http://odishasamaya.com/news/india/coalscam-jipl-dir-seeks-summoning-ex-pm-as-defence-witness/66445

New Delhi: Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) Director R S Rungta, an accused in a coal block allocation scam case, today moved an application before a special court seeking to summon former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a witness in his defence in the case.

Besides Singh, who was also the then Minister of Coal, Rungta also sought summoning of former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao as a witness in his defence in the case.

In his plea, Rungta also sought summoning of various documents and said that these two witnesses would depose about their genuineness.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, however, told Rungta’s counsel to first argue on the relevancy of summoning Singh and Rao as witnesses in the case.

“In the facts and circumstances of the case, I first deem it appropriate to hear the counsel for the accused on the relevancy of summoning these witnesses in his defence. Put up for arguments on the plea on December 8,” the judge said.

Regarding Singh, the accused said, “he will prove the record of the Coal Ministry and the decision taken by him about constitution of screening committee and its functions and powers and would also prove the corresponding record of the Ministry of Coal.”

“Further, the two witnesses ( Singh and Rao) named above may also be directed to be summoned to depose about genuineness of the documents being produced from their respective office (as they were holding at the relevant point of time),” the plea said.

Besides R S Rungta, the other two accused — JIPL and its director R C Rungta — also submitted their list of witnesses whom they want to examine in their defence and the court has fixed the case for recording of defence evidence on December 19.

The case pertain to the allotment of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand TO Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd allegedly on the basis of false and forged documents.

http://odishasamaya.com/news/india/coalscamcourt-frames-charges-against-ex-coal-secy-5-others/59971

New Delhi:A special court today framed charges against former coal secretary H C Gupta and five others in a coal scam case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh to an accused firm.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar put the six on trial for alleged offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of IPC and under relevant provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides Gupta, the court framed charges against two senior public servants, K S Kropha and K C Samria, firm Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL), its managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia and chartered accountant Amit Goyal.

Kropha was the then Joint Secretary in Ministry of Coal, while Samria was the then Director (Coal Allocation-I) section in the ministry.

The court has now fixed the matter October 28 for admission/denial of documents by accused, filed in the case by CBI.

The court had on October 1 ordered framing of charges against these accused observing that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was kept in the “dark” by Gupta, who had prima facie violated the law and the trust imposed on him on the issue of coal block allocation.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to KSSPL.

The court on October 13 last year had summoned them as accused after refusing to accept CBI’s closure report. The accused were earlier granted bail by the court.

© Image by Amnesty

CoalScam.org is an initiative spearheaded by three groups (mines, minerals & PEOPLE, Greenpeace India, and Amnesty International India) to “to map the true impact of coal mining in India on people's lives and habitats”. For those in close proximity to coal mining, the process can have “devastating effects on land, water and air, affecting health and livelihoods and key human rights”; when officials and owners engage in corrupt practices, these effects are exacerbated. CoalScam.org is an issue-targeted effort to hold governments and companies to accountability in this arena.

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