After carrying out raids across the country on Tuesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to file more First Information Reports (FIRs) within a week.
The investigative agency will start questioning all the 20 accused officials named and others in the FIRs in the next two-three weeks, a source said. The list of officials also includes Vijay Jawaharlal Darda, Congress Rajya Sabha Member from Maharashtra.
The CBI has raided premises of Inertia Iron and Steel Industries Pvt Ltd and Jayaswal Neco Ltd in Nariman Point, Mumbai. These and few others companies have not been named in the first set of FIRs. They are likely to figure in the next set.
Sources said that documents seized during raids indicate links between promoters of several companies and cross holdings.
For instance, Jayaswal Neco has been allocated three coal blocks: Gare-Palma-IV/4 in Chhattisgarh in August 1999; Moitra in Jharkhand in May 2005 and Gare-Palma IV/8 in Chhattisgarh in January 2006.
Jayaswal Neco and other companies named in the FIRs (AMR Iron & Steels, Jas Infrastructure and JLD Yavatmal) are linked to the same promoters as that of Nagpur-based Abhijeet Group.
At the same time, pressure is mounting on Maharashtra Education Minister Rajendra Darda, who is the brother of Vijay Jawaharlal Darda, to resign.
“I had purchased the company's shares worth Rs 1 lakh in 2006 and returned them in 2008, hence I have no relation with that company,” Rajendra Darda is quoted saying by Agencies on Wednesday.
INTER-MINISTERIAL REVIEW
An inter-ministerial panel headed by Zohra Chatterji, Additional Secretary at Coal Ministry, would meet the companies from Thursday till Saturday.
These companies are those that had been allotted captive mines but were not able to start production. The Government has offered them a last chance to present their case and justify why the blocks should not be taken back.
Coal Ministry has issued show cause notices to 58 captive mines owners.