Not PM, CBI wants to now catch CM!

On Wednesday, Parakh had taken the Coalgate heat to Manmohan Singh’s doorstep saying the PM should also be named as an accused. The CBI decision to question Patnaik is now being seen as an attempt to divert attention from Singh’s alleged involvement in the scam. The CBI, however, has said no clean chit has been given to the prime minister’s office in the matter.

Interestingly, the CBI FIR nowhere mentions Parakh’s recommendation was cleared by Manmohan Singh himself as the coal minister. Instead of questioning the Prime Minister, CBI chose to quiz Parakh, who had recommended Hindalco Ltd. The larger question that remains unanswered, however, is where is the ‘criminality and corruption’ in allocating the coal blocks to Hindalco. The CBI FIR has also failed to establish any quid pro quo benefit extended by Birla to Parakh.  

CBI director Ranjit Sinha on Thursday said they are going by the rulebook. ‘We have evidence on record that it was Parakh who over turned the screening committee decision and coal block was allotted to the Birlas,’ Sinha said. The CBI said Patnaik may be examined as he had written a letter to the coal ministry after the application of the Aditya Birla company was rejected.

 

in 2005. The CBI sources said as its officials were scrutinising the documents they found a letter written by Patnaik requesting for a relook and reverse rejection of Hindalco’s application for Talabira II block in Odisha. While the CBI said no final decision has been taken on who would be questioned, our sources indicated the chief minister would be quizzed only if a need is felt to seek his views on the reasons for recommending coal blocks 

to Hindalco. 

The CBI has alleged in its 14th FIR that after rejection of Hindalco’s plea in 2005, Birla wrote two letters and held a ‘personal meeting’ with Parakh, after which a decision was reversed and Hindalco was given the block which was earlier meant for two public sector undertakings – Neyveli Lignite Coporation and Mahanadi Coal Fields.

The CBI FIR further alleges that pursuant to these letters and personal meeting between Parakh and Birla, Parakh, by abusing his official position as a public servant, recommended the allocation of Talabira II along with Talabira III coal block to Hindalco Industries Ltd along with other two companies without any valid basis or change in circumstances and with the sole intention to show undue favours to Hindalco Industries Limited.

In this FIR, the CBI intentionally deleted the most significant course of events after this, when Birla and Parakh met the prime minister and Singh approved the allocation. 

The agency had claimed on Wednesday that its sleuths had recovered unaccounted cash of Rs 25 crore from Hindalco office. Interestingly, this has nothing to do with Coalgate.