Filed 35 cases against companies in coal scam: CBI tells SC

The apex court has set March 31 as deadline to complete investigation and file cases

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Supreme Court on Monday it had filed 35 cases against companies in the coal scam and the legal process is on its way in about 100 others cases. The court has set March 31 as the deadline to complete the investigation and file cases.

The bench, headed by Madan Lokur, recorded statements of CBI in various cases and posted the matter for further hearing on April 27.

Non-governmental organisation Common Cause’s counsel, Prashant Bhushan, sought a CBI report into the diversion of coal from the Sasan coalfields, meant for ultra mega power projects, for other purposes by Reliance Energy.  The company officials had visited former CBI director Ranjit Sinha over 60 times at his official residence and nothing has happened about the charge of diversion of resources.

Bhushan also submitted that several public sector firms, which had coal blocks, had handed over them to private entities in the name of joint ventures.  The judges said they would look into these allegations at the next hearing.

Court orders framing of charges against JIPL, Rungtas

Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) and its two directors, R C Rungta and R S Rungta, were on Monday ordered to be put on trial in a coal scam case by a court on charges of securing allotment of blocks on false and forged documents. The court said prima facie charges of cheating, conspiracy and forgery were made out against the three accused and fixed the matter for March 16 for formal framing of charges. The court ordered framing of charges for the alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of the IPC.

It, however, said no charge under section 477-A of the IPC (falsification of accounts), as alleged by the Central Bureau of Investigation in its charge sheet filed against the accused, was made out.