Silchar: The Congress leaders in south Assam's Barak Valley suspect that many big names, including those from the BJP, would be exposed following the CBI inquiry ordered by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal into coal scam in the valley.

Sonowal had on Sunday directed the chief secretary and senior officials of the state home department to take steps to hand over the coal scam inquiry in the Barak Valley to the CBI.

Karimganj North legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha told The Telegraph on Monday that the coal scam issue had surfaced from time to time through the media over the past many years and suspected that it was being run by a network having political backup.

"Many big names, including those from the saffron brigade, will be unmasked. Many surprising facts will come to light if the matter is investigated properly," he said and demanded stern action against those found involved.

Former minister and former Udharbond legislator Ajit Singh suspected that many "big fishes" were linked with the clandestine business and they would definitely be caught if the probe was thoroughly and impartially carried out.

BJP leaders, however, said the Congress leaders' claims were "baseless" and they were trying to defame the BJP.

Udharbond legislator Mihir Kanti Shome said the claim was nothing but a "cheap" attempt by Congress leaders to malign the BJP's image. Things will be absolutely clear after the investigation, he added.

"Sonowal ordered a CBI inquiry as he believes that BJP members/leaders are not involved in corruption," he said.

Borkhola legislator Kishore Nath said, "They (the Congress leaders) can say whatever they like. Let the investigation be completed. Everything will be clear."

The coal scam has been in the news for the past six to seven months and there have been complaints from various quarters that a section of political leaders and administrative/police officials of the valley are involved.

Coal-laden trucks from Meghalaya have allegedly been allowed to go to Tripura, Mizoram and other places via the Barak Valley in exchange for money to evade government taxes and National Highway 6 has been chiefly used as the transport route. A major portion of it passes through Katigorah constituency in Cachar district of the valley.

Katigorah's BJP legislator Amar Chand Jain, against whom allegations of being involved in the scam have been levelled, denied it.

The government had ordered a CID probe in April this year but questions were raised over the investigation process.

The matter again came to light after Abdul Ahad Choudhury, who is believed to be connected with the business, was recently arrested by police from Sutarkandi in Karimganj district. Some papers were recovered from him and one of the papers had the names of some people who received shares of money related to the scam, police sources said.

Karimganj superintendent of police Gaurav Upadhyay told The Telegraph on Monday afternoon that besides some papers, some fake identity cards and fake coal challans were recovered from Abdul's house.

The case will be further handled by the CBI, he said.