Hyderabad : Noted director and former union minister of state for coal and mines, Dasari Narayana Rao, responded to the charges leveled against him in connection with the coal scam.

Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, Dasari suspected that there was disinformation campaign against him as part of a conspiracy to defame him. Stating that he was  a ‘Bobbili Puli’ and not ‘Boggula Puli’, Dasari assured his fans that facts would soon come out and asked them not to be worried.

It may be recalled that the CBI has said that  an amount of Rs.2.25 crore was transferred to a company owned by Dasari from the Jindal group, as a quid pro quo deal for the coal blocks he has sanctioned for it, violating the rules. CBI is charging that the Jindal group was sanctioned the coal mines on the basis of fake documents.

Apart from Dasari, CBI also named Congress MP Naveen Jindal, head of the group,  as an  accused in the case. It may be mentioned that the CBI conducted raids on Dsari’s his offices and residence on Tuesday. CBI which already questioned Dasari once earlier, conducted extensive searches at his office and residence on Tuesday. It is learnt that CBI has information that Dasari had done some out of the turn favours for the Jindal group when he was the union minister. Searches which the CBI started at Dasari’s places at around 6 am on Tuesday, continued till 3 pm. Dasari was not allowed to either move out or answer phones during the period, said reports. CBI sleuths reportedly seized some documents from Dasari’s residence and office.

Five coal blocks were sanctioned to the Jindal group of Navin Jindal, a Congress MP during Dasari’s tenure as minister. Santosh Bagrodia was also a minister of state of the department at the time, along with Dasari.

Cases against Dasari and Jindal were registered in connection with the allocation of coal blocks in Amarakonda Murgadangal of Jharkhand. It is being said that the Jindal group got the sanctions through false documents. It is being said that Dasari might be arrested any minute now.

CBI registered cases under sections 120B, read with Sections 420 and 13 (1) (D). The agency has also registered cases against four companies of Delhi including Gagan Sponge Ltd and Jindal Steel and Power Limited and the Sowbhagya Media of Hyderabad. Dasari is a major stake holder of the ‘Sowbhagya Media’ which produces films and TV serials.