Delhi court allows firm's director to turn approver in coal case

A special court here on Monday allowed the plea of New Delhi Exim Pvt. Ltd. Director Suresh Singhal to become an approver in a coal block allocation case allegedly involving former Congress MP Naveen Jindal and others.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Bharat Parashar permitted Singhal to become approver and asked the agency to further investigate the matter.

The court also fixed August 10 for further hearing in the case.

The court in April found prima facie evidence against industrialist and senior Congress leader 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 2015 filed a charge sheet 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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