CBI to grill Darda brothers in coal scam

The CBI, which is probing alleged irregularities in the coal block allocations, is likely to question the directors of Nagpur-based JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited — one of the nine accused firms — soon, Abhishek Sharan reports.

The CBI, which is probing alleged irregularities in the coal block allocations, is likely to question the directors of Nagpur-based JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited — one of the nine accused firms — soon.

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The agency had filed a case against the firm in September for allegedly misrepresenting and concealing facts in its application form to get the Fatehpur (East) captive coal block in Chattisgarh in 2008.

In its FIR, the probe agency had also named six of its then directors, including Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda, his brother and Maharashtra school education minister Rajendra and his son Devendra, who have strongly rejected the CBI’s charges.

“We will soon interrogate the directors of JLD Yavatmal Energy to establish their roles, if any,” said a CBI source.

According to the agency’s FIR, JLD Yavatmal Energy had fraudulently claimed the net worth of two other firms as its own— which was then around Rs. 2,600 crore — and that it was the JLD’s promoters and controllers.