CBI probe into Bengal coal mining scam: SC asks Centre to respond on plea challenging Calcutta HC order

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court has on Monday sought response of the central government within a week on a plea challenging the order of the Calcutta High Court that allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe a case pertaining to illegal mining and transportation of coal through Railways in West Bengal, without the state's consent.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dr D Y Chandrachud, asked the Solicitor General (SG), Tushar Mehta, to file a detailed report within a week and posted the matter for further hearing to March 10 after going through the appeal filed by the prime accused, Anup Majee.

In this particular illegal coal mining case, in West Bengal, the CBI had already interrogated Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of State Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

On the appeal of Majee, the state government had filed an affidavit and stated that the CBI didn't have the jurisdiction to probe this case, as the state had not given its consent to CBI to go ahead with its investigation. But the same case is still being investigated by the CBI, the state government said in its reply.