Jindal firms bribed MoS to get coal blocks: CBI - Indian Express

Rahul Tripathi : New Delhi, Wed Jun 12 2013, 04:38 hrs In a fresh blow to the Congress in the coal blocks allotment scandal, the CBI Tuesday accused party MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal's companies of bribing the then minister of state for coal Dasari Narayana Rao and misrepresenting information to obtain coal blocks. In a new FIR registered in the case Tuesday, the agency alleged that Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd were allotted the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand in January 2008 in return for which another Jindal firm, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd, invested Rs 2.25 crore in Sowbhagya Media Ltd, partially owned by Rao, in December 2008. The FIR accuses Jindal and Rao of cheating and criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency now plans to jointly question Jindal and Rao, who are the latest Congress leaders to be named in a CBI FIR in the scandal after Congress MP from Maharashtra, Vijay Darda, and his MLA-brother Rajendra Darda. Soon after registering a case, the CBI carried out searches at 19 locations including in Delhi, Hyderabad and Sonepat. Jindal's house on Prithviraj Road in Delhi was also searched but since he was abroad, the agency sealed some almirahs and vaults as Jindal has not authorised anyone to operate them. The agency said that it will also summon screening committee members who approved the coal blocks allotment, officers said. "JSPL, as a law abiding company, is governed by a strong ethical code of conduct. This is an ongoing CBI investigation into coal block allocation. At this stage of investigation, JSPL is committed to fully cooperate with CBI," Manu Kapoor, head of external affairs at JSPL, said in an email statement. The CBI has alleged that after the coal block was allotted, Gagan Sponge transferred Rs 2.25 crore to Jindal Realty which was then moved to New Delhi Exim. The money was allegedly used to buy shares of Sowbhagya Media at Rs 100 per share when the market price was Rs 28. CBI investigators alleged that this was in return for Rao, as MoS Coal, influencing the screening committee to favour JSPL and Gagan Sponge. ... contd. ALSO READ Sangh Parivar shadow-boxing at centre of BJP turmoil NDA is now on ventilator support, I am saddened: Sharad Yadav Modi presents no credible option to India's problems, says Patnaik Carrying pregnant wife, Kerala tribal man walks 40 km to hospital Please read our terms of use before posting comments TERMS OF USE: The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s). via Business - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGtrBt2Hjv0tKlRNSbOOW-WvOrJDQ&url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jindal-firms-bribed-mos-to-get-coal-blocks-cbi/1128011/

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