Court frames charges against Madhu Koda, 8 others

New Delhi, July 31

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and seven others will now be  tried  in connection withirregularities in allocatng a coal block in Jharkhand.'

A special court on Friday also formally charged Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu, two government servants, Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL), its director Vaibhav Tulsyan, Koda's alleged close aide Vijay Joshi and chartered accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan in the case.

All suspects will be tried for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by public servant, cheating as well as offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court will now hear the case on August 17.

The court had earlier said that it appeared prima facie that Gupta was guilty of criminal breach of trust by public servant, while Vaibhav Tulsyan, Joshi and VISUL had cheated.

On July 14, the court had ordered a trail in the case after it observed that it appeared prima facie that the suspects had conspired to accommodate VISUL in Rajhara North (Central and Eastern) coal block in Jharkhand.

Basant Kumar Bhattacharya was then section officer in Department of Mines of Jharkhand while Bipin Bihari Singh was then Director Mines in Jharkhand.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, in its charge sheet, had claimed VISUL had applied to the Ministry of Coal for Rajhara North coal block on January 8, 2007. It claims that although Jharkhand government and the Steel Ministry had not recommended VISUL for the coal block, the 36th Screening Committee recommended the firm. — PTI