Trial of former Nalco CMD, others from March 17

A court here on Wednesday framed charges against former National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) chairman-cum-managing director Abhay Kumar Srivastava, his wife and five others and fixed March 17 for commencing trial in the matter.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Vinod Kumar framed various charges dealing with criminal conspiracy and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Srivastava, his wife Chandini Srivastava and others.

The other accused are middleman Bhushan Lal Bajaj, his wife Anita Bajaj, then CMD of Bhatia Group of companies, Gurwinder Singh Bhatia, and then officials of Bhatia Group company Jaswinder Singh Bhatia and Ratan Pal Singh Bhatia.

After the accused pleaded not guilty, the court fixed the matter for March 17 for recording statements of prosecution witnesses.

According to the CBI, Srivastava, who was CMD of Nalco in 2011, had instructed Bhushan Lal Bajaj to convert the illegal gratification received from Indore-based Bhatia Group of Companies into gold and deliver it to him.

The CBI alleged that 10 gold bricks, which were part of the illegal gratification, were found in the bank locker opened in Anita Bajaj's name on the photograph of Chandni Srivastava who used to operate the locker.

The CBI alleged that Bhushan Lal Bajaj was acting as a middleman for Srivastava to arrange bribe money from bidders/suppliers of Nalco and deliver it to the then CMD.