Coal scam: Court dismisses Darda’s plea to go abroad

A special court has refused to allow businessman Devendra Darda, an accused in two coal scam cases, to travel abroad saying the inquiry into the visitors' diary of official residence of former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha was pending.

The court noted that the inquiry being conducted by CBI's former special director CBI M L Sharma is to primarily focus on alleged meetings the then CBI Director had with Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and his son Devendra Darda at his official residence in the absence of investigating officers (IOs).

It also referred to the December 7 order passed by the apex court directing that original visitors' diary of Sinha's official residence, which was lying in a sealed cover in Supreme Court, be handed over to the inquiry officer.

"Thus, as the visitors' register maintained at the residence of Ranjit Sinha has now been ordered to be supplied to M L Sharma, the inquiry officer, by Supreme Court and the report of the enquiry has been called for within a period of 8-12 weeks, so I am of the considered opinion that it will not be appropriate to grant permission to applicant Devender Darda to travel abroad during the period of pendency of the enquiry proceedings," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

Devendra had sought court's permission to travel to Dubai and Kenya from December 22 till January 2, 2016 on account of certain business commitments.