Court allows CBI to probe coal case against Jindal further

A court here on Friday allowed CBI's plea seeking further investigations in coal block allocation case allegedly involving former MP Naveen Jindal and others, and to record the statement of New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd. director Suresh Singhal, an accused, who wants to become approver in the matter.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Bharat Parashar allowed the probe agency to investigate further in the case and submit its report by May 30. It said that it will then decide Singhal's plea seeking pardon and expressing his desire to become an approver in the case.

The court last month found prima facie evidence against industrialist, senior Congress leader and former MP Jindal, former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayana Rao, former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and others in a case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

However, Jindal, Rao, Koda and others denied the charge and sought discharge from the case.

The CBI in April last year filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and former coal secretary H.C. Gupta apart from Singhal, Jindal Realty director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media's managing director K. Ramakrishna and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- were also named in the charge sheet. The companies are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt. Ltd., Jindal Reality Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. and Sowbhagya Media Ltd.

--IANS

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