Coal Block Allocation

Bribery case: CBI officer remanded to probe agency's custody New Delhi: Senior CBI officer Vivek Dutt, who headed the Coalgate scam probe team, and three others were on Saturday sent to three days in the agency's custody by a Delhi court for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 15 lakh from a businessman to favour him in a land dispute case. Superintendent Dutt, CBI inspector Rajesh Chandra Karnatak, alleged middleman Rajesh Pachisia and businessman Dinesh Chand Gupta were produced before the court where CBI sought seven days police custody of the four accused.

"All the accused are remanded in CBI custody till 21 May," Special CBI Judge VK Gupta said. Dutt, however, claimed innocence and alleged a conspiracy has been hatched to keep him out of the Supreme Court-monitored Coalgate probe team.

During the hearing, the CBI prosecutor told the court that Dutt and Karnatak were in the same branch in the agency and Pachisia was in regular contact with them. CBI said Dinesh Gupta had a land dispute and a cheating case was registered against him at Amar Colony police station here and Dutt used to pressurize the Delhi Police officials, who were investigating the cheating case, to quash the FIR and for this he had demanded Rs 15 lakh from Gupta.

The prosecutor said the SHO of Amar Colony police station was initially reluctant but later he succumbed to the pressure and the FIR was quashed. CBI said Pachisia was apprehended on Saturday when he was handing over Rs 15 lakh to Karnatak....

Sibal outlines broad objectives as Law Minister New Delhi: With Lok Sabha elections due next year, newly appointed Law Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said he would strive to achieve objectives in the run up, including making legal procedures help fuel economic growth and appointment of judges through a transparent process. Outlining his "broad objectives", Sibal said, "Legal processes and procedures should not be an impediment to economic growth, but must fuel it." He said simplification and...  
02:19 PM, May 13, 2013

A-G Vahanvati issues clarification on CBI's coal scam report New Delhi: Attorney General Ghoolam E Vahanvati issued a clarification on Wednesday and said he never interfered with the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) status report on coal block allocation scam. He also denied he has a copy of the report. Vahanvati has been accused by former ASG Harin Raval of having tampered with the CBI coal status report. Raval had written in his letter to Vahanvati, "Certain suggestions were...  
07:28 PM, May 01, 2013

Coal scam: SP declines to comment on PM's resignation demand New Delhi: Samajwadi Party on Tuesday declined to comment on BJP's demand for the Prime Minister's resignation over the coal scam issue, saying "every party has its own opinion". "We have said it earlier also. The CBI director himself has admitted it so what is there to say?" SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav told reporters outside Parliament. He was asked to give his party's view on BJP's demand for resignation...  
03:15 PM, Apr 30, 2013

Coal scam: Left parties want PM to face Parliament New Delhi: Left parties on Tuesday termed as "meaningless" the demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the coal allocation issue but asked him to face Parliament as he "owes an answer" to the country. CPI(M) also dubbed the disruption of Parliament as "match fixing" between BJP and Congress. "Demanding resignation of the government is meaningless and it does not happen," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters outside Parliament....  
02:59 PM, Apr 30, 2013

PM should own up 'responsibility' in coal scam: BJP New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday said the "public spat" between the Attorney General and the Additional Solicitor General reinforces its view that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should own up "responsibility" in the coal scam and step down. "The public spat between the Attorney General and the Additional Solicitor General on how, who pressurised whom on the CBI report on coalgate is not only saddening but also very, very regretable," BJP...  
02:20 PM, Apr 30, 2013

SC's remarks on coal scam spark off heated debate in LS New Delhi: As the Supreme Court expressed deep concerns over the CBI affidavit on the coal block allocation scam, Lok Sabha on Tuesday was rocked by the issue with the Opposition leaders lambasting the government and accusing it of being corrupt. "I want to tell the country that this government is the most corrupt government in independent India. Parliament is being disrupted because of the corrupt government, not because of...  
01:49 PM, Apr 30, 2013

SC says CBI must not be controlled by 'political masters' New Delhi: Terming it a "massive breach of trust" and a matter that has "shaken its foundation", the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday took a very serious note of the CBI affidavit on the coal block allocation scam and asserted that the probe agency must be "liberated" and should not be controlled by "political masters". The apex court also slammed the probe agency for having kept the court in...  
01:08 PM, Apr 30, 2013

Supreme Court lambasts CBI over affidavit on coal scam New Delhi: Terming it a "massive breach of trust" and a matter that has "shaken its foundation", the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday took a very serious note of the CBI affidavit on the coal block allocation scam and asserted that the probe agency must be "liberated" and should not be controlled by "political masters". The apex court also slammed the probe agency for having kept the court in...  
12:07 PM, Apr 30, 2013

'Coal scam report changed after meeting with Law Min' New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will tell the Supreme Court on Tuesday that changes were made in the status report on the coal block allocation scam after a meeting between the probe agency and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, sources said. The probe agency is not going to hide anything from the apex court, according to CBI sources. The CBI had on Friday filed its affidavit on the...  
10:56 AM, Apr 30, 2013

Coal scam: PM met A-G on Sunday to discuss CBI's affidavit New Delhi: Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its affidavit on the coal block allocation scam report with the Supreme Court; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly met Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati on Sunday to discuss the affidavit. Sources said that the Prime Minister and the Attorney General discussed what the Supreme Court may say on the affidavit. The CBI had on Friday filed its affidavit...  
06:43 PM, Apr 29, 2013

Congress funding CBI probe: BJP on coal scam

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said UPA's interference in the CBI is a clear case of immoral policing. ...
07:48 PM, Apr 27, 2013

CBI to submit affidavit on coal scam report to SC New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to file its affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday on whether the government misled the apex court on the status report on the coal block allocation scam. While pressure had been building on the CBI to file the affidavit, the government had asserted it did not vet the the probe agency's status report. All eyes are on whether the...  
07:30 AM, Apr 26, 2013

PM didn't ask for intervention in CBI coal scam affidavit: Sources New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not ask for any intervention on the coal scam affidavit issue, according to sources. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday clarified that it is not under any pressure in the probe into the coal allocation allegations. The CBI reiterated that it is yet to file the said affidavit. "The CBI will strictly abide by the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme...  
08:10 PM, Apr 17, 2013

Coal scam: CBI clarifies, says it is not under any pressure New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has clarified that it is not under any pressure in the probe into the coal allocation allegations. The CBI reiterated that it is yet to file the said affidavit. "The CBI will strictly abide by the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, and is not under any pressure from any quarter," CBI said. This comes more than 96 hours after reports that...  
02:18 PM, Apr 16, 2013

Protest by AAP: Delhi Police asked to further investigate A Delhi court on Saturday asked the city police to 'further investigate' the three cases lodged against Arvind Kejriwal and other members of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for alleged rioting and unlawful assembly. ...  
05:54 PM, Mar 30, 2013

Coal scam: CBI registers fresh case against Jharkhand firm The CBI on Monday carried out searches in five cities after registering a fresh case against Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited for alleged irregularities in the allotment of coal blocks. CBI sources said that Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited, a company of RC Rungta Group, was allotted North Dhadu coal block on January 13, 2006 for its sponge iron plant. ...  
03:46 PM, Mar 11, 2013

Coal block allocation: CBI questions Shibu Soren The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday questioned Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren in connection with the coal block allocation scam. Soren was questioned in the capacity of having been the coal minister in 2006. ...  
10:50 AM, Feb 08, 2013

Digvijaya gets bail in defamation case filed by Gadkari Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh was granted bail by a court in Delhi on Friday in connection with a defamation case filed by BJP President Nitin Gadkari against him. Digvijaya had accused Gadkari of having business links with BJP MP Ajay Sancheti, who allegedly pocketed large sums of money in the coal block allocation Scam. ...  
10:54 AM, Dec 21, 2012

IMG deallocates coal block operated by Sancheti New Delhi: There is more trouble for BJP President Nitin Gadkari's aide Ajay Sancheti. Sources in the coal ministry say that the Inter Ministerial Group has deallocated a coal block in Chhattisgarh where Sancheti was a mine developer and operator. The block belonged to the Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation. Of all of the 19 blocks in the government sector, eight have been deallocated. This is a significant considering Chhattisgarh is...  
03:48 PM, Nov 07, 2012