Coalscam: Ex-MoS Santosh Bagrodia opposes plea for joint trial

Former Minister of State for Coal Santosh Bagrodia today opposed a plea before a special court by businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, an accused in three coal scam cases, seeking joint trial in the matters pending against him.
The counsel appearing for Bagrodia, an accused in a coal scam case along with Jayaswal, Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and others, told the court that he opposed the clubbing of the three cases.
The lawyer told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar that he will not file a written reply on Jayaswal's plea and argue orally.
Besides Bagrodia, retired public servant L S Janoti also opposed Jayaswal's plea and his counsel said he would advance oral arguments on it.

However, other accused, including former Coal Secretary H C Gupta who is also an accused in these three cases, supported the plea, saying they had no objection if the proceedings in these cases were clubbed.
The court has now fixed the matter for arguments on the plea seeking joint trial in three cases for February 10.

The court had earlier issued notices and sought responses of all the accused, who are facing prosecution in these three cases, on Jayaswal's plea.
Jayaswal is accused in three cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks to AMR Iron and Steel Private Limited, JLD Yavatmal Energy Private Limited and JAS Infrastructure and Power Limited, which is now known as Jas Infrastructure Capital Private Limited (JICPL).

In his application, filed through advocate Vijay Aggarwal, he has sought joint trial in these cases saying the FIRs were "closely knit" and the alleged offences pertained to the same transaction.
In the AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd case, Bagrodia, Vijay
Darda, his son Devendra Darda are accused along with others.
The Dardas are also accused with Jayaswal in JLD Yavatmal's case, while ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta is facing prosecution in all these three cases.
During earlier hearing, Jayaswal's lawyer had told the court the three firms AMR, JICPL and JLD, and the Dardas had no objection to his plea seeking joint trial in these cases.

In his plea seeking joint trial, Jayaswal said his defence in the three cases was the same and if these matters are not tried jointly, then it would prejudice him.
The AMR's case pertains to the alleged irregularities in allocation of Bander coal block in Maharashtra to the firm while JLD's case relates to allocation of Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh. JAS was allotted Mahuagarhi coal block in Jharkhand.
All the accused in the three cases were earlier granted bail by the court and the matters were fixed for commencement of arguments on framing of charges.