Coal Scam: Four-year jail to ex-MP, son for cheating govt

New Delhi, July 26

A Delhi court on Wednesday awarded a four-year prison term to former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devender Darda and businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh saying they obtained the coal block by cheating the Centre.

As Special Judge Sanjay Bansal pronounced the order on the sentence, all three convicts were immediately taken into custody. They were, however, granted bail by the court to enable them to challenge their conviction and sentence before the High Court.

The court also awarded three-year jail terms to ex-Coal Secretary HC Gupta and two former senior public servants KS Kropha and KC Samria in the case.

It imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd, which was convicted in the case, and a fine of Rs 15 lakh each on the Dardas and Jayaswal. The other three convicts were directed to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each.