The CBI closed 2 cases
of Coalgate involving the Abhijeet group based in Nagpur and VijayDarda, the Congress Member of
Parliament on the grounds of absence of prosecutable proof. This move was
preceded by another one. The CBI closed so far four Coalgate cases.
This is a relief for Vijay Darda even if he is involved in
another case of Coalgate. The cases closed are related to JLD Yavatmal Pvt Ltd
and JAS Infrastructure that received blocks on Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
Jayaswals and Darda were the directors of these companies and the Member of
Parliament named himself as accused in the FIR against JLD Yavatmal.
In September 2012, the
CBI recorded an FIR against JLD Yavatmal Pvt Ltd and JAS Infrastructure and
carried also searches at different places after questioning numerous persons
encompassing Manoj Jayaswal, Rajendra Darda, Vijay’s brother who was the cabinet
minister in Maharashtra government, Darda, and his son Devendra.
The agency concluded in
its shutting report on JLD Yavatmal that the officers did not gather any
evidence to prove apparent commission of felony under sections 420 (cheating)
and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) against the firm. In addition, the CBI stated,
in its final report, that there is no proof of any bribe or mala fide
relationship between the public servant and the accused firm. According to the
final report that the agency filed in the special law court in Delhi, such
evidence did not appear during the progress of investigation. Therefore, due to
lacking evidence, the CBI requested the court to accept the final report.
VijayDarda was quoted as accused in the case involving JLD
Yavatmal. In its final report related to this case, the agency revealed that
the investigating officers could not prove that the mentioned company obtained
gratuitous profit from ministry of coal with concern to non-statement of
earlier coal blocks to its associate/group companies. The CBI added that
nothing considerable emerged to prove any component of criminal conspiracy and
cheating between the directors of firm and the administrators of coal ministry.
Recently, the agency
charged Vijay Darda for wrongdoings
in distribution of Bander coal mass to AMR Iron and Steel that is the third
firm connected to Darda-Jayaswal. The application forms alleged, initially,
that Dardas-Jayaswals mentioned AMR, JLD, and JAS as particular purpose
vehicles for a big consortium of firms such as Lokmat, Inertia, and IDFC,
IL&FS group. The investigating officers found later that the claim was
false. The cases were among the first few FIRs of the agency that were recorded
in September 2012.
The CBI alleged
initially that, between 1999 and 2005, the group received 7 coal blocks and
they did not reveal this allocation during the meeting of the screening
committee and in their application form.
So far, out of the 19
FIRs recorded, the agency has shut 4 cases against JLD Yavatmal and JAS
Infrastructure, Vikash Metals Pvt Ltd, Power and Kamal Sponge Pvt Ltd. Last
month, the CBI informed also the Supreme Court that it is officers are closing
investigation against twenty firms for lack of evidence.
