Coal Scam: Court reserves order on framing of charges for March 9

NEW DELHI: A special court today reserved for March 9 its order on framing of charges in a coal blocks allocation scam case in which CBI has chargesheeted Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) and two of its directors for allegedly misrepresenting facts to acquire a coal block.

"Arguments on charges heard and concluded. Put up on March 9 for orders on charge," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

During the arguments on framing of charges, special public prosecutor R S Cheema contended that JIPL and its officials had misrepresented facts and allegedly altered the cover letter of the application seeking allocation to acquire North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand.

"It was a case of conscious forgery and altered cover letter had a hallmark of forged document," Cheema said and claimed that charges were clearly and patently made out against the accused.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for one of the accused, argued that as per the material on record, offence of forgery was not made out and giving alleged false information does not amount to forgery.

Earlier, CBI had alleged that JIPL and its officials had misrepresented facts regarding land required for establishing their proposed end use project as well as its installed capacity.

CBI has chargesheeted JIPL, its two Directors R S Rungta and R C Rungta and others in the case pertaining to allocation of coal block to the accused firm.

The accused had raised jurisdictional issue contending that as no offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act was there in the case, the matter should be heard by a magisterial court.