According to India Today the ministry refused to remove Northern Coalfields chairman and managing director VK Singh and did not sanction the CBI prosecution of Southern Eastern Coalfields former chairman and MD MP Dikshit.

It is despite the CBI claiming the men pocketed large sums of money.

The officials are wanted for reportedly conspiring with private firms to tweak contracts in their favour in the form of bribes.

The news service said Singh’s premises were raided last year after it became known he was allowing private firms to benefit at the expense of the government.

Singh remains in his position despite the damning evidence and the CBI demanding he be removed.

It is believed Singh accepted a bribe from a middleman to permit the supply of poor quality mining equipment to Northern Coalfields.

The machines consequently broke down and resulted in a loss of production.

Meanwhile, India Today quoted a source as saying CBI had already filed charges against Dikshit in court.

"We had sent the sanction request for his prosecution in November 2011,” the source reportedly said.

“The trial proceedings will commence whenever it arrives.”