Coal scam: Court to consider CBI's closure report on July 20

New Delhi: A special court on Wednesday fixed July 20 to consider a closure report filed by CBI in a coal block allocation scam case allegedly involving Prakash Industries Ltd (PIL) and others.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar sought clarifications from the agency regarding its final report on the matter.

"Investigating officer inspector Manoj Kumar is stated to be on leave. Certain clarifications have been sought. Accordingly, put up for clarification on July 20," the court said.

CBI had earlier placed before the court all relevant files pertaining to its preliminary enquiry conducted in the case following the court's March 17 direction.

The agency had filed closure report saying no prosecutable evidence had been found in its probe in the case in which an FIR was lodged against Prakash Industries Ltd and others in connection with the alleged irregularities in allocation of Chhattisgarh's Fatehpur coal block.

According to CBI, the Fatehpur coal block was allocated jointly to Prakash Industries Ltd and another company by the 35th Screening Committee.

The FIR was lodged against Prakash Industries Ltd, its three officials, some officials of the Coal Ministry and others alleging that the firm had misrepresented its net worth while applying for the coal block.

The FIR in the case was registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of IPC and under Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI had alleged that while the company had misrepresented facts relating to its net worth, the Screening Committee had deliberately not followed the guidelines and showed undue favour to it.