A Delhi court on Saturday sent Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) director Vinesh Chandel to 14-day judicial custody in connection with a coal scam case. Chandel was produced before Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought his custody for further investigation.
Case Background
The CBI arrested Chandel on Friday for his alleged involvement in irregularities related to the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. The case pertains to the allocation of the Tara coal block to a private company, which allegedly caused a loss of crores to the exchequer. Chandel, who is also a former IAS officer, is accused of facilitating the allocation when he was serving as the state's coal secretary.
Court Proceedings
During the hearing, the CBI argued that Chandel's custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy and identify other beneficiaries. However, the court, after hearing both sides, remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days. The judge noted that the investigation was at an advanced stage and that further custody was not required at this point.
Legal Response
Chandel's counsel opposed the CBI's plea, stating that his client was cooperating with the investigation and that there was no evidence of his involvement. The defense also argued that the case was politically motivated. The court, however, rejected the bail plea and sent Chandel to judicial custody.
Previous Developments
The coal scam, also known as the Coalgate scandal, came to light in 2012 when the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reported that the government had allocated coal blocks without a transparent bidding process, causing a loss of billions of dollars to the public exchequer. Several politicians, bureaucrats, and corporate executives have been investigated and prosecuted in connection with the scam.
Chandel's arrest is the latest in a series of actions by the CBI in the coal scam cases. The agency has been probing the allocation of coal blocks between 2004 and 2009. Earlier, the CBI had arrested former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and other officials in similar cases.
Impact on I-PAC
I-PAC, a political consultancy firm founded by Prashant Kishor, has been involved in election campaigns for various political parties. Chandel's arrest has raised questions about the firm's operations, but I-PAC has maintained that it is cooperating with the authorities and that the case pertains to Chandel's previous role as a bureaucrat.
