New Delhi : CBI director Ranjit Sinha was pulled up by a court here Wednesday for approving a closure report in coal block allocation case against a firm accused in the coal block allocation case though it lacked legally sustainable “reasons or logic”.
The observation of the special court came as it refused to accept the closure report against Vikash Metals and Power Ltd. (VMPL) and its officials.
“I may also mention that since the final reports are vetted by prosecution branch of CBI and thereafter by director, CBI as per the practice being followed, then it is expected that in view of the vast experience of the legal officers of CBI and the senior officers of CBI, including the Director, the vetting of the reports should not only conform to the well settled principles of law but also to sound and legally sustainable reasons and logic,” said Special Judge Bharat Parashar.
The court held that line of distinction between an “inadvertent act or a malafide act” was very thin and the vetting of reports should conform to well settled principles of law and hoped that no such mistakes shall occur in future.
The court, in its 23-page order, asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to further investigate the case and file a progress report on the probe Nov 10.
It directed that the role of different directors of the company be found out as also that of various other accused against whom the case was registered.
A first information report was registered against Vikash Metals and Power Limited and its officials, accusing them of making false claims related to land allocation to get undue advantage in the coal block allocation September 2012.
The accused were booked for criminal conspiracy and cheating.
The CBI later filed a closure report in the case.