New Delhi: A special court Wednesday said that it would pronounce on May 7 its order on framing of charges in a coal blocks allocation scam case allegedly involving Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Limited (RSPL) and its three top officials.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Prashar, who was scheduled to pass the order today, sought some clarifications from the counsel and fixed the matter for pronouncement of order.
"Certain clarifications have been sought. Put up on May 7, 2015 for order on charge," the court said.
Meanwhile, RSPL's Chief Executive Officer Udit Rathi, an accused in the case, moved a plea seeking the court's permission to go to Iran for business purpose from May 6 to May 13.
The court fixed the plea for hearing tomorrow after senior public prosecutor V K Sharma said they would respond to it.
RSPL and its officials - Managing Director Pradeep Rathi, CEO Udit Rathi and AGM Kushal Aggarwal - had earlier told the court that CBI has "miserably" failed to show that there was a loss to the government or anybody else due to the allocation of Chhattisgarh's coal block to it.
The defence counsel had said the accused firm has not extracted any coal from the Kesla north block and there was no wrongful gain or corresponding loss to anybody.
He had argued that prima facie the offence of cheating and criminal conspiracy was not made out against the accused.
CBI, however, had countered their submissions saying RSPL and its officials had "misrepresented" facts before the screening committee regarding acquisition of 250 acres of land to bag the coal block.
"They (accused) have not been able to show during the entire arguments that they were actually possessing the land when they appeared before the screening committee," the prosecutor had said.
RSPL and its officials were earlier summoned as accused in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Kesla North coal block to the firm for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC.
The three accused were granted bail by the court after they had appeared before it.
CBI had chargesheeted RSPL and Udit Rathi only as an accused for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy and cheating. RSPL was allocated Kesla North coal block in Korba, Chhattisgarh on August 5, 2008.
The court had issued summons to the accused after taking cognisance of CBI's charge sheet while observing that they allegedly deceived the Coal Ministry by "misrepresenting" facts regarding possession of land which was a key factor in allocation of coal block.
It had noted that these officials had appeared before the screening committee for making a presentation and submitting a feedback form on February 7, 2008 on behalf of RSPL.
CBI had lodged an FIR against RSPL, its directors, Udit Rathi and members of the 36th screening committee and other unnamed persons for the offences under sections 120-B, 420 of IPC and under Prevention of Corruption Act.
A charge sheet was later filed against RSPL and Udit Rathi only. Regarding other directors of RSPL or members of the 36th screening committee, CBI had said allegations against them could not be substantiated during the probe.
