CBI registers 2 cases for low quality coal supply

The CBI has registered two cases of cheating against foreign and Indian companies for alleged import and supply of low quality coal from Indonesia to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and NTPC-SAIL Power Corporation Ltd (NSPCL) resulting in losses of Rs 116.07 crore.

In the case related to causing a loss of Rs 23.16 crore to NTPC, a case was registered against seven people and companies while in the case involving NSPCL which incurred a loss of Rs 92.91 crore, seven people and companies are named.

An FIR has been registered against A K Srivastava, Additional General Manager and Uma Shankar Verma, Deputy Manager of NTPC Power Plant Lab, Indore-based Bhatia International at present known as Asian Natural Resources, Singapore-based Bhatia International, Jakarta-based PT Mitra S K Analisa Testama, its Indian subsidiary S K Mitra Pvt Limited and chemist Chandra Prakash Yadav in the NTPC case.

"It is alleged that the accused persons during the period 2011-13 entered into criminal conspiracy with an intention to cheat NTPC. In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, inferior quality non-cooking coal of Indonesian origin, shown to be of good quality on papers, was purchased from Indonesia by Singapore based company, overseas supplier and sister concern of Indore based group of companies," a CBI statement said.

The CBI alleged that inferior quality coal was brought to India through sea-route through different bill of entries having gross calorific value, which was far less than technical specifications of the agreement.