The CBI today questioned Arvind Jayaswal, Director, AMR Iron and Steel Private Ltd, in connection with alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Bander coal block in Maharashtra to the company.
Jayaswal has been named by the agency in its FIR, in which it alleged that the company concealed and misrepresented facts that its group firms have already been allocated coal blocks and that it was financially eligible to get the block.
The agency is likely to call for questioning other directors of the company including his brother Manoj and son of Congress MP Vijay Darda, Devendra, who are also accused in the case against the company, CBI sources said.
They said Jayaswal has been questioned in connection with allegations that the company in order to prove financial eligibility to acquire the block fraudulently claimed that it was a proposed special purpose vehicle of Lokmat Group and ILFS.
It also claimed the combined networth of the “proposed” vehicle as that of the company’s, they said.
Vijay Darda has refuted all the allegations against him.
The CBI has alleged that the company “fraudulently and wilfully” concealed the fact that its group companies have already been allocated five coal blocks with an “object to avoid scrutiny on this count which would have weakened its claim”, they said.
The agency has also alleged that the company representatives had met the then Minister of State for Coal in his “chamber” and admitted that it was allocated five coal blocks earlier.