The CBI, probing the Coalgate scam, is now analysing call details of some former officials of the steel ministry.
Sources said role of at least five former officials of the steel ministry is under the scanner of the agency in connection with CBI’s probe related to the allocation of captive coal blocks of Lohara (East) in Maharashtra and Moira Madhujore (North and South) in West Bengal.
The CBI on September 22 had registered two cases against Kolkata and Nagpur-based companies for alleged criminal conspiracy to get coal blocks by fudging their net worth figures. The agency booked Nagpur-based Grace Industries Limited and Vikash Metal and Power Limited (Kolkata) for allegedly misrepresenting their net-worth. The accused companies — Grace Industries Ltd and Vikash Metal and Power Ltd — and their directors have been booked by CBI for misrepresenting facts to get the coal blocks in Lohara (East) in Maharashtra and Moira Madhujore North and South coal block in West Bengal.
“The CBI is now planning to question all five former officials. The agency has also decided to question at least two officials of the coal ministry,” sources said.
Sources further said the CBI is also planning to register at least two more FIRs, related to the Coalgate scam, by the end of this week. At least three companies, allocated captive coal blocks on January 13, 2006, may be booked by the agency in its fresh FIRs.
“Initial probe by the agency has revealed that irregularities were allegedly committee in the allocations of certain captive coal blocks of North Dhadu (Jharkhand), Madanpur-South (Chattisgarh), Patrapara (Odisha), Dumri (Jharkhand) and Madanpur-North (Chattisgarh),” sources said. The agency is analysing documents submitted by these companies at the time of filing applications for the coal blocks, sources added.