Coal scam: CBI seeks time to file revised closure report

CBI on Tuesday sought some time to file a "revised closure report" in a special court in a coal blocks allocations scam case involving JAS Infrastructure and Power Ltd and others.

New Delhi: CBI on Tuesday sought some time to file a "revised closure report" in a special court in a coal blocks allocations scam case involving JAS Infrastructure and Power Ltd and others.

CBI, which was scheduled to file the revised report today, told the court that the supplementary closure report was almost complete and it will be filed within a week's time.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar allowed the submissions of the agency and fixed the matter for October 9 for filing of revised/supplementary closure report with more details in the case.

"Senior public prosecutors state that revised/ supplementary closure report is at final stage and it will be filed in next five-seven days," the judge said.

During the hearing, the court asked CBI's investigating officer (IO) to give the names and designations of the Coal Ministry officials who were dealing with the 35th and 36th screening committee.

Senior public prosecutors V K Sharma and A P Singh assured the judge that the IO would file all the relevant, relied and unrelied upon documents in the court before the next date of hearing.

The agency had earlier informed the court that it will file today a revised closure report giving details of the coal scam case in which the judge had observed that the probe was "incomplete".

It had said the agency will file a comprehensive revised closure report which would be "explanatory" in nature.

CBI's move had come after the court's earlier observation that nothing was clear in its closure report and it was irked over the agency adopting different yardsticks in different cases and not following a uniform policy in its investigation.

The court was hearing arguments on the closure report filed by CBI in the case in which it had lodged FIR against Nagpur-based businessman Manoj Jayaswal and others for alleged irregularities by JAS Infrastructure and Power Limited in acquiring the coal blocks.

The court had earlier asked CBI whether it was a "deliberate act or negligent act" by Coal Ministry officials to clear files relating to allocation of coal blocks. It had also expressed dissatisfaction over the explanation given by CBI.

The court had observed that the issue in coal blocks allocation cases, including this case, was that there was loss to the exchequer but CBI's probe was silent on the aspect if "it was a deliberate act or negligent act on the part of the officials of Ministry of Coal" to allocate coal blocks to such firms.

CBI had told the court that during its probe it had not found misrepresentation of facts by JAS Infrastructure and Power Limited.

It had lodged an FIR in the case on the allegation that JAS Infrastructure and Power Ltd had not disclosed to the Coal Ministry that it was in possession of coal blocks earlier.

The company allegedly signed memorandum of understanding for small periods with a number of companies and added their equity to project their sound financial status at the time of application for coal blocks, CBI had alleged in its FIR.

However, during the investigation, CBI could not find any "prosecutable evidence" against the firm and others and filed a closure report in the case.

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