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Jharkhand Ispat directors granted bail

Two directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd were on Wednesday granted bail by a trial court in a coal block allocation case after they appeared before the court in pursuance of summon issued against them by the court on December 18 last year. RS Rungta and RC Rungta were granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs one lakh each and one surety of the like amount.

The court also queried the CBI about the death of two persons who were summoned as accused along with Directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd in the case. Responding to this, CBI informed the court that it was verifying facts regarding their demise. The probe agency told the court reports have been received about deaths of private persons Ramabatar Kedia and Naresh Mahto, who were summoned as accused in the case of allocation of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to accused firm Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL).

"Put up for scrutiny of documents and for filing of report regarding death of Ramabatar Kedia and Naresh Mahto on February 2," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said after the investigating officer (IO) sought some time to verify factum of their death. The court also asked the agency to file a report regarding the death of the two accused.

Besides the Rungtas, Kedia and Mahto, the court had also summoned as accused JIPL for the alleged offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine) and 477-A (falsification of accounts) of the IPC. The Rungtas were enlarged on bail on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each and with one surety of the like amount.

CBI, in its chargesheet, had alleged that during probe, it was found that JIPL had "grossly misrepresented" a number of aspects before Ministries of Steel and Coal to inflate their claim and thereby induced coal ministtry officers and the screening committee to allocate the coal block to them. CBI alleged that JIPL, along with three other firms, M/s Electro Steel Casting Ltd, M/s Adhunik Alloys and Power Ltd and M/s Pawanjay Steel and Power Ltd, was jointly allocated North Dhadu coal block by 27th and 30th screening committee.

Source: The Times of India