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New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) A Delhi court has discharged former coal secretary HC Gupta, former joint secretary (coal) KS Krofa and three others in a corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of Fatehpur East coal block in Chhattisgarh.
Special Judge Dheeraj Mor of the Rouse Avenue District Court passed the order after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet, charging the former government officials, as well as the company RKM Powergen and its director and managing director, with criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In its order, the court said there was no prima facie evidence to suggest criminal intent on the part of Gupta, Krofa or members of the 35th Screening Committee, which recommended the allocation of Fatehpur East coal block to RKM Powergen.
It said the allocation was made after due consideration of the recommendations of the Union Power Ministry and the Government of Chhattisgarh.
The CBI had alleged that RKM Powergen obtained the coal block by submitting false claims about its financial strength and preparedness in setting up the proposed power plant and that senior officials of the coal ministry failed to scrutinize its documents.
The prosecution also accused the company of using forged documents, including consent letters and fake detailed project reports to acquire the land. Holding that there was no need to frame charges, the court ordered discharge of all five accused.
The order said, “All the five accused persons, namely (i) M/s RKM Powergen Pvt. Ltd.; (ii) Smt. Dr. Andal Arumugam; (iii) Mr. TM Singaravel; (iv) Mr. Harish Chandra Gupta; and (v) Mr. Kuljit Singh Krofa, deserve to be discharged for the respective offenses charged against them in the charge sheet. Accordingly, all of them are ordered to be discharged.”
This is another relief for former coal secretary Gupta, who has been prosecuted in several coal block allocation cases.
–IANS
PDS/UK