Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday raided nearly 30 places across the country in connection with the alleged coal blocks allocation scam, and registered cases against five companies for cheating and suppression of facts.
The companies named in the FIRs by the CBI are Vini Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel, JLD Yavatmal, JAS infrasrtucture of Abhijeet Group and AMR Iron and Steel and their directors and unknown government officials.
Of the five firms booked today, two are allegedly linked to Congress MP Vijay Darda from Maharashtra. According to reports, Darda has 7% stake in Jas Infrastructure along with his son while JLD Yavatmal has been named after his father.
Darda has however refuted allegations that he was part of any scam, adding he had quit his role in JLD Yavatmal in 2009.
He has stated that neither he was involved in any scam nor he had any partnership with Union Coal Minister Shri Prakash Jaiswal or Subodh Kant Sahai.
He said if any BJP leader proved that he had been allotted nine coal blocks and got benefit of Rs 25,000 crore in nexus with Jaiswal, he was ready to relinquish politics else the person making allegations should leave politics.
The BJP has accused Darda of using his political standing to secure coal blocks for his family.
Also, while former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda is reportedly the owner of Vini Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel promoter VK Singh's wife Nina Singh contested on a BJP ticket from Chhattisgarh.
First Published: Tuesday, September 04, 2012, 14:02