In what may come as a major relief to the government in coal block allocation scam,the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to provide the Supreme Court a list of coal blocks in which it has not found any criminality in the allocation process,recommending closure of inquiry in such cases. The agency is carrying out probe into allocation of 195 coal blocks covered under three preliminary enquiries (PEs) registered by it. In its status report,the agency will also provide the details of the investigation so far,including the FIR against industrialist K M Birla. The agency will also inform the court that the probe involving Birla is in progress and that the agency has sought more documents from Birla and the Coal Ministry after the raids. The hearing before the Supreme Court is likely to come up on November 26. The CBI said a final view would be taken by the apex court which might direct the agency on the road ahead. It has also registered 14 regular cases in which prima facie finding of corruption surfaced. The agency would also be submitting an affidavit on the issue of its autonomy in the backdrop of the governments stand that no further powers can be given to the CBI. The agency is demanding that its director receive the powers of a secretary in the Government for India but the demand was turned down by the Centre through an affidavit in the Supreme Court on November 13.
