On Tuesday, the CBI registered FIRs against five companies and other government officials in the probe that was ordered on the allocation of coal blocks after it had carried out searches in 10 cities.

The CBI said that five cases were registered against five companies and few other government officials allegedly for cheating.

agents from CBI are also conducting probes at 30 other places in ten cities whivh invlude Delhi, Kolkaka, Patna, Dhanbad and Nagpur.

FIRs have been filed only three months after a preliminary enquiry was registered into the coal blocks allocation scan by the CBI after the Central Vigilance Commission said so.

In this enquiry the CBI was informed of the coal ministry officials showing that there were several showcause notices issued to the firms to which mines were allocated. They had been asked to explain the delay in starting the mining.

IN 2005, a few firms were allocated coal blocks but they had not yet embarked on mining them according to official sources.

Vini Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel, JLD Yavatmal indirectly associated with Congress MP Vijay Darda through his familiy, JAS infrastructure of Abhijeet Group and AMR Iron and Steel and their directors and unknown government officials were all named int he accused firms charged with cheating.

(AW- Anil )