Coal block court warns accused for approaching judge

A court here on Monday warned one of the accused in the coal block allocation case, allegedly involving the Jindal group, over attempting to approach the judge.

According to court sources, one of the accused had allegedly tried to approach the judge hearing the coal block allocation case.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar warned the accused without disclosing his name, saying if it happened again, he will mention about it in the case record.

Defence counsel, senior advocate Hariharan said he came to know about it on Monday morning and told the court that it will not happen again.

The court has fixed the matter for further hearing for June 30.

The Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) said no one associated with it had done so.

In a statement, a JSPL spokesperson said: "Neither our company nor our management or any person associated with our company have attempted to influence the Hon'ble court as being alleged in the media."

"We are law abiding citizens, having highest regard and respect for the judiciary. We have full faith in the judiciary and we are confident that we will come out clean during course of the trial, on merits of the case."

Industrialist Naveen Jindal, former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, former union minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former coal secretary H.C. Gupta with others are facing trial in the case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to JSPL and Gagan Sponge.

The CBI has formally charged them with criminal conspiracy, cheating and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.