Court orders framing of charges against Jindal, others in coal scam
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A special court has ordered framing of charges against industrialist Naveen Jindal and other accused in the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation case. The court has also ordered framing of charges against ex-minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda and ex-coal secretary H C Gupta in the case.
This comes after the shares of Jindal Steel and power plunged over 8 per cent in trade on Thursday after a special court slapped charges of criminal conspiracy against Naveen Jindal in the coal scam case. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said “charges to be framed against all accused under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 and 420 of IPC and under sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
Besides them, five firms - JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media and New Delhi Exim - are also accused in the case. Meanwhile, the court issued notice to CBI and 14 accused on a plea by Suresh Singhal for pardon and turning approver in the case. He filed the application on April 21, seeking to make a disclosure statement which was later on recorded by a magistrate and placed before the special judge in a sealed envelope.
“Trial proceedings in this case would be appropriate to be conducted after adjudication of this issue,” the court said and fixed May 11 for hearing submissions of CBI and the accused on Singhal’s plea.
