CBI today lodged a case against Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and former Coal Secretary P C Parekh on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks eight years back.

After registering the fresh FIR, its 14th in the multi-crore scandal, coordinated searches were carried out by CBI teams at nearly six locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar.

CBI sources said that the 46-year-old head of the Aditya Birla group will be called in for questioning .

The agency has booked Birla as a representative of Aditya Birla Group and his group company, aluminium maker Hindalco, for alleged corruption in the allocation of Talabira two coal blocks in Odisha which was allotted to it on 10th of November.

The blocks were allocated for power production during a meeting of the screening committee.