Coal scam: CBI awaits court nod to try 2 officials
31 March 2015 6:06 AM IST
The agency told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that in pursuance to the court's earlier order, they have sent the relevant records of the case to the Maharashtra government and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in February for according sanction to prosecute the two government servants.
CBI, which on Monday filed the progress report of its further probe in the case, said it was awaiting the response of the authorities on the issue.
The court had earlier directed CBI to place records of the case before the competent authority so that they could consider according sanction to prosecute K S Kropha, former Joint Secretary in Coal Ministry, and Vishwas Sawakhande, Director of Directorate of Geology and Mining in Maharashtra Government, for offences under Prevention of Corruption Act.
"Progress report of further investigation has been filed. It has been submitted that the necessary record have been sent to government of Maharashtra and Department of Personnel and Training, New Delhi, for considering according sanction to prosecute the public servants....," the court said. It has now fixed the matter for filing of progress report of further investigation on May 20.
The court had earlier directed CBI to conduct further probe the alleged role and collusion between the public servants and company officials in the case in which the agency has filed a chargesheet against GIL and one of its directors Mukesh Gupta for alleged offence of cheating under the IPC.
While directing further probe in the matter, the court had observed that functioning of the then Prime Minister Office (PMO) officials "does not appear to be above board".
The court had noted that when there were specific remarks by then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao that GIL was "not eligible" for allocation of Lohara (East) coal block in Maharashtra, the PMO officials should have highlighted it before the file was submitted to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was holding Coal Ministry portfolio at that time.
The agency, in its chargesheet, had said that sufficient incriminating evidence warranting prosecution of other company officials or any other public servant involved in the entire process could not come on record.
In its order, the court had noted that then Coal Secretary H C Gupta had since retired from government service and there was no need to get sanction to prosecute him under section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to CBI, the 34th Screening Committee had allotted Lohara (East) coal block jointly to M/s GIL and to M/s Murli Agro Products Pvt Ltd and the letter of allotment was issued on June 27, 2008.
CBI had chargesheeted the firm and one of its directors saying they had falsely misrepresented the facts to bag the coal block.
CBI, which on Monday filed the progress report of its further probe in the case, said it was awaiting the response of the authorities on the issue.
The court had earlier directed CBI to place records of the case before the competent authority so that they could consider according sanction to prosecute K S Kropha, former Joint Secretary in Coal Ministry, and Vishwas Sawakhande, Director of Directorate of Geology and Mining in Maharashtra Government, for offences under Prevention of Corruption Act.
"Progress report of further investigation has been filed. It has been submitted that the necessary record have been sent to government of Maharashtra and Department of Personnel and Training, New Delhi, for considering according sanction to prosecute the public servants....," the court said. It has now fixed the matter for filing of progress report of further investigation on May 20.
The court had earlier directed CBI to conduct further probe the alleged role and collusion between the public servants and company officials in the case in which the agency has filed a chargesheet against GIL and one of its directors Mukesh Gupta for alleged offence of cheating under the IPC.
While directing further probe in the matter, the court had observed that functioning of the then Prime Minister Office (PMO) officials "does not appear to be above board".
The court had noted that when there were specific remarks by then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao that GIL was "not eligible" for allocation of Lohara (East) coal block in Maharashtra, the PMO officials should have highlighted it before the file was submitted to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was holding Coal Ministry portfolio at that time.
The agency, in its chargesheet, had said that sufficient incriminating evidence warranting prosecution of other company officials or any other public servant involved in the entire process could not come on record.
In its order, the court had noted that then Coal Secretary H C Gupta had since retired from government service and there was no need to get sanction to prosecute him under section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to CBI, the 34th Screening Committee had allotted Lohara (East) coal block jointly to M/s GIL and to M/s Murli Agro Products Pvt Ltd and the letter of allotment was issued on June 27, 2008.
CBI had chargesheeted the firm and one of its directors saying they had falsely misrepresented the facts to bag the coal block.
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