New Delhi:- A special court would next month hear final arguments in a coal block allocation scam case in which accused firm Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) and its two directors R S Rungta and R C Rungta are facing trial.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar posted the matter for final arguments after concluding recording of defence evidence in the case.
“Accordingly, defence evidence stands closed. Case is now adjourned for final arguments to February 11, 12 and 15,” the court said.
During the recording of evidence, the CBI had examined 41 witnesses, while the accused had called six witnesses in their defence.
JIPL and its two directors are facing trial in the case pertaining to allotment of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to the company, allegedly on the basis of false and forged documents.
The court had earlier dismissed the plea of R S Rungta seeking summoning of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ex-Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, as defence witnesses in the case.
It had framed charges against three accused for alleged offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of the IPC.
All the accused had pleaded not guilty and claimed trial while refuting the allegations levelled against them by CBI.
In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that it had found in the probe that JIPL had “grossly misrepresented” a number of aspects before the Ministry of Steel and the Ministry of Coal (MoC) to inflate their claim, thereby inducing officers of MoC and the screening committee to allocate the coal block to them.
PTI
