The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the coal scam finally started questioning the accused named in its first information reports (FIRs) on Monday.
The CBI, which had booked five private firms for misrepresenting facts to get coal blocks allocated, grilled Arvind Jayaswal, a director of Nagpur-based AMR Iron and steel and brother mining baron Manoj Jayaswal, for over six hours at its Delhi headquarters on Monday.
In its FIR, the CBI has said that AMR Iron and Steel, which was allocated Bander coal block in Maharashtra in 2008, fudged its balance sheets and did not disclose to the screening committee that the group had already been allocated five coal blocks that it failed to develop.
Other accused in the case, Manoj Jayaswal and Congress MP Vijay Darda’s son Devender, are likely to be questioned on Tuesday. According to sources, Vijay Darda, who has been booked in another case, is likely to be questioned in a day or two.
According to sources, the CBI asked Jayaswal about the role played by Darda to get a coal block allocated to AMR iron and Steel. Recently, a letter written by Manoj Jayaswal to his father in 2008, had come out in media, a copy of which is with FE, which said that the family should immediately transfer 26% shares to Darda-owned Lokmat Group as the company was allocated coal block because of the efforts of Lokmat Group.
Jayaswal has been questioned in connection with allegations that the company, in order to prove financial eligibility to acquire the block, fraudulently claimed that it was a proposed special purpose vehicle of Lokmat Group and ILFS.
In its FIR against AMR, the CBI has mentioned that the company was neither recommended by the state government nor by any Central ministry initially, but it was allocated a coal block after its represented met the then minister for state coal in his chambers in 2008.
?The CBI also grilled Jayaswal over his links with the former MoS coal Santosh Bagrodia, who was holding the portfolio between 2008-2009. The ministry was well aware that AMR is already sitting on five coal blocks and is ineligible for any other allocation ? a source said.