After registering five FIRs in court, CBI teams fanned out to nearly 10 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Hyderabad, Dhanbad and Nagpur and searched premises of owners of some companies.
The companies named in the FIR by the CBI are Vini Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel, JLD Yavatmal which is said to be linked to the family of Congress MP Vijay Darda, JAS infrasrtucture of Abhijeet Group and AMR Iron and Steel and their directors and unknown government officials, the CBI said.
The agency, which had registered a Preliminary Enquiry in June this year, has slapped charges of cheating and suppression of facts against the companies.
When contacted, Vaibhav Tulsyan, whose office and home were searched by the agency for his alleged association with Vini Iron and Steel, claimed he had sold the company to a close aide of the then Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.
"I do not know why the searches are taking place at my office and home. I have sold the company five months before coal block allocations. I was not be the beneficiary allottee. My only fault was that I was the applicant for coal blocks.
"Because of Naxal problem we were not able to run the company, so when Vijay Joshi, who was close aide of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, approached us with a good offer, we sold the company to him. At the time coal block allocation, the company was already with Joshi" Tulsyan told PTI. MORE