Coal scam: Madhu Koda, seven others charge sheeted by CBI

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, ex-Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others have been charge sheeted by the CBI in a coal block allocation scam case.

The charge sheet was filed before Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, who fixed it for consideration on December 22 after the investigating officer said that he will file the necessary documents in the case within a couple of days.

Besides Koda and Basu, former coal secretary H C Gupta and two public servants Basant Kumar Bhatacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh have also been charge sheeted as accused.

Director of accused firm Vini Iron and Steel Udyog ltd. Vaibhav Tulsyan and a private person Vijay Joshi have also been named as accused in the CBI's final report in which all the accused have been charge sheeted for the offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Senior Public Prosecutor V K Sharma told the court that out of the eight accused charge sheeted by the agency two accused, Singh and Bhatacharya are still in government service, so necessary sanction for their prosecution has been obtained from the competent authority.

"In the facts and circumstances of the case, it is directed that IO shall prepare a compilation of the relevant sets of documents initially for consideration of the present final report by the court," the judge said, adding, "Put up the matter for consideration on December 22".

The CBI's move to charge sheet Koda and others in the case came after the court on September 5 had "returned" its charge sheet filed earlier, saying the agency has failed to give any plausible explanation on its queries.

The case pertains to allocation of coal blocks to Vini Iron and Steel Udyog ltd. In Jharkhand's Rajhara town in which its directors and unknown public servants of the Ministry of Coal, Government of Jharkhand and others were made accused in the FIR lodged by the CBI in September 2012.

CBI had registered the case under sections 120-B read with 420 of IPC and under various provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act against Vini Iron and Steel Udyog ltd, its directors -- Sanjeev Kumar Tulsyan, Prashant Tulsyan, Vaibhav Tulsyan, Nisha Tulsyan, Vimal Kumar Tulsyan, Nirmala Tulsyan and Hemant Kumar Aggarwal.

Besides them, Navin Kumar Tulsyan, a chartered accountant, along with unknown officials of Ministry of Coal and Jharkhand government and others were also named as accused in the FIR.

In its FIR, CBI had alleged that the firm had applied for allocation of coal blocks, including Rajhara North (central and eastern) coal block in Jharkhand having geological reserve of 17.09 MMT.

It had said initially Vini Iron and Steel Udyog ltd was not having recommendation of either the Ministry of Steel or Jharkhand government but the then Jharkhand chief secretary, who had attended 36th Screening Committee meeting on July 3, 2008, had signed minutes of the committee which had recommended allocation in favour of the firm.

CBI had alleged that Vini Iron and Steel Udyog ltd had fraudulently claimed an inflated net worth and the ownership of the firm too had changed hands during the intervening period of the 36th Screening Committee.