An unnamed CBI official told the India Times that more cases were likely to be closed on similar grounds.

In each of the cases that were dismissed, the agency said it didn’t find enough evidence to prove criminal conspiracy or cheating within the legal framework in which coal blocks were allotted.

The coal block allotment case came to attention in July 2012, when the auditor to the government came down heavily on the lack of processes and accountability in the allotment of 137 coals blocks between 2004 and 2009.

Since then the CBI has filed a string of first information reports while the Supreme Court took over the monitoring of the investigation.

However, the CBI was in a race against time as the Supreme Court ordered it to conclude its investigation by April 30.

The CBI issued its status report yesterday, in which it said it had closed its probe into 12 private companies accused of corruption and money laundering.

Lack of sufficient evidence was cited as the reason the cases were dropped.

Of the 18 FIRs filed, two have resulted in charge sheets, against Navbharat Power and AMR Iron and Steel.