CBI seeks more time to file report in coal block case

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday sought more time from a special court here to file a report on investigation into a coal block allocation case, allegedly involving former Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal and others.

The CBI told the special court it needs more time to file report in the case as hard disks and other samples have been sent to forensic lab and its report is still awaited.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar allowed the CBI plea and fixed further hearing of the matter for January 13.

Former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda are also the accused in the case.

In April, the court said there was prima facie evidence against Jindal, Narayana Rao, Koda and others in the case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge. However, the accused denied the charge.

In April 2015, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and former Union Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta, Jindal Realty Director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge Directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media's Managing Director K. Ramakrishna and others.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- were also named in the chargesheet. They are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd., Jindal Reality Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd., and Sowbhagya Media Ltd.

--IANS

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