Coal scam: CBI files charge sheet against Jindal, 14 others

New Delhi, The Central Bureau of Investigation filed charges against Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and 12 others before a special court on Wednesday in a coal blocks allocation case.The charge sheet also names Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and five firms, including Jindal Steel and Power and Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd in the case, which pertains to irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Birbhum in Jharkhand in 2008.The central agency has charged the accused with offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (Punishment for cheating) under the Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court will consider the charges on Thursday.CBI had accused Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Limited (GSIPL), also a Jindal firm, of securing Jharkhand’s Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in 2008 by misrepresenting facts when Rao was the Minister of State for Coal.It had claimed that facts relating to land, water supply and previous allocations were distorted. Jindal and his companies have denied the allegations.CBI sources had accused JSPL of claiming in an application submitted in January 2007 that they had only three coal blocks as opposed to at least six that the actually had.Within a year, a block was allocated to JSPL in January 2008, CBI sources had claimed, noting that shares of Rao’s firm Soubhagya Media, then listed at Rs 28, were purchased by one of Jindal’s firm New Delhi Exim Limited at Rs 100 per share with total investment of nearly Rs 2.25 crore. This, they claimed, was kickbacks.Rao, a former Congress Rajya Sabha MP, was Minister of State for Coal between 2004-06 and between 2006 and 2008.