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Jharkhand biggies raided
Sniffing a Jharkhand connection in the Coalgate scam, a CBI team from Delhi on Tuesday conducted a search at the residence of Vijay Joshi, a close aide of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.
Binod Sinha, who is mastermind behind the Koda scam, is believed to have a major stake in the company.
Joshi is in judicial custody and is director of Kolkata-based Vini Sponge & Iron, which was allocated a coal block at Rajhara in Daltonganj, Jharkhand, during the Koda regime.
In 2006, Vini Sponge & Iron had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Government to establish an integrated steel plant at Chandil. The MoU was cancelled last year by the State Government on grounds of non-performance.
However, the company reportedly sublet the block to Dhanbad-based coal traders Hemant Rajgarhiya, Rajiv Tulsyan and Vimal Tulsyan, who are believed to be business partners of Joshi and Sinha. The company had come under the CBI scanner after the agency started investigation of the Koda case.
Though, the CBI officials refused to comment about the raids conducted at six different places in Ranchi and Dhanbad, but sources said the company existed only on paper.
“This company was under CBI scanner right from the day the agency started investigation of the Koda scam. This company existed merely on paper and it appears that it had a criminal intent to secure coal blocks in Jharkhand. We are focusing on misuse of the blocks,” said a top official from the investigating agency.
The CBI seized a couple of documents and memos related to the company at the residence of Joshi in Ranchi. It is also probing the role of one Harish Joshi, who is said to be a close associate of Vijay Joshi.
Both Joshi and Sinha are in judicial custody for their alleged role in facilitating and engineering corruption during the Koda regime.
The Central investigating agency conducted massive raids and search operations at 31 different places across the country in connection with irregularities in allotting coal blocks.
Sniffing a Jharkhand connection in the Coalgate scam, a CBI team from Delhi on Tuesday conducted a search at the residence of Vijay Joshi, a close aide of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.
Binod Sinha, who is mastermind behind the Koda scam, is believed to have a major stake in the company.
Joshi is in judicial custody and is director of Kolkata-based Vini Sponge & Iron, which was allocated a coal block at Rajhara in Daltonganj, Jharkhand, during the Koda regime.
In 2006, Vini Sponge & Iron had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Government to establish an integrated steel plant at Chandil. The MoU was cancelled last year by the State Government on grounds of non-performance.
However, the company reportedly sublet the block to Dhanbad-based coal traders Hemant Rajgarhiya, Rajiv Tulsyan and Vimal Tulsyan, who are believed to be business partners of Joshi and Sinha. The company had come under the CBI scanner after the agency started investigation of the Koda case.
Though, the CBI officials refused to comment about the raids conducted at six different places in Ranchi and Dhanbad, but sources said the company existed only on paper.
“This company was under CBI scanner right from the day the agency started investigation of the Koda scam. This company existed merely on paper and it appears that it had a criminal intent to secure coal blocks in Jharkhand. We are focusing on misuse of the blocks,” said a top official from the investigating agency.
The CBI seized a couple of documents and memos related to the company at the residence of Joshi in Ranchi. It is also probing the role of one Harish Joshi, who is said to be a close associate of Vijay Joshi.
Both Joshi and Sinha are in judicial custody for their alleged role in facilitating and engineering corruption during the Koda regime.
The Central investigating agency conducted massive raids and search operations at 31 different places across the country in connection with irregularities in allotting coal blocks.
