The CBI on Friday conducted searches at industrialist Navin Jindal’s residence in Lutyens Delhi zone in his presence in connection with the coal block allocation scam.
On June 11, the investigating agency had searched Jindal’s residence when he was in London. As only Jindal had access to some locked cupboards, the CBI had sealed it and decided to come back another day. On the same day, the the investigating agency had booked former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, Jindal and unknown members of the screening committee that worked on the coal block allocation on charges of graft, criminal misconduct and cheating.
The firms named in the FIR are Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Gagan Iron and Sponge Limited, Jindal Realty, New Delhi Exim Limited and Saubbhagya Media.
The agency has alleged that Rao’s company Saubhagya Media received Rs 2.25 crore from a Jindal group company. This transaction took place within a year after the JSPL won the mining rights for the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal bock situated in Birbhum, Jharkhand in 2008.
It is alleged that Jindal, in connivance with Rao, misrepresented facts which helped the company in securing this coal block.
CBI sources said the JSPL misrepresented information regarding the previous allocations the company bagged, information regarding water supply and land in an application submitted by the company in January 2007.
The company claimed to have mining rights for three coal blocks, which was allegedly false because they enjoyed mining rights over at least six coal blocks.
Jindal’s response
Jindal’s tweets on Friday evening read: “I’m in the country. I was travelling for some weeks, have been back since June 20... JSPL is bound by a strict code of conduct, we are cooperating completely with the investigation. I hope the issue is investigated thoroughly and fairly... Neither am I in Argentina nor have I been summoned by the investigating agency.”