Coal case: Court orders charges against former coal secretary

A special court here on Friday ordered framing of charges against former coal secretary H.C. Gupta and company Pushp Steels and Mining Pvt. Ltd. in a coal block alloation case but discharged the firm's director .

Special Judge Bharat Parashar held that prima facie charge dealing with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and under various provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act is made out against accused Gupta and company PSMPL and fixed February 26 for formally framing the charges against the accused.

Observing that no any incriminating evidence on record is against company director Atul Jain, the court discharged him from the case.

The case pertains to allocation of Madhya Pradesh's Brahmapuri coal block to Pushp Steels and Mining Pvt. Ltd (PSMPL).

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a fresh charge sheet in the case on May 20 last year, claiming the company allegedly misrepresented facts while applying for coal blocks.

The CBI has alleged that Gupta conspired with the company and its director, and allocated Brahmapuri coal block in favour of PSMPL, violating all guidelines laid down in this regard.

The allocation was also against the recommendations of the state of Madhya Pradesh and the ministry of steel.