Court slams CBI chief for approving 'illogical' coal report

A special court on Wednesday slammed CBI Director Ranjit Sinha for approving a closure report in the coal block allocation scam, which lacked any legally sustainable "reasons or logic".

The court also asked the CBI director and DIGs, who are supervising probe in coal scam cases, to ensure proper training of the officers to hone up their skills for probing the case.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar made these observations at the hearing of a case involving Vikash Metals and Power Ltd (VMPL). Its officials are accused of making false claims related to land allocation to get undue advantage in the coal block allocation. The CBI had filed a closure report, saying that the allegations against VMPL or its directors or even against the public servants could not be substantiated during the course of investigation.

Refusing to accept the closure report, the judge asked the investigating agency to further investigate the case and file a progress report on the probe on November 10.

The court cautioned that the vetting of reports by top officers of the CBI, including its director, should be based upon "sound and legally sustainable reasons". It cautioned the agency that the line of distinction between an "inadvertent act or a malafide act" was very thin and the vetting of reports should confirm to well settled principles of law and hoped that no such mistakes shall occur in future".

"I may also mention that since the final reports are vetted by the prosecution branch of the CBI and thereafter by the director as per the practice being followed, then it is expected that in view of the vast experience of the legal officers of the CBI and its senior officers, including the director, the vetting of the reports should not only confirm to the well settled principles of law but also to sound and legally sustainable reasons and logic," Parashar said.

"Director, CBI and DIG, CBI supervising the investigation of the case, shall also ensure that if they find the officers working under them to be lacking in the skills of investigation, they shall ensure proper training and refresher courses for them at CBI Academy so as to hone up their skills of investigation," he added.

Cautioning the CBI brass, the judge said, "This court thus hopes that in future no such inadvertent mistake occurs, for otherwise, the line of distinction between an inadvertent act or a malafide act is very thin and difficult to distinguish."