New Delhi: Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and 12 others were on Wednesday chargesheeted by CBI in connection with Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation scam case.
Besides them, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and five firms, including Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, have also been chargesheeted in the case for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, before whom the charge sheet was filed by senior public prosecutor V K Sharma, said it would be taken up for consideration tomorrow.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand's Birbhum district in 2008 to Jindal Group firms-- Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL).
Six other individuals named as accused in the CBI charge sheet are -- Gyan Swaroop Garg, Suresh Singhal, Rajeev Jain, Girish Kumar Suneja, R K Saraf and K Ramakrishna Prasad.
Besides the 10 individuals, the firms chargesheeted in the case are -- JSPL, Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd and Soubhagya Media Ltd.
According to sources, the agency has alleged in the charge sheet that Jindal group firms had misrepresented facts to acquire the coal block in 2008.
In its FIR lodged in the case, CBI had alleged that Jindal group was shown favour by the Jharkhand Government which had dropped other firms from its recommendation for allocation of coal block in the state in 2007.
The FIR was categorical that Ministry of Power was against the proposal for allocating Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to JSPL and GSIPL.
JSPL, in a statement, denied the allegations made against it and its management and said it would take appropriate remedy in accordance with law.
"We are shocked to know from the media about filing of a charge sheet by CBI with respect to allocation of a coal block. The said allocation was made to the company on merits. During the course of the investigation the company and its officials fully cooperated with the authorities, and whenever asked, explained and provided all the supporting documents," it said.
In its FIR, the agency had alleged that, "Enquiry further revealed that Government of Jharkhand vide its letter dated June 20, 2007 recommended allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to three companies namely (1) M/s Lanco Infratech Ltd (40 percent), (2) M/s JSPL (30 percent) and (3) M/s GSIPL (30 percent).
"However vide its letter dated July 30, 2007, Government of Jharkhand changed its recommendation and recommended the allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal block to only the two Naveen Jindal Group companies i.E. JSPL (70 percent) and M/s GSIPL (30 percent)," the FIR had said.
It had also alleged in the FIR that both JSPL and GSIPL had misrepresented facts in its application/feed back form on the count of their preparedness in setting up their proposed end used plant as well the previous allocation of coal blocks to their group companies.
Regarding Rao, CBI had claimed that in order to influence the decision of the Screening Committee in favour of JSPL and GSIPL, the then Minister of State for Coal had written a note on July 27, 2007 to the Coal Secretary, who was also Chairman of the Screening Committee.
It had said that JSPL had submitted its application for coal block allocation in January 2007 to the Coal Ministry for securing few blocks earmarked for power sector, including Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand for its proposed 1000 MW captive power plant to be set up at Patratu.
GSIPL had also submitted its application dated January 10, 2007 to the ministry for its 1000 MW independent power plant in Dumka district in Jharkhand, the CBI said, adding that the allocation letter was issued to the two firms on January 17, 2008, the agency had claimed in its FIR.
Rao, a former Congress Rajya Sabha MP, held position of Minister of State for Coal between 2004-06 and between 2006 and 2008.
