Delhi court grants bail to ex-coal secretary and four others

The Patiala House Court on Friday granted bail to former coal secretary H.C. Gupta and four others in connection with a coal block allocation case.

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

Two days ago, Gupta had informed a special court that sanction to prosecute him in a coal scam case was necessary as allegations levelled against him related to work done by him in discharge of his official duty.

Aman Lekhi, the senior advocate representing Gupta, said that his client was the then chairman of the screening committee, and had acted in official capacity while sending recommendations to the then coal minister.

Earlier, the court while summoning the accused in the case had observed that as Gupta had retired from government service, and therefore, no sanction was required for taking cognizance of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.