Coal scam: Court summons file regarding prosecution sanction

NEW DELHI: A special court has summoned a file dealing with the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute two public servants for their alleged roles in a coal scam case involving ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and eight others as accused.

The order came after accused Basant Kumar Bhattacharya, a public servant, moved an application before the court seeking summoning of the entire records pertaining to sanction granted by the competent authority to prosecute him for the alleged offences in the case.

However, the CBI told the court that the file could be summoned but it would only be for the purpose of perusal of the court.

"In the facts and circumstances of the case, let the relevant file for grant of sanction of accused Basant Kumar Bhattacharya as well as that of accused B B Singh qua whom directions have already been issued in a separate application be summoned for September 21," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

CBI had earlier said that Jharkhand government had accorded sanction to prosecute Bhattacharya, who was the then section officer in Department of Mines in the state, and Bipin Bihari Singh, who was then Director Mines there, for alleged offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court is scheduled to begin recording of prosecution evidence from September 21 in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Rajhara North (Central and Eastern) coal block in Jharkhand to accused firm Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL).

The court had put on trial Koda, two government servants, Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, ex-Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu, VISUL, its director Vaibhav Tulsyan, Koda's alleged close aide Vijay Joshi and CA Navin Kumar Tulsyan in the case.

The court had framed charges against these nine accused for alleged offences punishable under various sections of IPC including 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI, in its charge sheet, had said that VISUL had applied for allocation of Rajhara North coal block on January 8, 2007 to the Ministry of Coal.

It had alleged that although Jharkhand government and the Steel Ministry did not recommend VISUL's case for the coal block allocation, the 36th Screening Committee recommended the block to the accused firm.