Coal scam: CBI fails to show any loss to govt, claims accused

Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Limited (RSPL) and its top three officials on Friday told a special court that CBI has “miserably” failed to show that there was a loss to the government or anybody else due to the allocation of a Chhattisgarh coal block to it. Advancing the arguments on framing of charges in the case, senior advocate N Hariharan, who appeared for RSPL and others, said the accused firm has not extracted any coal from the Kesla north block and there was no wrongful gain or corresponding loss to anybody.

“CBI has failed miserably to show that there was any loss to the government or to anybody as the accused company (RSPL) has not extracted any coal and there was no wrongful gain. The actual mining lease is yet to be signed and many clearances were required to be taken,” Hariharan told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar. 

CBI, however, countered Hariharan’s submissions and said that RSPL and its three officials, who were summoned as accused in the case, had “misrepresented” facts before the screening committee to acquire the coal block and acquisition of 250 acres of land.

“They (accused) have not been able to show during the entire arguments that they were actually possessing the land when they appeared before the screening committee,” senior public prosecutor VK Sharma said. 

The court, after hearing the arguments, reserved its order on framing of charges for April 29. “Arguments on the point of charge heard. Put up for order on April 29,” the judge said. RSPL and its officials - MD Pradeep Rathi, Chief Executive Officer Udit Rathi and AGM Kushal Aggarwal - were earlier summoned as accused in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Kesla North coal block to the firm for alleged offences under sections 120-B(criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC.