Coalscam: Court to hear plea for alteration of charges on January 8

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today fixed January 8 for considering the plea filed by two public servants, facing prosecution in a coal scam case, seeking alteration of charges framed against them earlier.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar fixed the matter for January 8 after the agency sought adjournment on the ground that senior public prosecutor V K Sharma, who was to advance the arguments, was not available today due to some bereavement in his family.

"Accordingly, as prayed, the matter be now put up for consideration on the application under section 216 CrPC moved on behalf of accused number one and two on January 8, 2015," the judge said.

Both the accused had filed the plea seeking alteration of charges on the ground that the Delhi High Court had recently quashed charges against Prakash Industries Ltd ( PIL) and its director who were allegedly involved in the case.

Earlier, CBI had filed its reply to the plea of accused Goutam Kumar Basak and Soumen Chatterjee seeking alteration of charges framed against them and had argued that graft charges should be maintained against them.

CBI, in its reply, had said that charge of public servants abusing official position under Prevention of Corruption Act should be maintained against the two accused persons.

The prosecutor had, however, said the charge of criminal conspiracy under IPC should be recast.

The counsel, appearing for Basak and Chatterjee, had sought time to go through CBI's reply and to argue in the matter.

The counsel, appearing for Executive Secretary Basak and Manager (F&A) Chatterjee of Ministry of Steel's Joint Plant Committee, had told the court that it should alter the charges framed against them as the high court has already quashed charges against PIL and its director (Corporate Affairs) A K Chaturvedi.

He had argued that according to the high court's order, the charge of criminal conspiracy was not made out and CBI should now explain how it would proceed with the trial.