Coalscam: Court summons pvt firm, two officials and other

A special court today took cognisance of a charge sheet filed by CBI against a private firm and three persons in a coal block scam case relating to alleged irregularities in allocation of North Dhadhu coal block in Jharkhand.
Special Judge Bharat Parashar issued summons against M/s Pawanjay Steel and Power Limited (PSPL), its two directors -- Gyanchand Prasad Agarwal and Umesh Prasad Agarwal -- and S K Kanungo, Chief Manager (Marketing) of M/s Hari Machines Ltd (HML), for alleged offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC, saying "prima facie there were sufficient incriminating evidence on record warranting summoning of accused."

"In the overall facts and circumstances of the case, I take cognizance of the offences under section 120-B/420 IPC against accused company PSPL, its two directors and Chief Manager (Marketing), HML.
"As against company PSPL and its director Umesh Prasad Agarwal, I also take cognizance of the offence under section 420 IPC," the judge said while asking the accused to appear before it on November 9.
CBI had registered the case for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the IPC and under section of the Prevention of Corruption Act against PSPL, its officials, Kanungo and other unknown persons.

However, CBI said that charge sheet against some other officials and public servants against whom it had initiated the investigation, could not be filed as sufficient evidence could not be brought on record. It added that it may file supplementary charge sheet in the case.

The charge sheet said "PSPL and its two directors along with Kanungo, hatched a criminal conspiracy with a view to deceive Ministry of Coal (MoC) so as to induce it to allocate a captive coal block in favour of the accused firm".
"During the processing of their application, they also furnished wrong information supported with false documents to Ministry of Steel (MoS) so as to deceive them and thereby inducing them to make a recommendation in favour of PSPL to MoC for allotment of a coal block.

"It was also found during the course of investigation that PSPL had also submitted wrong information about the land actually acquired by them at the proposed project site in Jharkhand," the charge sheet said.
"It was also found that the accused had furnished false information to Government of Jharkhand also so as to deceive them and thereby inducing them to make recommendation in favour of PSPL to MoC for allotment of a captive coal block," it said.