CBI books Naveen Jindal, ex-minister in coal scam

Congress Member of Parliament Naveen Jindal and former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao have been named as accused in the fresh FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the coal allocation scam.

The agency has also booked Jindal Steel and Power and four other companies in the scam.

CBI sources said after registering the fresh cases, teams carried out searches today at 15 locations, including the residences of Jindal and Rao, at New Delhi and Hyderabad respectively.

They said other companies including Gagan Sponge, Jindal Realty and New Delhi Exim besides Rao's company Saubhagya Media have been booked for alleged cheating and misrepresentation of facts in bagging the Amarkonda Murgadangal block in Birbhum district of Jharkhand in 2008.

Reacting to the development, Head of External Affairs, Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Manu Kapoor 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, the JSPL is committed to fully cooperating with the CBI."

This is the 12th FIR registered by the agency in connection with its probe in the coal allocation scam.

The sources said Rao has already been questioned by the agency.

Image: Congress MP Naveen Jindal with wife Shallu | Photograph: Courtesy: http://www.naveenjindal.com/