NEW DELHI, Aug 19:
The special court, constituted by the Supreme Court to exclusively hold trial in cases of coal blocks allocation scam, today commenced proceedings with the CBI informing it that probe in the case, involving Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and others, was “almost complete”.
CBI told the court that its further probe in the case, in which Darda, his son Devendra Darda, Nagpur-based AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd’s Director Manoj Jayaswal and AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd were chargesheeted, was complete and they will file a supplementary report within a week.
The agency’s response came when Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar asked, “What is the status of your further investigation?”
Responding to this, the investigating officer (IO) said, “We have almost completed the probe. We will file supplementary report within a week”.
The court has now fixed the case for hearing on August 29.
“The IO says that further probe is almost complete and supplementary report shall be furnished within 8-10 days…Put up for August 29,” the judge said.
During the hearing, Vijay Darda, Devendra Darda, Manoj Jayaswal and authorised representative of the company were present in the court.
Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for all the accused, argued on an application filed earlier on behalf of Devendra Darda seeking permission for renewal of his passport.
CBI, however, told the court that the passport authorities have already initiated proceedings in the matter and it would be appropriate if concerned passport official should be heard on the issue.
To this, the judge said, “Let us learn from the passport officer” and asked the IO to call the concerned passport officer in the court on the next date of hearing.
However, during the proceedings, Aggarwal told the court that some of the documents filed by the CBI along with the charge sheet have not been supplied to him.
On court’s query, the IO said they have supplied to the accused all the documents filed along with the charge sheet.
Meanwhile, the court told the CBI as well as the accused that it would give them a chance to rectify the deficiency, if any, in the documents.
“If any charge sheet is filed before my court, the IO will have to certify that the documents are complete and clear…I will give you both (CBI and accused) one chance. I will not waste any time on this issue. Before next date of hearing, you (CBI) will give all the documents to the accused,” it said.
During the hearing, the defence counsel told the court that senior advocate R S Cheema, who has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the coal scam cases by the apex court, should have been present for today’s proceeding.
“Have you (CBI) informed Mr R S Cheema about the proceeding?,” the judge asked CBI.
To this, the IO said that no notification in this regard has been issued by the concerned authorities yet.
The court had earlier granted bail to the three accused after they had appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against them.
Vijay Darda, Devendra, Jayaswal and the firm were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by CBI on March 27 in which it had alleged that they had fraudulently acquired the coal blocks.
They were chargesheeted for the offences under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Regarding AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, CBI had claimed in its FIR that the firm, in its application form for allocation of coal blocks, had “fraudulently” concealed the fact that its group firms had previously been allocated five coal blocks.
Detailing the allocation of coal blocks to AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, the agency had said the Ministry of Coal had invited applications for allocation of coal blocks, including Bander coal block in Maharashtra having geological reserve of 126.105 million metric tonnes (MMT).
CBI had said that the 36th Screening Committee, which is headed by Coal Secretary, after concluding its deliberations on July 3, 2008, recommended allocation of Bander coal block jointly to J K Cement Ltd, M/s Century Textiles and Industries Ltd and AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd for their proposed plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively. (PTI)
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