CBI's 'coalgate' probe report vetted by law minister, PMO officials: Report

NEW DELHI: There seems to be more embarrassment for the UPA government in the coal blocks allotment scam.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the CBI is said to be inclined to inform the Supreme Court that the controversial ' coalgate' probe status report it submitted last month had been vetted by law minister Ashwani Kumar and Prime Minister's Office officials.

Quoting sources, the paper in its Saturday edition reported that senior CBI officials, including director Ranjit Sinha, were summoned by law minister Ashwani Kumar days before the status report was filed.

During the lengthy meeting, also attended by some officials of the law ministry, several amendments in the status report were suggested and some also incorporated by the CBI, the report said.

Similarly, the CBI's 'coalgate' probe report was "vetted" by senior PMO officials, the report said.

Reacting to the news that the CBI's coalgate probe report had been vetted by the law minister and the PMO officials, the BJP has said that the UPA government will not let the CBI probe the scam honestly.

"This is evidence of the government's pressure on the CBI to save the Prime Minister," Sushma Swaraj tweeted this morning.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley has demanded an SIT probe into the coal scam. "The UPA is a rogue government which will not allow the CBI to operate independently," Jaitley said.

The CBI director has termed the media report as speculative.