CBI files charge sheet against 41 in Bengal coal pilferage case

CBI has named 41 people, including senior officials of Eastern Coalfields Limited, in its charge sheet filed at a court in West Bengal's Asansol in a multi-crore coal pilferage scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation has named 41 people, including senior officials of Eastern Coalfields Limited, in its charge sheet filed at a court in West Bengal's Asansol in a multi-crore coal pilferage scam.

Among others who find mention in the charge sheet are private companies and unknown officials of the CISF and Railways, a CBI statement said.

"They entered into a conspiracy and in pursuance of that, fraudulently misappropriated coal from the coal reserve of leasehold areas under the dominion of ECL, and also from the coal stock parked in the Railway sidings for sale and supply," it said.

"It was further alleged that the said accused had obtained undue advantage in the form of huge and regular cash amount as bribe from said private person and facilitated misappropriation of coal from ECL leasehold area and thereby extended undue protection & patronage to the illegal coal syndicate," the statement added.

The charge sheet was filed on Tuesday.

Sleuths of the CBI have conducted search operations at several places in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the case.

Last month, the central probe agency had announced a reward of Rs one lakh for providing information about absconding former Trinamool Congress youth leader Vinay Mishra in the coal pilferage case.

It had earlier questioned TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira Narula Banerjee twice in connection with the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also attached assets worth Rs 9.28 crore belonging to Mishra, his brother Vikas and prime accused Anup Majhi under the anti-money laundering law.

The probe is continuing, the CBI said.