Court summons Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, others

A court here on Friday issued summons to Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and others in a coal block allocation case.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar issued summons to Darda, his son Devendra Darda, former coal secretary H.C. Gupta, coal ministry officials K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samria, the company JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd. and its director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, asking them to appear August 20.

The court took cognisance of the offence under charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a progress report on the case on the court's direction. The agency had earlier filed a closure report in the case but refusing to accept it, the court November 20 last year asked CBI to further probe the matter and file progress report.

The probe agency earlier in its first information report alleged that JLD Yavatmal had wrongfully concealed previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005.

But in its closure report, the CBI had said even if this information had been revealed, it would not have been disqualified the company from getting the coal blocks.