The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday registered a case under Section 120-B read with 420 of IPC and Section 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act, 1988) against then minister of state for coal Dasaro Narayan Rao; Navin Jindal, director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL); four Delhi-based private firms; one Hyderabad-based private firm, and others, in relation to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand.

“It is alleged that two steel and iron companies based in Delhi misrepresented facts to get coal blocks. Also, there was alleged investment in a Hyderabad-based firm from the group of companies based at Delhi,” a statement issued by CBI said.

Within this classic bureaucratic understatement lies a growing assertion of professionalism.

When reports last came in, Jindal, one of the most influential politico-corporates in the country, was overseas on holiday, and CBI sleuths were conducting raids at 19 locations in Delhi and Hyderabad.

The premier federal investigating agency has registered 12 cases in the allocations case so far.

The preliminary enquiry to examine irregularities in allocation of coal blocks between 2006 and 2009 was registered on reference of the CVC in June 2012.
While the Centre has suprintendence over CBI under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, cases under PC Act are driven by the CVC.
With enactment of CVC Act, 2003, “the superintendence of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act vests with the Central Government save investigations of offences under the PC Act in which, the superintendence vests with the CVC.”

This explains the freedom exercised by CBI in this case.

The naming of a key Congress satrap, a personal ally of Rahul Gandhi, read with what was filed under affidavit by CBI director Ranjit Sinha before the supreme court that took the job of law minister Ashwani Kumar, is something the agency can be proud of.

In just one day, the market capitalisation of JSPL, the biggest beneficiary of coal allocations, has dipped by Rs 4,287 crore to Rs 20,659 crore.

Also, thanks to a relatively thorough probe now under way, the web of relationships between JSPL, Gagan Sponge, Jindal Realty and New Delhi Exim, besides Rao's company Saubhagya Media may finally emerge. All these firms were booked for alleged cheating and misrepresentation of facts in bagging Amarkonda Murgadangal block in Birbhum district of Jharkhand in 2008 under the UPA-1 regime.

If a ‘caged parrot,’ as an exasperated supreme court described the CBI, can achieve so much, imagine what will happen if the door is left ajar and its investigators allowed to soar!