Coal-gate: CBI will not quiz CVC Pradeep Kumar

The Central Bureau of Investigation has completely denied any possibility of calling Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar to ask him few questions on the coal scam.

Kumar, as special secretary in the coal ministry, was a member of the coal block allocation screening committee in 2006. A CBI source told rediff.com that the agency is not seeking any response from Kumar, as reported in a morning daily. 

Technically-speaking, the CVC is the 'boss' of the CBI after the Vineet Narayan judgment, which laid the framework for the CBI's independent functioning.The CBI is handling the cases related to the coal scam, which have been forwarded to it by the CVC. 

However, so far, investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes, the source well-versed with the investigation says, adding that it is unlikely to go deeper into the political connections.

The CBI has filed the First Information Report in the case. The ongoing investigation at only one point reveals the "political link".

The detail that has emerged is that the accused Jayaswal brothers met then Minister of State for Coal Santosh Bagrodia when they were unable to get free coal blocks. It was only after their meeting with Bagrodia that their application was approved.

In the coal scam it is said that the screening committee, which was supposed to weigh the applications before allotting coal blocks, was run on whims and fancy of the ministers.

CVC Kumar had attended the screening committee meetings, including the one that approved the firm Grace Industries' application. The firm has now been booked by the CBI.

Bharatiya Janta Party leader Hansraj Ahir had written to the CVC about the firm and how they fraudulently made money on selling coal blocks.