Court frames charges charges in coal block case against Jindal Group

A court here on Friday framed charges in coal block case allegedly involving Jindal Group firms.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar framed various charges dealing with with criminal conspiracy, cheating and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against former parliamentarian, industrialist and senior congress leader Naveen Jindal, former union minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao and former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and others.

The court was hearing a case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

The probe agency has said there was sufficient evidence to frame charges against the accused in a case related to the allocation.

However, Jindal, Rao, Koda and others have denied the allegation against them and sought being discharged from the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation in April last year filed a charge sheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao, former coal secreatry H.C. Gupta and six other individuals - New Delhi Exim director Suresh Singhal, Jindal Realty director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media managing director K. Ramakrishna and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- have also been 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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