A large number of files, documents and records pertaining to allocation of 45 coal blocks between 1993 and 2005, 157 applications by private companies and a number of records of the Screening Committee are missing from the Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, according to The Hindu.
The government has launched a search for the missing documents, especially for files pertaining to the period after 2004 when current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed the Coal Ministry.
The lost files are the latest twist in the ongoing “coalgate” scandal that has been under investigation by India’s federal Central Bureau of Investigation for the last 14 months.
The investigation has embroiled not only the prime minister and senior members of his government but also the CBI itself, which has been accused of not performing its role independently.
The missing documents came to light when the CBI complained to the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the probe that the Coal Ministry was yet to hand over some files on the allotments.
The Coal Ministry has announced the files as missing, prompting outrage from opposition parties that reverberated to Parliament and halted the passage of key legislations.
CBI director Ranjit Sinha will provide the Supreme Court with a status update on August 27.
