Coal scam: CBI completes probe in Hindalco case

New Delhi: CBI on Thursday filed the final report of its probe conducted into a coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving former Coal Secretary P C Parakh, Hindalco Industries Ltd and others before a special court, which fixed March 11 for considering it.

Senior public prosecutor V K Sharma told the court that CBI has completed its investigation in the case and filed the statement of one of the witnesses, S Jayaraman, former Chairman and Managing Director of Neyveli Lignite Corporation in a sealed cover.

"Final compliance report along with the statement of one more witness S Jayaraman, former Chairman cum Managing Director of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, in a sealed cover has been filed. The sealed cover has been opened and has been resealed with the seal of the court after perusal," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

During the brief hearing, the investigating officer also moved an application seeking to place on record some material and statement of witnesses which were "inadvertently" not filed earlier along with the initial closure report.

"Further investigation is complete. We have further examined one more witness. We are filing his statement in a sealed cover. Our final investigation is over now. We are also filing some more documents which were not filed earlier," the prosecutor said.

"Matter be now put up for consideration on March 11," the court said adding that if needed, it would seek clarification from the agency later.

The case pertains to allocation of Talabira II coal block in Orissa to M/s Hindalco in 2005.

CBI, in its FIR, had named Parakh, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, M/s Hindalco Industries Ltd and other unknown persons for alleged offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

However, the agency had later on filed a closure report in the court, which had refused to accept it.

The court, in its December 16 last year order, had directed CBI to examine former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some top officials of then Prime Minister Office (PMO), including Singh's then Principal Secretary T K A Nair and then private secretary B V R Subramanyam.

Then PM Manmohan Singh was also holding the portfolio of Coal Ministry at that time. Parakh and Hindalco have denied any wrongdoing.