New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and some public servants conspired to favour Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd. in the allocation of a coal block, the CBI told a special court Wednesday while opposing the bail application of the accused.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told special Judge Bharat Parashar that Koda, former Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu, ex-coal secretary Harish Chandra Gupta and others conspired to favour Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) in allocation of the Rajhara coal block.
The CBI added that Gupta misled then prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that the recommendation was based on merit.
The agency requested the court not to grant them bail and instead put them in jail.
However, Koda and the others requested the court to grant them bail as they have co-operated during the investigation of the case.
The accused said they will appear in the court on every date fixed for hearing.
After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its order order on the bail application and said that it will be delivered at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
All the accused appeared in the court in pursuance of summons issued against them. The other accused who were issued summons are Vini Iron and Steel director Vaibhav Tulsyan, Chartered Accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan, two government officials - Basant Kumar Bhatacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh - and the alleged middleman Vijay Joshi.
They were chargesheeted on various charges like cheating and criminal conspiracy, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The probe agency had also named Kolkata-based company VISUL as an accused in the case in a chargesheet filed in December last year.
The case involves allocation of coal blocks to Vini Iron and Steel in Jharkhand's Rajhara town in which its directors and unknown public servants of the coal ministry, the Jharkhand government and others were named as accused in the first information report lodged in September 2012.
It said the company was not recommended by either the union steel ministry or the Jharkhand government. However, the then Jharkhand chief secretary, who had attended the 36th screening committee meeting July 3, 2008, had signed its minutes recommending the allocation to the firm.
The CBI said the company had fraudulently claimed an inflated net worth and its ownership too had changed hands ahead of the 36th screening committee meeting.
An allegation has been filed against the makers of South actress Nayanthara's film 'Annapurnani'
World on the verge of another war, Kim Jong sent 180 fighter planes to the border of South Korea
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has already caused great damage to the world and in su
Due to a western disturbance, the weather suddenly changed in North India on Monday. There was sn
Strict rules have been implemented in the national capital from Thursday (December 18) to control
Tata Chemicals Kenya Crisis: Ruto Orders Shutdown, Company Reveals Its Next Move
Tata Chemicals has responded to Kenyan President William Ruto’s order to stop its operation
Cattle Smuggling Scam: CBI summons TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, officers will go home to summon
The CBI is preparing to send summons again to TeamAC leader Anubrata Mandal in the animal smuggli
In Udaipur, Rajasthan, a man was slit to death for supporting Nupur Sharma's controversial statem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 35 PSA Oxygen Plants established from PM Cares Fund in eig
After the encounter of Anuj Pratap Singh, a one lakh prize of one lakh of the Sultanpur robbery c
Cheapest 5G smartphone in India, know features and price
New Delhi: There is a tremendous increase in the number of people using smartphones in India. Thi
