Coal block case: CBI waiting for sanction to try public servants

The CBI told a court here on Monday that it was waiting for sanction from the competent authority to try two public servants for their alleged role in a coal block allocation case involving Nagpur-based Grace Industries Ltd. (GIL).

The Central Bureau of Investigation told Special Judge Bharat Parashar that they sent the relevant records of the case to the Maharashtra government and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in February seeking sanction to prosecute the two government servants.

The probe agency said it was awaiting the response of the authorities.

The court had earlier directed the CBI to place records of the case before the competent authority so that they could consider accordingly and grant sanction to prosecute former coal ministry joint secretary K.S. Kropha, and director of geology and mining in the Maharashtra government, Vishwas Sawakhande, for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court fixed May 20 for filing of progress report of further investigation.

The court had earlier directed the CBI to conduct further probe into the alleged collusion between public servants and company officials in a case related to GIL.

The case relates to the allocation of coal block in which the CBI had chargesheeted GIL and one of its directors, Mukesh Gupta, as accused for the offence under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.