Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar had on April 30 fixed tomorrow for considering the charge sheet filed in the case relating to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand’s Birbhum district in 2008 to Jindal Group firms — Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL).
On April 29, CBI had chargesheeted 15 accused, including five firms, in the case for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Besides Jindal, Rao and Koda, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and six others — Gyan Swaroop Garg, Suresh Singhal, Rajeev Jain, Girish Kumar Suneja, R K Saraf and K Ramakrishna Prasad — were chargesheeted in the case.
The five firms named as accused in the charge sheet were JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd and Soubhagya Media Ltd.
The agency has alleged in the charge sheet that Jindal group firms had misrepresented facts to acquire the coal block in 2008.
In its FIR lodged in the case, CBI had alleged that Jindal group was shown favour by the Jharkhand Government which had dropped other firms from its recommendation for allocation of coal block in the state in 2007.
The FIR was categorical that Ministry of Power was against the proposal for allocating Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to JSPL and GSIPL.
JSPL, in a statement, had denied the allegations made against it and its management and had said that it would take appropriate remedy in accordance with law