NEW DELHI: A special CBI court on Friday put on trial former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and seven others in connection with a case pertaining to the alleged irregularities in allocation of a coal block in Jharkhand.
The court also framed charges against former Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu, government servants Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh, M/s Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) and its director Vaibhav Tulsyan, Koda’s alleged close aide Vijay Joshi, and chartered accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar framed charges against these nine accused for alleged offences punishable under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“In terms of order dated on July 14, charge for the offences under Section 120-B and under section 120-B read with Sections 409/420 of the IPC and 13(1)(c)/13(1)(d) of the PC Act has been framed separately against all the accused i.e., M/s VISUL, Gupta, Bhattacharya, Bipin, Basu, Koda, Joshi, Vaibhav and Navin....,” the court said.
The court framed the charges after the accused did not plead guilty and claimed trial in the case relating to the coal block allocation of Rajhara North (Central and Eastern).
The court has now fixed the matter for August 17 for admission and denial of documents by the accused.
Meanwhile, the apex court also issued summons to Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda, Gupta, Coal Ministry officials K S Kropha and K C Samria, M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd and its director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, asking them to appear before it on August 20.
The court took cognizance of the offence under charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the IPC and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI had earlier filed a closure report in the case, but the court refused to accept it and asked the agency to further probe the matter and file progress report.
The CBI had in its first information report alleged that M/s JLD Yavatmal had wrongfully concealed previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005 while applying for fresh allocation.