Doubt integrity of government in pursuing coalgate probe: JD(U)

NEW DELHI: Alleging that CBI is planning to close 'coalgate' scam cases, JD(U) expressed doubt over the "integrity" of the outgoing UPA government in pursuing the matter and demanded the immediate filing of a charge-sheet against the accused in the probe.

"I doubt the integrity of the government... While leaving office, they will try to shut the cases against (Naveen) Jindal, who has benefited the most from this coal allocation scam," JD(U) president Sharad Yadav told reporters.

"There is a smell coming these days that CBI is planning to submit a closure report in view of the lack of evidence," he further alleged.

Stating that he has been raising for a long time, in Parliament and outside, the issue of illegal coal block allocations to certain private parties, Yadav said that CBI had ultimately registered 17 FIRs last year against companies.

The companies include Jindal Steel, Gagan Sponge, AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal Energy, Vini Iron, JAS Infrastructure, Kamal Sponge, Pushp Steel, Hindalco, BLA Industries, Castron Technologies and Nav Bharat Power, he said.

Yadav said that after all this time, CBI could manage to file only one charge-sheet. The FIR has been lodged against former MP Naveen Jindal and former Union minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao upon allegations of fraud and corruption in coal block allocations, he said.

"My charge on the present government is to direct CBI to file the charge-sheets immediately in the case of the remaining private companies, including that of Jindal and Rao, as only one charge-sheet in the case of Nav Bharat Power has been filed so far.

"JD(U) cautions the government that we will not leave this corruption issue if it tries to shut any cases concerning alleged allocation of coal blocks, as is being reported in some sections of the media," he added.

According to the CAG, there was a loss of 1.86 lakh crore to the national exchequer in the allocation of coal blocks.

Yadav also questioned as to why the accused had not been sent to jail. The coal blocks should be taken back and auction should be done in a proper manner, he added.