The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet before a court in Asansol in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district in the coal pilferage scam. The charge sheet names 41 accused former general managers, former chief managers, former security and other officials of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL).
“A case was registered on 27.11.2020 on the allegations that the public servants of ECL including security personnel, private persons and unknown officials including of CISF, Railway, other departments & unknown others entered into conspiracy during May, 2020 & onwards and in pursuance of the said conspiracy, they 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,” a press statement from the CBI said.
The CBI statement said that the 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 corresponding railway siding. The accused extended undue protection & patronage to the illegal coal syndicate being run by the said private person, the agency said.
