Court allows CBI to further probe Coal block case

A special court here Thursday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct further investigation in the coal block allocation case against Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd on corruption charges.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar's order came on a CBI plea seeking the court's direction against the coal ministry's then joint secretary K.S. Kropha and then director (coal allocation-1 section) K.C. Samaria to be tried as accused in the case under additional charges dealing with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court said CBI may place before the sanctioning authority the records of the present case to consider the question of according sanction to prosecute the public servants involved for the offences which prima facie have been committed by them.

The CBI Tuesday moved a special court for issuing summons against two government officials in the coal block allocation case against Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency told the court that it has the power to give direction to place the matter before sanctioning authority to consider the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute these serving public servants.

The court asked probe agency to submit a progress report of further investigation Dec 15.

The court Oct 13 had issued summoned against former coal secretary H.C. Gupta and the Madhya Pradesh-based company and its director Pavan Ahluwalia, senior official Amit Goyal and directed them to appear before it on Oct 31, after rejecting the CBI' closure report.

The court has also summoned both of the government officials as accused in the case under various charges dealing with cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

The CBI had lodged an FIR accusing the company and others of allegedly misrepresenting facts, including inflated net worth, to acquire coal blocks. After the probe, the CBI filed a closure report saying it did not found sufficient evidence against the firm and its director to proceed with the case.