By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 19, 2016 : A Special Court of the premier investigation agency, Central Bureau of investigation [CBI] has summoned former union minister and BJP MLA from Rourkela, Dilip Ray in connection to appear before it in connection with allocation of a coal block in to a private firm in Jharkhand in 1999. 1999, Mr Ray was coal minister in the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

According to reports, the court has served notice to the BJP leader under section 120 (B) (Criminal Conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.
Reports said the case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Brahmadiha coal block in Girdih in Jharkhand to Castron Technologies Ltd in 1999.

The Special Court has also summoned Pradip Kumar Banerjee, the then additional secretary in ministry of coal (MoC), Nityananda Gautam the then advisor (projects) in MoC, Castron Technologies Ltd, its director Mahendra Kumar Agarwalla and Castron Mining as accused in the case.

Mr Ray is the first minister of the former NDA government to be summoned as an accused in a coal scam case.

The court has directed them to appear before it on February 26.

Reacting to the court summon, Mr Ray said he would take necessary step after getting the summon.

“As far I remember, the chief of Castron Technologies Ltd P.K. Agrawal had approached me in 1999 for an abandoned coal mine in Jharkhand. He told me that the screening committee of the ministry of coal had rejected his proposal without giving an opportunity to hear him. I had just suggested for re-examination of his application,” the BJP leader said.
Stating that he suspected a political conspiracy in the development, Mr Ray said he would prove his innocence in the case.