Coal case: Court records CBI official's statement

A special court, hearing the coal block allocation case involving JIPL, on Friday recorded the statement of a CBI officer who said 11 teams were set up to conduct searches at Ranchi, Ramgarh, Kolkata, Varanasi and Delhi.

The case pertains to the allocation of the North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd. (JIPL).

Special Judge Bharat Parashar recorded the statement of CBI Inspector Manoj Kumar, who was part of the team that had searched the residence as well as the office of the accused.

Testifying as a witness, Kumar told the court that under the supervision of senior investigating officials, 11 teams were constituted for conducting searches at Ranchi, Ramgarh both in Jharkhand, Kolkata, Varanasi and New Delhi.

Meanwhile, defence counsel sought time to cross examine Kumar, apprising the court that certain documents about which witness deposed were earlier not supplied to them.

The counsel added they received it recently and thus needed time to prepare questionnaires for defence.

The court deferred Kumar's cross-examination and listed the matter for July 27.

In its charge sheet, the CBI alleged that JIPL had "grossly misrepresented" a number of aspects before the steel and coal ministries to inflate its claim, and thereby induced ministry's officers and the screening committee to allocate the coal block to the company.

The court has framed charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating and using a forged document as genuine against JIPL, and its two directors R.C.Rungta and R.S.Rungta.

Both directors are out on bail.