Have proof that Parakh favoured Birlas: CBI sources

Just hours after former coal secretary PC Parakh brough Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the line of fire over the coal scam, the CBI said that it had sufficient evidence to prove Parakh overturned the screening committee's decision to favour Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla.

"We have evidence on record that it was Parakh who overturned Screening Committee's decision and coal block was allotted to Birlas. This is the initial stage of investigation and chance will be given to all accused to defend themselves at the time of their statement. This is an SC monitored investigation and we are going by rule book," said a CBI source.

The source dismissed a CAG report absolving Parakh of the charge and said that Parakh's alleged favouratism has been established in the initial stage of the investigation itself.

Parakh had hit out at the PM, saying if he is to be blamed for the scam, then the PM too is an accused. Parakh cited the Comptroller and Auditor General report of August 2012 that had lauded him for opposing the present system of allocating coal blocks and pointed out that he had differences on many of the policy matters with the PM and the Coal Minister but was overruled.

On Tuesday, FIRs were filed against Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, NALCO, HINDALCO and former secretary coal PC Parakh. Cases of cheating, forgery and financial misrepresentation have been filed.

Sources said that in the FIR against Birla, the name of the concerned coal block in question is Talabira II in the Jasakuda district of Odisha. This coal block was allocated in 2005. The Aditya Birla Group has issued a statement saying, "Did not receive any FIR copy and there is no reason for it." Sources said that in the FIR against Birla, the name of the concerned coal block in question is Talabira II in the Jasakuda district of Odisha. This coal block was allocated in 2005.

The Aditya Birla Group has issued a statement saying, "Did not receive any FIR copy and there is no reason for it."

The FIR says HINDALCO did not fulfill requirements of coal block but was unduly favoured by the government. Earlier Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal was summoned by the CBI in September and was subjected to some intense scrutiny. Naveen has been named as an accused in the twelfth FIR of the CBI in coal scam.

The CBI in its FIR has said that Naveen's company, Jindal Group, was not recommended by the Jharkhand government. The FIR also accused him of misrepresentation of facts.