CBI to inform SC of difficulty in getting coal files from govt

On a day the “missing files” related to coal block allocations put the government on the mat, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has said that it is likely to inform the Supreme Court that the investigators are facing difficulties in getting files.

The CBI, which has registered 13 cases related to coal allocations during 2006-09 for alleged misrepresentation of facts by the beneficiaries while applying, had in July said that at least five crucial files related to the allotment of coal blocks during 2006-09 have not been received by it, despite providing specific details.

Sources in the CBI said that it would inform the Supreme Court about the difficulty its officers are facing in procuring the files. Investigators said that the files are important for moving forward in the case.

The agency will also inform the Supreme Court about the missing files and how it impedes the probe. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had admitted that some files related to the scam have gone missing. He had said that some files from 1993 to 2004 are missing and efforts are on to trace it.

The Coal Ministry had in June constituted an inter-ministerial panel to look into the issue of missing files.