Court directs CBI to deposit original files

A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the CBI to deposit the original case files of a coal blocks allocation scam case involving Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd and its two directors. The court’s direction came when senior public prosecutor A P Singh informed it that original files may be required during the course of investigation in some other cases also.

The issue cropped up as a CBI official was present in the court with certain original case files from the malkhana.

“However, I am of the opinion that as the present matter is now being adjourned for prosecution evidence so the original files will be required in the court... In these circumstances, it is directed the photocopy of the original documents should be retained in the malkhana by the CBI and the original file be deposited by the next date of hearing in the court,” the judge said.

During the day, the court heard arguments on a plea moved by CBI for admission and denial of documents by the accused.

CBI, in its plea under section 294 of the CrPC (no formal proof of certain documents), has said that accused may be called upon to admit or deny various documents to curtail the necessity of examining all the prosecution witnesses.

The accused sought time to submit their replies and the court fixed it for April 6 observing that it has been clarified to the accused that for the purposes of admission or denial, they have to either admit or deny their signatures appearing on various documents being put to them by the CBI.

The court had earlier on March 16 framed charges against three accused--JIPL, its directors R C Rungta and R S Rungta for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating and using a forged document as genuine of the IPC.

They have been accused of securing allotment of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand allegedly on the basis of false and forged documents.

Besides the three, two private persons - Ramabatar Kedia and Naresh Mahto - were summoned as accused in the case but they have died and the court abated proceedings against them.

In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that it had found in the probe that JIPL had "grossly misrepresented" a number of aspects before Ministries of Steel and Coal to inflate their claim, thereby inducing Coal Ministry officers and the screening committee to allocate the coal block to them.