Ex-Coal Secy, 5 others summoned as accused

Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and five others, including two senior public servants, have been summoned as accused by a special court in a coal scam case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks in West Bengal.

Besides Gupta, Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar summoned two public servants, KS Kropha and KC Samria, M/s Vikash Metal and Power Ltd, its Managing Director Vikash Patni and its authorised signatory Anand Mallick as accused in the case. The court took cognisance of the alleged offences under Sections 120-B, 409 and 420 of the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and summoned the accused for March 3.

"I, accordingly, take cognizance of the offence under section 120-B IPC against company, M/s Vikash Metal and Power Ltd (VMPL), its Managing Director Vikash Patni and authorised signatory Anand Mallick and also against public servants namely HC Gupta, KS Kropha and KC Samria," the judge said.

Kropha was the then Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Coal (MoC) and Samria the then Director CA-1 section in MoC. The court said it had already discussed the alleged roles played by the accused in its detailed orders passed earlier in the matter.

In its order, the court noted that due to want of sanction against Kropha and Samria, the matter was earlier sent for further probe and the CBI has recently placed on record the order of competent authority granting sanction to prosecute them for alleged offence under the anti-graft law.