Coal scam: CBI quizzes ex-coal secretary PC Parakh for eight hours

Former Coal Secretary PC Parakh was today questioned for eight hours by CBI officials in connection with a case of alleged irregularities in grant of an Odisha-based coal block to Hindalco.

CBI sources said that Parakh has been called for questioning again tomorrow. "There is nothing to say. They had questions to ask and they will carry on tomorrow," he told reporters after the questioning at the agency headquarters here which lasted eight hours. 

When asked whether he was satisfied with the questioning process, as he had alleged in his book that on previous instances inspector-level officers with no experience of policy formulations were involved in his examination, Parakh said he was satisfied. "The whole idea of the questioning is to understand. I am in the process of making them understand. They have a point of view. I am trying to put my point of view," he said. 

Asked whether the CBI team was clear about the fundamentals of coal blocks allocation process, he said that is being discussed during the examination. Parakh was questioned by a team led by a Superintendent of Police (SP) level officer, which was monitored by a Joint Director and he was given access to all documents related to the case, the sources said.  69-year-old Parakh, who retired as Coal Secretary in December 2005, has been accused in a CBI FIR of abusing his official position to grant a coal block to Hindalco, an Aditya Birla Group company.

The CBI had served fresh summons to the former IAS officer seeking his appearance today. Earlier, Parakh had expressed his inability to appear before the probe agency on April 25.