CVC seeks to pull out of coal probe

“The Chief Vigilance Co-mmissioner was a part of the coal ministry between 2003 and 2006. So, he wants to withdraw from the case,” CVC’s counsel Anil Divan informed a bench led by Justice R M Lodha.

But Divan assured the bench that the task given to the CVC shall be completed within four weeks by the two other vigilance commissioners.

The bench asked the counsel to move a formal application and said it would decide his plea accordingly.

The court had on March 28 sought the assistance of the CVC to examine all cases of divergent opinion between the investigating officers and the CBI’s head office and give suggestions on whether the cases were fit to be closed or regular cases (RCs) should be filed for further investigation.

These 20 cases, CBI counsel Amarendra Sharan had informed the bench, related to preliminary enquiries (PEs) wherein the investigating officers recommended filing of regular cases (RCs) on the basis of sufficient prima facie material but their bosses thought otherwise. Sharan also told the court that under the hierarchical structure in the CBI, the investigating officers’ reports on PEs are examined by SP, DIG, joint director, additional director and finally the director.

The court had passed the order after it was informed that the CBI had filed closure reports in two cases although there was a difference of opinion among CBI officers. DIG Ravi Kant Sharma, who supervises the coal blocks allotment probe along with two other officers, said he had preferred filing chargesheets in the two cases but the investigating officers and senior officers differed.