The CBI, in its probe report before the Supreme Court, has indicted the Centre over ?massive irregularities and illegalities? in the coal block allocation and alleged lack of co-operation by the coal ministry.
In its latest status report on the investigation, the CBI has informed a bench led by Justice RM Lodha that there were various ?serious? breaches in the manner the Screening Committee examined the applications for allocation of coal blocks and decided such allotments.
This was the CBI?s second status report into the matter filed as per the court orders. The first report, dated March 8, is currently under the judicial scanner for its vetting by the union law minister Ahwani Kumar and others. The bench on Tuesday has sought to know the kind of changes made it after the interference. The latest report, CBI director Ranjit Sinha has said in his affidavit, has not been shared with anybody.
?Even in their second report the CBI is pointing to massive irregularities and illegalities in coal block allocation and they are very clear in their perception of the entire issue,? observed the bench while seeking to know who represented the coal ministry.
As Attorney General G E Vahanvati stood for the ministry, the court pointed out that the CBI has complained against non-cooperation by the ministry in their probe. Citing the status report, the court noted that the CBI had repeatedly written to the ministry, seeking details of mechanism of coal block allocations, scrutinising the eligibility criteria of the applicants and the officers involved in examining such applications.
?CBI says that after repeated reminders, a reply has been received from the coal ministry but that is not in conformity with the requisition of the CBI and the crucial information about examining the claims of an applicant company remains unanswered,? said the bench.
Disapproving of the ministry’s actions, the court said that it was ?very serious? and that the ministry could not play ?hide and seek? with the CBI.
?On one hand, your (ministry’s) joint secretary wants to see the draft report to be submitted in the court and on the other coal ministry does not even supply the documents requisitioned by the CBI,? remarked the bench.
It added that the probe agency had indicated a lot of things in the case that are not in conformity with the parameters of the law and the CBI’s ?assertions were very firm on how these allocations were not proper? for want of proper verifications of several applicants.
AG said that he was prepared to defend the allocation of the coal blocks and that states’ recommendations were taken into account by the Screening Committee in taking the fianl decisions.
The bench also made it clear that it would not entertain individual cases of allotments and the ?consequences? will follow for all allocation without looking into the investments made by any entity.
?When the matter is sub-judice, no equity can be claimed by anyone. And no authority can pass an order to frustrate the orders of this court,? said the bench, while hearing a bunch of PILs that have demanded cancellation of allocation apart from setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to oversee the CBI probe.