CBI books ex-mantri Dasari, Cong MP Jindal in Coalgate

CBI books ex-mantri Dasari, Cong MP Jindal in Coalgate In Quid Pro Quo Deal Jindal Put 2.48Cr In Dasari’s Film Co TIMES NEWS NETWORK  New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed an FIR in the Coalgate case in which industrialist and Congress MP Naveen Jindal and former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao have been named. The CBI has alleged that Dasari was paid kickbacks for favouring coal block allocation to the Jindal firm.      Besides Jindal and Rao, the CBI has also booked companies Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Gagan Sponge Iron Limited, Jindal's companies--Jindal Realty and ND Exim and Dasari's company Sowbhagya Media Ltd. Apart from them, unknown members of screening committee, which cleared the allocation, and unknown directors of accused private companies also figure in the FIR. CBI sources said H C Gupta, the then coal secretary, is among those under investigation. After registering the FIR, CBI sources said the agency on Tuesday carried out searches at 15 locations including residence and offices of Jindal in Delhi and that of Dasari in Hyderabad. Dasari was Union minister of state for coal between 2004-08.     CBI director Ranjit Sinha told TOI that ex-minister Rao is being probed in another Coalgate case too. The agency is also looking at the allocation of at least four more coal blocks to Jindal’s companies when Rao was in the ministry, another CBI official said. They said Naveen Jindal’s questioning was imminent. “We will call Rao soon but Naveen Jindal would be called later when he comes back from London,” said a senior CBI officer.     In its FIR, the CBI said there was a quid pro quo arrangement between Dasari and the Jindal companies. In return for Dasari doling out 7 coal mines for the Jindal Steel and Power Ltd company, the latter invested Rs 2.48 crore in the film production company of the coal minister, it said.     It is the CBI’s case that Sowbhagya Media Limited, Dasari’s film production and distribution company, received funds from New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd, Jindal’s company, on December 8, 2008. When Sowbhagya was selling for Rs 30 per share at the bourses, New Delhi Exim purchased the same at Rs 100 per share, that too in preferential manner. Jindal’s investment in Dasari’s company was in return for the favour that the coal minister doled out between June and October that same year by allocating coal blocks at Amarkonda Murgadangal in Birbhum, Jharkhand, Gare Palma IV (Chhattisgarh), Jitpur (Jharkhand), Ramchandi (Orissa) and Urtan North (Madhya Pradesh) in favour of Jindal Steel and Power Company Ltd.  PIT FALL     Raids at 15 locations including residence and offices of Jindal and Dasari in Delhi and Hyderabad     In return for Dasari doling out 7 coal mines for Jindal Steel, the latter invested 2.48 crore in Dasari’s film production company Sowbhagya Media     Jindal’s co New Delhi Exim bought 2 lakh shares of Sowbhagya at 100 when its market value was only 30