Coal scam probe: CBI registers FIR against its former chief Ranjit Sinha

New Delhi, Apr 25: CBI has registered a case against former IPS officer Ranjit Sinha on charges of misuing his official position and trying to influence coal scam probe.

He became the second retired CBI Director to face a regular case filed by the agency in a span of three months, the first A P Singh, who was booked in February this year on charges of illegally favouring controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

The case was registered three months after the Supreme court ordered the CBI to probe the officer after a court-appointed panel found that a probe is needed. The apex court said it was "prima facie satisfied and convinced" that Sinha need to face a probe as it feels that he misused his authority.

CBI officials said the FIR was registered under sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. These sections deals with abusing official position, indulging in corruption and criminal misconduct.

Sinha ended up in trouble after a visitor's diary landed in public domain where it suggested that several persons being probed by the CBI met him regularly at his official residence. The list of visitors included coal scam accused, meat exporter Moin Qureshi and others.

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who brought the issue before Supreme Court, had told the judges that several people with questionable character are regular visitors at his official residence.

The list of Sinha's visitors included Mahendra Nahata, a 2G scam suspect, met Sinha 71 times while consultant Deepak Talwar, who figured in Niira Radia tapes and probed in 2G, called on him 50 times.

Congress MP Vijay Darda (coal scam accused), Sunil Bajaj, head of corporate affairs in Essar that was probed in the 2G case, and former Medical Council of India chief Ketan Desai (arrested on corruption charges) were other visitors.

It also included Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) officials, who were said to have met Sinha around 50 times in a span of 15 months from May 2013. The frequency of their visits increased after a decision to re-investigate charges against Ambanis in the 2G scam.

Qureshi, who is under Income Tax scanner, visited Sinha some 90 times, according to the entries in the diary, whose authenticity was contested by Sinha.

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Rajdhani Express Derails, 7 elephants killed after collision in Assam

News Network

December 20,2025

At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services.

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.

The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).

Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-

•   0361-2731621
•   0361-2731622
•   0361-2731623

The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.

Train Services Disrupted

Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.

The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.

Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30.

The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks.

Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years

At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.

He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.

Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.

The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.

These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.

The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.

Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.

A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.

Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested.

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