Court frames cheating charges against JIPL in coal scam

A court here on Thursday framed cheating charges against Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd. (JIPL) in a coal block allocation case.

Observing that prima facie a case of cheating was made out against the company, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Bharat Parashar framed separate charges under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code against JIPL.

Earlier in March, the court had framed charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating and using a forged document as genuine against all the accused i.e. JIPL, and its two directors R.C. Rungta and R.S. Rungta in a coal block allocation case.

After the company pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, the court fixed the matter for recording prosecution evidence in the case on June 3.

The case pertains to allocation of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to JIPL.

In its charge sheet, the CBI had alleged that JIPL had "grossly misrepresented" a number of aspects before the ministry of steel and ministry of coal (MoC) to inflate their claim, and thereby induced the MoC officers and the screening committee to allocate the coal block to them.

Both the directors are out on bail.