'Accused approaches judge in coal scam case'

One of the accused in the coal scam case and associated with the industrial group of Congress leader Naveen Jindal allegedly tried more than once to approach the trial judge, who warned against such misdemeanours in future.

During the hearing on Monday, senior advocate Hariharan, who appeared for Jindal, told the court the Jindal Group management had taken a strong note of the issue and promised the judge such a behaviour would not recur. “The management has taken a strong note of it and we are taking action. I assure you (judge) that it will not happen again at all. I got to know about it today morning,” he told judge Bharat Parashar. According to a court source, the accused had allegedly tried to approach the judge after which the court had cautioned and warned him that it would take action if such a thing was repeated again.

Rajeev Jain, director of Jindal Realty and Girish Kumar Suneja, director of Gagan Sponge Iron, are among the other accused in the case.

As the hearing began, the judge told the lawyers appearing for all the accused that it has “again happened” and he will mention about it in the case record. “I am very sorry to say that with such senior lawyers appearing in the case, I had not expected that it would happen," the judge said without disclosing the identity of the accused who had approached him. After the senior counsel gave an assurance on the issue, the judge said, "It has happened again. It was again repeated.”

If you want me to take it on record, I will do it.

"I was least expecting this. With such senior lawyers, if this is happening without your knowledge, then I cannot say anything but this was not expected."

The counsel clarified that he was not aware of the instance and said that he would intimate the court about the action taken by the management against the concerned person.

During the hearing, the court also asked Naveen Jindal, who was present in the courtroom, "are you a sitting MP (Member of Parliament)?"

"No," replied Jindal, who later went back to take his place in the court.

The court has fixed the matter for scrutiny of documents filed by the CBI on June 30.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to two Jindal group companies, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL).