Coalgate: CBI seeks SC nod to include 40th officer in probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation today moved the Supreme Court for permission to include one more officer in its team of 39 officials probing the alleged scam in coal block allocations to private companies, which has come to be known as 'coalgate'.

The agency filed the application after the apex court had earlier directed that no changes be made in the team of officers probing the issue.

The CBI said that the reason for adding one more officer in the present investigating team has been disclosed in a sealed envelope which will be handed over to a bench headed by Justice R M Lodha when the case is taken up for hearing on Tuesday.

The sealed cover would also contain the CV of the officer proposed to be associated with the investigating team.

The three-page application said, "Considering the reasons disclosed in the sealed cover, it would be in the interest of justice if this court may be please to allow the present application permitting the CBI to add one more CBI officer to the present team of 39 officers."

The CBI had on 22 October filed its fresh status report, which is expected to inform the court about 14th first information report (FIR) which was filed recently against industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla, his company Hindalco and retired coal secretary P C Parakh.

That last FIR, against a respected industrialist and  retired coal secretary generally considered upright, has raised hackles among observers, with many saying that the CBI is on a mindless witch-hunt under pressure from the apex court.

The Supreme Court is also expected to consider tomorrow applications filed by thepetitioner in the case seeking its direction that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who held charge of the coal ministry at that time, be asked to file an affidavit on the alleged irregularities in coal allocation during his tenure.

The petitioner has said that the prime minister be directed to make his stand clear on the FIR filed against Birla and former Parakh.

The CBI, which had on 29 August faced the ire of the apex court for the slowness of its investigations, is also supposed to inform in its status report the progress made in the rest of the cases.