NEW DELHI, February 2: Giving clean chit to the Centre, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigating into the alleged omissions and commissions being carried out in the transfer of Mukta-Panna oil fields to a joint consortium of the US multinational Enron and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) from Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), told the Delhi High Court that ``no irregularities were committed in awarding the contract.''After hearing the submission of the additional solicitor general K N Bhat, appearing for the CBI, a division bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice Dr M K Sharma, directed the investigating agency to furnish the report of the expert committee before the bench by the next date of hearing.
The bench, after perusing the expert committee's report, observed that it would ascertain whether the contract was procured on extraneous considerations and would proceed with further hearing only after it was satisfied about this and posted the matter for further hearing onMarch 3.
Keeping in view the technicalities involved in the deal, Bhat informed the bench, an expert committee was constituted by the CBI. The committee, in its report, has suggested that no action was required to be taken.
The bench also directed the counsel for the Central government, Rakesh Tiku, to keep original records regarding the award of the contract to Enron-Reliance Consortium ready on the next date of hearing.
Alleging that Rs Four crore was paid by Reliance as bribe to the then Petroleum Minister Satish Sharma , the petitions were filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation and Dr B L Wadhera. The petitioners also quoted heavily from a Comptroller and Accountant General (CAG) which had criticised the deal on several grounds.
The case was highlighted when a former aide to Sharma B N Safaya alleged that Ruias of Essar, the Dhoots of Videocon and the Ambanis of RIL, had bribed Satish Sharma. It was alleged that ONGC had spent Rs 500 crore to develop the field and this was given toRIL-Enron for a pittance.
Arguing for the petitioners, Prashant Bhusan contended that CBI has lost its right to conduct a probe into the matter as an independent investigating agency because of its conduct during the probe.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
