CBI might tell SC it got all relevant coal files

The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to inform the Supreme Court that it has received all the relevant files related to coal block allocation scam and might recommend closure of preliminary enquiries in this regard.

CBI sources said so far the agency has not come across any criminality on the part of coal ministry officials which makes a pressing case for the closure of these inquiries registered by the agency in September last year.

The information of 'missing files' will be crucial component of the status report to filed by the central agency before Supreme Court on January 9 besides cases in which probe is likely to be completed soon.

The agency would also inform the Supreme Court about the number of cases in which no criminality has been detected and can be taken out of the purview of ongoing investigations.

The sources said the agency has received all the relevant files and detailed examination of coal ministry officials has also been done.

Since probe does not indicate that public servants were intentionally withholding these records from probe, the agency might seek permission from the apex court to close these inquiries, they said.

The CBI had registered two enquiries to look into the issue of missing files on coal block allocations from the coal ministry. One was for the period between 1993 and 2005 and another is for the period 2006-09.

The slow CBI probe into the coal scam had come under sharp criticism of the court which had said the agency was still in the "first gear" and needed to pick up speed.

"You (the CBI) have to pick up some speed. The pace of inquiry is not good. You are still driving in the first gear. Yours is a huge task and all these need to reach the logical conclusion," a bench headed by Justice R M Lodha had said.