Delhi court acquits former coal secretary, others in coal scam

A special CBI court on Wednesday acquitted six accused, including former coal secretary HC Gupta and two other public servants in an alleged coal scam case related to allocation of two coal blocs in Odisha.

The special judge also acquitted Navabharat Power Pvt Ltd, its then chairman P Trivikrama Prasad and then managing director Y Harish Chandra Prasad, and former joint secretary in coal ministry K S Kropha, and K C Samaria, former director in coal allocation section of the ministry.

The judge held the CBI had failed to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that any "misrepresentation" was made by the accused.

The judge further said no case of cheating was made out as no one was induced.

"When the application has been found to be complete, when the applicant company NPPL has been found to be eligible company and when no misrepresentations were made by the company, no question arises for existence of any conspiracy. It is held that prosecution has failed to prove any conspiracy," the judge said.

The court said the charge of criminal breach of trust was defined under Section 405 of IPC against the public servants "cannot be said to have been made out".

"All the accused are hereby acquitted of all the charges," the verdict held.