Kumar Mangalam Birla booked for corruption
16 Oct 2013 6:12 AM IST
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday booked Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and former coal secretary P C Parakh for corruption and criminal conspiracy in connection with the Coalgate scam. Birla’s group company M/s Hindalco Ltd and unknown persons have also been named in the 14th FIR in the scam.
Birla and Parakh have been accused by the agency of conspiring to accommodate Hindalco Ltd in mining of Talabira II coal block in Odisha which was allocated to Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), a public sector unit on 10 November, 2005.
CBI officials claimed they have on record evidence of a meeting between Birla and Parakh in the later half of 2005 where the decision to accommodate Hindalco was taken which was allegedly against the norms. The agency, however, remained tight-lipped on specificity of that meeting and refused to answer questions about what evidence they possess to back their allegations.
‘We have enough proof and the matter is under investigation. The moot point of our investigations is that why former coal secretary allowed Hindalco Ltd to be accommodated when the coal block was meant for only PSUs,’ the CBI officials said.
After registration of the FIR, the agency sleuths conducted searches and raided as many as five locations – two Hindalco Ltd offices in Worli, Mumbai, one Hindalco Ltd office in Parliament Street, New Delhi, residence of Hindalco Ltd Sambalpur chief SK Tamotia in Bhubneshwar and Parakh’s residence in Sikandrabad.
CBI sources said the 46-year-old KM Birla may be called for questioning and said that he has been booked as a representative of Aditya Birla Group and his group company, aluminium maker Hindalco.
The blocks were allocated for power production during a meeting of the 25th screening committee, CBI sources added.
Aditya Birla group company is worth $40 billion (about Rs. 2.45 lakh crore) and has businesses across several countries.
Parakh, who was coal secretary at the time of this allocation, may also be called for clarifications. Contrary to CBI allegations, retired 1969-batch IAS officer Parakh is known for his honesty and ironically was amongst the few who were in favour of auctioning of coal blocks.
Meanwhile, there were counter-allegations that the CBI at the behest of the UPA government is targeting Aditya Birla group which has a stake in India Today group (Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Mail Today and other publications). Since the media group has been criticising the government on various issues, the CBI is trying to tighten the noose.
Birla and Parakh have been accused by the agency of conspiring to accommodate Hindalco Ltd in mining of Talabira II coal block in Odisha which was allocated to Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), a public sector unit on 10 November, 2005.
CBI officials claimed they have on record evidence of a meeting between Birla and Parakh in the later half of 2005 where the decision to accommodate Hindalco was taken which was allegedly against the norms. The agency, however, remained tight-lipped on specificity of that meeting and refused to answer questions about what evidence they possess to back their allegations.
‘We have enough proof and the matter is under investigation. The moot point of our investigations is that why former coal secretary allowed Hindalco Ltd to be accommodated when the coal block was meant for only PSUs,’ the CBI officials said.
After registration of the FIR, the agency sleuths conducted searches and raided as many as five locations – two Hindalco Ltd offices in Worli, Mumbai, one Hindalco Ltd office in Parliament Street, New Delhi, residence of Hindalco Ltd Sambalpur chief SK Tamotia in Bhubneshwar and Parakh’s residence in Sikandrabad.
CBI sources said the 46-year-old KM Birla may be called for questioning and said that he has been booked as a representative of Aditya Birla Group and his group company, aluminium maker Hindalco.
The blocks were allocated for power production during a meeting of the 25th screening committee, CBI sources added.
Aditya Birla group company is worth $40 billion (about Rs. 2.45 lakh crore) and has businesses across several countries.
Parakh, who was coal secretary at the time of this allocation, may also be called for clarifications. Contrary to CBI allegations, retired 1969-batch IAS officer Parakh is known for his honesty and ironically was amongst the few who were in favour of auctioning of coal blocks.
Meanwhile, there were counter-allegations that the CBI at the behest of the UPA government is targeting Aditya Birla group which has a stake in India Today group (Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Mail Today and other publications). Since the media group has been criticising the government on various issues, the CBI is trying to tighten the noose.
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