Graft case against top Indian industrialist riles ministers, business leaders

SEVERAL top brass in India's Cabinet and business are up in arms over the corruption and criminal conspiracy case against leading industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla.

The prominent figures, who include senior ministers, have condemned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for acting against Mr Birla, as they feel it could dampen investor sentiment at a time when the economy is facing headwinds.

The CBI, the country's premier investigation agency, on Wednesday lodged a case against Mr Birla, who has businesses straddling 40 countries, for criminal conspiracy and corruption in connection with the allocation of coal blocks in 2005.

Naina Lal Kidwai, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said: "Business leaders cannot …