Coal scam: Former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda charge sheeted by CBI

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, ex-Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others have been charge sheeted by the CBI in a coal block allocation scam case.

The charge sheet was filed before Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, who fixed it for consideration on December 22 after the investigating officer said that he will file the necessary documents in the case within a couple of days.

Besides Koda and Basu, former coal secretary H C Gupta and two public servants Basant Kumar Bhatacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh have also been charge sheeted as accused.

Director of accused firm Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd. Vaibhav Tulsyan and a private person Vijay Joshi have also been named as accused in the CBI's final report in which all the accused have been charge sheeted for the offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Senior Public Prosecutor V K Sharma told the court that out of the eight accused charge sheeted by the agency two accused, Singh and Bhatacharya are still in government service, so necessary sanction for their prosecution has been obtained from the competent authority.

"In the facts and circumstances of the case, it is directed that IO shall prepare a compilation of the relevant sets of documents initially for consideration of the present final report by the court," the judge said, adding, "Put up the matter for consideration on December 22."

The CBI's move to charge sheet Koda and others in the case came after the court on September 5 had 'returned' its charge sheet filed earlier, saying the agency has failed to give any plausible explanation on its queries.

The case pertains to allocation of coal blocks to Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd. In Jharkhand's Rajhara town in which its directors and unknown public servants of the Ministry of Coal, Government of Jharkhand and others were made accused in the FIR lodged by the CBI in September 2012.