CBI today filed a report on its further probe in a coal scam case involving Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta and others.
The report filed before Special Judge Bharat Parashar in a sealed cover included statements of certain persons recorded during the course of further investigation by CBI.
The court put up the report for consideration on September 14, the next date of hearing in the case.
"Investigating Officer has submitted report of further investigation. Statements of certain persons as were recorded during the course of further investigation have also been produced in a sealed cover.
"It has further been submitted that certain documents collected during the course of further investigation are also being filed. Matter be now put up on September 14, 2016, for consideration on report of further investigation," the court said.
CBI, which filed over 5,000-page documents as part of the report, submitted that it was yet to receive certain papers, including forensic reports, which will be placed before the court later.
The court had earlier allowed CBI's plea that they needed to probe the case further in light of certain disclosures made by a chartered accountant, Suresh Singhal, who had sought the court's nod to turn approver.
The court had recently allowed Singhal's plea for pardon and ordered deletion of his name from the list of accused.
CBI had earlier alleged that ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, also accused in the case, had favoured Jindal group firms -- Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL) -- in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand.
CBI had also claimed that the accused had conspired with each other to get the allocation of the coal block in favour of the two Jindal group firms.
Opposing CBI's contention, all the accused had said there was no evidence which showed that they were in any conspiracy during the coal block allocation process. They had also denied the allegations levelled against them by CBI in its charge sheet.
The court had said that before accepting CBI's closure
report, it was duty bound to issue notice to the complainant.
It had earlier directed the CVC to clarify its stand on CBI's closure report in the case in which an FIR was lodged on the basis of CVC's reference.
An FIR was registered against PIL and others in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of Chhattisgarh's Fatehpur coal block.
The court had earlier said the case was registered on the basis of CVC's reference, but after completing its probe, CBI had filed a closure report saying no incriminating evidence had come on record warranting prosecution of any accused.
According to CBI, the Fatehpur coal block was allocated jointly to PIL and another firm by 35th Screening Committee.
The FIR was lodged against PIL, its three officials, some officials of the Coal Ministry and others on the charge that the firm had misrepresented its net worth while applying for the block.
The FIR was registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI had alleged in its FIR that while the company had misrepresented facts relating to its net worth, the screening committee had deliberately not followed the guidelines and show undue favour to it.
