The CBI, probing the coalgate scam, has started scrutinising bank account details of private companies which were allocated captive coal blocks between 2006 to 2009.
According to sources account details of at least four companies are under the scanner of the agency. “The CBI may take assistance of the Income-Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this regard. The agency is also probing the possible ‘quid pro quo’ in the Coalgate scam,” sources said.
“The agency is also planning to scrutinise the bank account details of certain government officials, who are under the scanner of the CBI in connection with the Coalgate scam. The agency has so far registered total seven FIRs in the Coalgate scam and in all cases role of government officials is also being probed,” 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 agency 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 agency is now planning to question all five former officials of the steel ministry.
The agency is also considering to question at least two officials of the coal ministry in this connection, sources said.
“Besides, the agency has decided to scrutinise the bank account details of certain officials of the Central as well state Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The CBI recently registered a “Preliminary Enquiry” (PE) to probe alleged irregularities in the allocation of captive coal blocks to central and state government PSUs during 1993 to 2009. At least 72 captive coal blocks were allocated to Central and state PSUs between 1993 and 2009. The state government PSUs, who were allocated blocks include Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, West Bengal Mineral Development Trading Corporation among others.