Coal scam: Supreme Court request CISF DG to consider official's promotion

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has requested the Director General of CISF to consider granting promotion to a CBI official, who was on deputation with the agency from the paramilitary force and associated with the probe into the coal block allocation scam.

The top court observed that the officer was associated with coal scam probe since March 2013 and was retained by the CBI under the court's direction due to which he "seems to have missed out on his promotion" to the rank of Assistant Commandant in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

CBI pointed out to the court that inspector Bodh Raj was on deputation with the agency from CISF since February 2005.

"We request the Director General, CISF to consider granting promotion to Bodh Raj (Inspector, CBI) as a special case and report to this court after four weeks keeping in mind that his services were required in public interest and under the directions of this court," a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said.

"Bodh Raj should not suffer on account of this. Needless to say that the promotion of Bodh Raj should be considered with effect from the date his junior was promoted," the bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri, said.

The court was dealing with matters pertaining to the coal block allocation cases.

The apex court had on January 23 constituted a special investigation team ( SIT) to probe the allegations of "abuse of authority" prima facie committed by former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to scuttle investigation and enquiries in the coal block allocation cases.

It had observed that a prima facie case has "definitely" been made out for probe into the abuse of authority by Sinha.

It had later directed that no CBI officer, who is probing coal scam cases or officials from SIT probing allegations of "abuse of authority" against the former CBI director, would be transferred without its prior permission.