New Delhi, May 8: Facing the ire of Supreme Court in its coal block allocation scam probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday assured the apex court there will be a “thorough and qualitative” investigation and follow its directions in letter and spirit.
“CBI assures Supreme Court of thorough and qualitative investigation into Coalgate. It will follow directions of Supreme Court in letter and spirit,” the premier probe agency said in a statement.
The statement came hours after the CBI was rapped over sharing of the status report in the ongoing probe with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and other officials of Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
On the issue of DIG Ravikant Mishra who was supervising probe in the coal allocation scam before he was transferred to Intelligence Bureau, the agency said he had completed his tenure and left because of “family reasons” even though he was given extension in the bureau.
The CBI's remark came against the backdrop of the direction by the court that immediate steps be taken by Centre and CBI to repatriate Mishra.
“Mr Ravikant who was the SP in some of the coal allocation cases has completed his tenure in CBI as SP.
Extension was offered and even insisted upon but he agreed for only a year as DIG and sought to move out of CBI due to family reasons.
He was relieved at the end of March,” a CBI official said without commenting on the observations made by the Supreme Court on this aspect.
A 1998 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre, Ravikant was heading the probe in cases related to alleged irregularities in the coal mine allocation and joined Intelligence Bureau after leaving CBI.
The atmosphere at the plush agency Headquarters was full of anticipation as senior and junior officers alike were awaiting the approach of the Supreme Court on the issue of alleged political interference in the working of the agency.
CBI Director Ranjit Sinha was keeping a tab on the happenings from Patna where he has gone on “tour”, agency sources said here.
