The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against Hindalco, a leading aluminum and copper manufacturing company, and a former director of the Forest Ministry for alleged corruption. The case pertains to the allocation of coal blocks in Odisha’s Talabira region during the previous UPA government’s tenure.
According to sources, the CBI has booked Hindalco, its chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, and former Forest Ministry director, N.P. Singh, under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The agency has alleged that Hindalco was favored in the allocation of coal blocks in Talabira-II and Talabira-III, causing a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore to the exchequer.
The CBI investigation has revealed that Singh, who was then the director of the Forest Ministry, had allegedly conspired with Hindalco officials to facilitate the allocation of coal blocks. The agency has also found evidence of Hindalco having made false representations to the government to secure the allocation.
The case is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption cases being investigated by the CBI. The agency has been probing the allocation of coal blocks during the UPA government’s tenure, and several cases have already been registered against various companies and individuals.
The CBI has conducted searches at several locations, including Hindalco’s offices in Mumbai and Delhi, and has seized documents and records related to the case. The agency is likely to file a chargesheet in the case soon.
The development has sparked a political row, with the opposition demanding action against those involved in the alleged corruption. The government has assured that it will take all necessary steps to bring the guilty to book.