was not examined
  

 

Dec: Court asks CBI to record Manmohan Singh's statement

2015

• Jan: CBI presents status report after recording the statement of Singh and his aides; seeks two weeks to complete investigation