Coal news and updates

CBI on Monday told a special court that its final report in a coal blocks allocation scam case, involving Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and others, was ready but unable to place it on record as the Supreme Court has restrained it from doing so.

 

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) R S Cheema told the court that he would advance the ongoing arguments on framing of charges in the case after the final report will be filed.

 

"SPP states that on account of the directions given by the Supreme Court to the CBI authorities not to file any further final report in the court till further orders CBI is unable to file any further final report in the matter though the same is otherwise ready," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

 

"He further states that he shall be placing on record an application in this regard containing the aforesaid submission during the course of the day. Accordingly, arguments on charge shall be heard thereafter only," the judge said.

 

The court was hearing a case in which CBI had chargesheeted Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda, Manoj Jayaswal, Director of Nagpur-based AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, and the firm as accused for offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

 

Earlier, during the arguments on framing of charges, the counsel for accused Vijay Darda had said that CBI's charge sheet against him was "silent" on whom he had tried to induce to give the coal block to AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd.

 

The counsel had also said the agency's charge sheet does not mention the manner in which Vijay Darda had allegedly cheated and which public servants were allegedly induced by him.

 

During the day's hearing, the court noted that a report received from Ministry of External Affairs says that passport of Jayaswal has been impounded by the Passport Officer at Nagpur.

 

Jayaswal's counsel opposed the passport officer's impounding the passport saying it was illegal.

 

The court has fixed December 15 for further hearing on Jayaswal's plea seeking return of his passport.

 

The court had earlier granted bail to Vijay Darda, Devendra and Jayaswal after they had appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against them.

 

Vijay Darda, Devendra, Jayaswal and the firm were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by CBI on March 27 in which it had alleged that they had fraudulently acquired the coal blocks. Darda has denied the allegations against him.

 

Regarding AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, CBI had claimed in its FIR that the firm, in its application form for allocation of coal blocks, had "fraudulently" concealed the fact that its group firms had previously been allocated five coal blocks.

 

Detailing the allocation of coal blocks to AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, the agency had said the Ministry of Coal had invited applications for allocation of coal blocks, including Bander coal block in Maharashtra having a reserve of 126.105 million metric tonnes (MMT).

 

CBI had said that the 36th Screening Committee, which was headed by the Coal Secretary, after concluding its deliberations on July 3, 2008, recommended allocation of Bander coal block jointly to J K Cement Ltd, M/s Century Textiles and Industries Ltd and AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd for their proposed plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively.  

 

 

Source: CBI