Court grants CBI time in Jindal case

A court here on Monday granted more time to the CBI to file its final report in the coal block allocation case against former Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal and others.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar granted the extra time to the probe agency after CBI Investigating officer sought the time informing the court that it has finalised the report, forwarded it to senior authorities and was awaiting approval.

The court has now fixed the matter for next hearing on February 3.

In the last hearing, the court had pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation for not filing the final report in the case in a proper manner.

The final investigation report has to be filed on the basis of the statement given by prosecution witness, Chartered Accountant and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd Director Suresh Singhal, who has turned approver in the case.

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

Besides the industrialist, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta were also accused in the case.

The CBI in April 2015 filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and Gupta.

The others accused in the case include Jindal Realty Director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge Directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf and Sowbhagya Media's Managing Director K. Ramakrishna.

Of the five private companies named in the chargesheet -- four are based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad.

The accused have denied the charges.

--IANS

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