Not received sanction to try two officials: CBI
21 May 2015 6:07 AM IST
The agency told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that in pursuance to its January 19 order, they have sent relevant records of the case to Maharashtra government and Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in February for according of sanction to prosecute these government servants. The court then asked the CBI to file progress report of further investigation in the case and fixed the matter for further hearing on July 8.
"It has been submitted that no communication has yet been received from the competent authority regarding sanction sought to prosecute the two public servants in terms of order dated January 19, 2015 passed by this Court. Accordingly, <g data-gr-id="36">matter</g> <g data-gr-id="35">be</g> now put up on July 8, for submission of <g data-gr-id="37">progress</g> report of further investigation," the court said.
It 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 <g data-gr-id="33">Kropha</g>, 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.
The court had directed CBI to conduct further probe in the alleged role and collusion between the public servants and company officials in the case in which the agency has filed a charge sheet 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 <g data-gr-id="24">chargesheet</g>, 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.
<g data-gr-id="56">Charge-sheet</g> against Delhi firm registered
CBI has filed a charge sheet in a special court in connection with the alleged irregularities in allocation of a coal block in Chhatisgarh to Delhi-based firm Pushp Steels and Mining Pvt Ltd. The charge sheet was filed before special CBI judge Bharat Parashar who fixed May 28 for its consideration. "Fresh charge sheet has been filed. It will be checked and registered. However, Investigating Officer has been directed to prepare a copy of relevant documents before the matter is further considered," the judge said.
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