Coal scam: ED registers money laundering, forex violation cases against Jindal, others

The firms against whom the cases have been registered include Castron Technologies Ltd, Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited, Pushp Steel and Mining Pvt Ltd, JSPL, RSPL, Grace Industries, Jharkhand Ispat, Green Infrastructure, Hindalco, BLA Industries and Nav Bharat Power Private Limited.

The agency, according to sources, has taken cognisance of the over 17 FIRs filed by CBI in this case and it will investigate if these firms laundered illegal money and generated ‘proceeds of crime’ in the entire process of coal allocation.

The probe by both the agencies in this case is being monitored by the Supreme Court. CBI registered the FIRs after it conducted three preliminary enquiries related to coal block allocations between 2006 and 2009, 1993 and 2004 and projects given under a government scheme.

According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), an estimated loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crores was caused to the national exchequer in the coal block allocation scam.