CBI contradicts law minister & A-G, tells SC they altered status reports PMO, Coal Min Also Asked For Changes: Sinha

New Delhi: Contrary to claims by law minister Ashwani Kumar and attorney general G E Vahanvati, CBI director Ranjit Sinha's affidavit on Monday said "changes" had been made at their instance in the Coalgate investigation status reports submitted in March to the Supreme Court.      In his nine-page affidavit before the apex court, Sinha said while a "majority" of the changes had been  made in consultation with, among others, Ashwani Kumar, "a few changes were also done on the suggestion of the attorney general and officials of PMO and ministry of coal".      The affidavit showed that these changes were the outcome of three meetings that CBI officials had with the government side on March 6, two days before the agency was due to submit its status reports on the scam that had taken place on the watch of PM Manmohan Singh, who held the coal portfolio at that time. Reconstructing the drama involved in the drafting of the status reports, Sinha said the first meeting at 12.30pm on March 6 was in Kumar's office and the second within hours was in Vahanvati's residential office. The last meeting took place the same evening in the CBI office to finalize the changes with the help of the joint secretary in the PMO, Shatrughna Singh, and joint secretary in the coal ministry, A K Bhalla, both from the very departments allegedly involved in the scam.      Sinha admitted that at least four "significant changes" that had been made in the status reports, two of them at the instance of the law minister and the other two at the instance of the officials of the PMO and the coal ministry. Two of the four changes reportedly related to the "deletion" of what it called "tentative findings".  BUT CENTRAL THEME UNCHANGED: AGENCY WHAT WERE THE CHANGES? 1 Tentative finding about there being no system for awarding coal blocks was deleted at behest of PMO and coal ministry 2 Tentative finding about there being no broadsheet/chart prepared by screening committee on coal blocks deleted by law minister 3 Sentence about the scope of inquiry with respect to legality of allocation deleted at instance of law minister  However, CBI maintained the 'central theme of status report' wasn't changed. Claims no names of suspect or accused removed  WHO MADE THE CHANGES?  Law minister Ashwani Kumar, A-G G E Vahanvati, PMO JS Shatrughna Singh, coal ministry JS A K Bhalla. But it's difficult to say who made what changes, says CBI  WHAT DOES IT MEAN?  CBI has contradicted the stand taken by law minister Ashwani Kumar and A-G Vahanvati that they had not suggested any changes in affidavit  WHO ATTENDED WHICH MEETING?  There were 3 meetings on March 6 1 Draft status report discussed with CBI director by law minister Kumar at 12.30pm 2 Meeting in afternoon with A-G & ASG with CBI Jt director O P Galhotra & DIG Ravikant 3 In evening, meeting in Galhotra's office with PMO JS Shatrughna Singh & coal ministry JS A K Bhalla No minutes of any meeting  CBI BOSS'S APOLOGY  Unconditional apology for 'inadvertent omission or commission'. Says nothing in CBI manual to guide if status reports in ongoing probe in sub-judice matter can be shared with others. Says ASG Raval said on his own that the status report was not shared with anyone WHAT NEXT?  Oppn baying for blood of law  minister, A-G. Govt maintains no breach of propriety. Much will depend on SC's reaction on May 8 to affidavit. Karnataka poll result will also come that day. If it's good for Cong, govt may get respite Congress tries to push food bill through in LS T he Congress on Monday unsuccessfully tried to force the food security bill in the Lok Sabha, a desperate move in the wake of negative publicity and nonfunctioning Parliament. The discussion, initiated amid the demand of the BJP, Left and others for Ashwani Kumar and P K Bansal's resignation, caught opposition leader Sushma Swaraj off guard. P 7 CBI: No names of accused removed from Coalgate report  New Delhi: CBI chief Ranjit Sinha has claimed that changes were made in the Coalgate probe reports. While one finding that was allegedly changed was about the absence of a system regarding allocation of specific points, the other was non-preparation of charts by the screening committee. "Since both these changes pertained to the tentative findings of the CBI which would be arrived at with further clarity on more enquiries, the same were  acceptable," Sinha claimed.      The finding about the screening committee's failure to prepare charts or broad sheets for the allocation of coal blocks had been deleted at the law minister's instance, said the affidavit. Another change admitted to have been on Kumar's suggestion was "the deletion of a sentence about scope of enquiry with respect to legality of allocation while the amendments in law were in progress". In spite of admitting to such "significant changes", the CBI director said they had "neither altered the central theme of the report, nor shifted the focus of enquiries or investigations in any manner". He added that "no names of suspects or accused were removed from the status reports and also that no suspect or accused were let off in the process". Vahanvati and Kumar For steps to dowload free Alive app, see P 16