Madhu Koda, others misappropriated national resources: Special Court

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today made scathing remarks against former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and others holding high positions for allegedly misappropriating natural resources, but granted them bail in a coal blocks allocation scam case.

The court said Koda and seven others, including former Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, "clearly conspired together" to misappropriate important natural resources.

However, Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar enlarged the eight accused on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs one lakh each with one surety of the like amount.

"I do not intend to discuss the merits or demerits of the prosecution case, lest it may prejudice the trial. However, keeping in view the overall facts and circumstances of the case coupled with the submissions made, I am of the considered opinion that the interest of justice will be suitably met if the accused persons are ordered to be released on bail...," the judge said.

"At the outset, I may state that undoubtedly the allegations against the accused persons are serious in nature. Accused persons who were holding very high positions clearly conspired together to misappropriate important nationalised natural resources of the country," the judge said.

The court, which fixed the case for further hearing on March 4, also directed that the accused would neither leave the country without its prior permission nor tamper with evidence or approach the prosecution witnesses in any manner.

They were granted bail in a case pertaining to allocation of Jharkhand's Rajhara North coal block to accused firm Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL).

Koda, Basu, Gupta, public servants Bipin Bihari Singh and Basant Kumar Bhattacharya, Kolkata-based VISUL's Director Vaibhav Tulsyan, Chartered Accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan and Koda's alleged close aide Vijay Joshi today appeared in the court following the summons issued against them.