Coal case: Court to take up report against VMPL July 29

A special court here on Thursday fixed July 29 for considering the final report in a coal block allocation case involving Kolkata-based Vikash Metal and Power Limited (VMPL) and others, observing that no fruitful purpose will be served by waiting for the sanction issued by competent authority to prosecute government servants.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar posted the matter for July 29 for consideration on the final report after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told him that it has not received sanction to prosecute certain public servants by the competent authority

The court, which is also hearing other various cases related to coal block allocation, observed that in a number of other cases, no decision of the competent authority on the sanction issue has yet been received.

"In these circumstances, I am of the considered opinion that no fruitful purpose will be served now by simply awaiting for the decision of the competent authority. Accordingly put up for passing of necessary orders on the supplementary final report on July 29," the court said.

A supplementary final report in the case pertaining to allocation of Moira and Madhujore (north and south) coal blocks in West Bengal to VMPL was filed before the court by the probe agency on April 7.

A first information report was registered against Vikash Metals and Power Limited and its officials, accusing them of making false claims related to land allocation to get undue advantage in the coal block allocation in September 2012.

The CBI had filed a closure report saying that charges against VMPL or its directors or even against public servants could not be substantiated during the probe.

The court on October 15 last year had refused to accept the closure report and ordered CBI to further investigate the case.