Former coal secretary PC Parakh has accused the CBI of indulging in ?witch-hunting? in its ongoing investigation on the alleged irregularities in allocation of captive coal blocks since 1993.

The investigating agency registered an FIR against Parakh for allocating a portion of the Talabira-II block to Aditya Birla group company Hindalco in Orissa’s Ib valley coalfields.

Livid on the FIR against him, the former coal secretary in his book Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other truths lashed out at the CBI for allegedly building up a case against him based on ?falsehoods, half-truths and conjectures?.

In his book, which will be released on Monday, Parakh suggested that the agency should have done its homework carefully before accusing him of conspiracy and corruption.

The Indian Express was the first to report extensively on the contents of Parakh?s book in its edition dated April 12, 2014. Parakh, who served as the coal secretary from April 2004 to December 2005 questioned the CBI’s professional competence in handing the coal scam enquiry and asked its director Ranjit Sinha that how did his agency conclude that Talabira II was reserved for public sector companies. If it was so, then how did Hindalco apply for it and the then screening committee considered it.

?Did the CBI publicise this false information merely to malign my image??.

Questioning the CBI’s move to let Prime Minister Manmohan Singh off the hook in allocation of coal blocks, Parakh said the agency should know that as per the government’s business rules, a secretary only makes a recommendation unless powers are delegated to him. ?The minister takes the decision. Did the CBI not notice during its PE that the decision in this case was taken by the Prime Minister? If the CBI smelt a conspiracy and corruption, why did it not name the Prime Minister in the FIR?” he asks in his book.

However, the former coal secretary says the Prime Minister was never opposed competitive bidding of coal blocks.

?…it must be said to the credit of the Prime Minister that at no time did the PMO make recommendations or exert pressure in favour of any party. Even in the case of Hindaclo, where the CBI has decided to register an FIR, the request was only to re-examine the case on merit.” Even after the Prime Minister approved open bidding for coal block allocation, the process did not take off owing to opposition from former coal minister Shibu Soren and his deputy Dasari Narayan Rao.

Parakh fears that the inquiry on coal block allocations may also end in a whimper like Bofors with actual culprits responsible for the delay in the introduction of a transparent system and those who benefited from the delay could go scot free. He argues that no amount of statutory safeguards can make the CBI more autonomous ?as long as the persons heading it have a different agenda and are unwilling to exercise their autonomy.?