Coal scam case: CBI says enough proof

• The agency had earlier filed a closure report in CBI court
• The court says it will decide on CBI submission on Nov 25

New Delhi: In an apparent U-turn, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had filed a closure report in a coal blocks case involving industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P C Parakh and others, on Monday told a special court there was enough evidence against the accused to take cognisance of offences.

The Supreme Court appointed-special public prosecutor (SPP) R S Cheema submitted before Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that the court can take cognisance on the closure report filed by it on October 21 as there was prima facie “evidence against the accused to show their involvement”.

The court after hearing the submissions advanced by Cheema and CBI prosecutors V K Sharma and A P Singh fixed the matter for November 25 for consideration of the agency’s closure report.

Earlier, on October 21, CBI had filed a “detailed and comprehensive” revised final closure report before a the court in the case. The FIR against Birla, Parakh and others was registered in October last year by CBI which had alleged that Parakh had reversed his decision to reject coal block allocation to Hindalco within months “without any valid basis or change in circumstances” and shown “undue favours“. The FIR relates to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005.