NEW DELHI : Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and five others, including his son Devendra Darda and former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, were today granted bail by a Special Court in a coal scam case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh.
The other accused granted bail by Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar were two senior public servants — K S Kropha and K C Samria — and businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal.
The relief was given on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each with one surety of the like amount.
The accused had appeared before the court in pursuance to the summons issued against them in the case in which Fatehpur (East) coal block was allocated to accused firm M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd.
CBI told the court that it will supply copies of the documents to all the accused today after which the court fixed the matter for September 10.
The court had issued summons against the accused for the alleged offences under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating) of IPC and under relevant provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
It had on November 20, last year had refused to accept CBI’s closure report filed in the case and had directed the agency to conduct further probe the matter while saying that the Rajya Sabha MP had “misrepresented” facts in letters written to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was holding the Coal Ministry portfolio.
The court had said that Darda, who was the Chairman of Lokmat Group, did so to get allotment of Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh in favour of JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd.
Declining to accept CBI’s closure report filed in the case in which it had lodged an FIR against Darda, who was also a Director of JLD firm, and others, the court had said that “prima facie” offence of cheating was committed by private parties in “furtherance of conspiracy” hatched between them and the public servants.
Darda too had specifically claimed in his letter dated June 18, 2007 and August 6, 2007 addressed to the then Prime Minister that M/s JLD was promoted, managed and controlled by Lokmat Group and IDFC, the court said.
Regarding the alleged roles of public servants, it said “prima facie” it was evident that the Ministry of Coal and Screening Committee were “inclined to allot the impugned coal block at Fatehpur (East) to M/s JLD at all cost”.
The court said government servants were having dominion over the nationalised natural resources of the country and they prima facie acted not only against the public interest but also in violation of the trust imposed in them by law.
JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd was allotted Fatehpur (East) coal block by the 35th Screening Committee.
CBI had earlier alleged in its FIR that JLD Yavatmal wrongfully concealed previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005 but later filed a closure report saying no undue benefit was given to M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd by the Ministry of Coal in allocation of coal blocks to it.
It had said that nothing substantial has emerged to establish cheating and criminal conspiracy among officials of the Ministry of Coal and JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd’s directors. (AGENCIES)
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