HC refuses to interfere with CBI's FIR against coal scam accused

The Calcutta High Court onWednesday refused to interfere with an FIR lodged by theCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Anup Majee,an accused in a case of alleged illegal coal trading in theAsansol-Ranigunj belt of West Bengal.

The CBI is probing the alleged illegal trading of coalin the belt and Majee is the director of a company engaged inpurchase and sale of the dry fuel.

Rejecting the prayer of Majee for quashing of the FIR,Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya directed that theinvestigating agency is authorised to continue its probe inrespect of the FIR within the ''railway areas'' located in thestate.

The court directed that the CBI is not authorised toconduct physical raids or active investigation into otherareas of West Bengal than the railway areas as defined underthe Railways Act.

However, it can summon and interrogate witnessesresiding in the state, even in places other than railway areasfor the purpose of investigation, the court said.

It also directed that the CBI can conduct investigationpertaining to the FIR in places beyond the railway areas''subject to specific consent being granted by appropriateauthorities of the state of West Bengal''.

The CBI on November 28 last year carried out a massivesearch operation in a number of locations in four states --West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh -- afterregistering a case against Majee.