Coal block case: Arguments on framing of charges against RSPL on March 27

New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) A special court on Wednesday said arguments on framing of charges in a coal block allocation case against Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Ltd. (RSPL) and others will commence from March 27.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar set March 27 for hearing arguments on framing of charges, after the accused informed the court that scrutiny of copies of the charge sheet and documents supplied to them by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was complete.

RSPL CEO Udit Rathi, managing director Pradeep Rathi, and assistant general manager Kushal Aggarwal are facing trial in the case. All three are out on bail.

The CBI has charge-sheeted the company and its CEO on charges dealing with criminal conspiracy and cheating.

The court, while summoning them, said: "It is prima facie clear that Pradeep, Udit and Aggarwal, who all appeared before the screening committee for making presentation and submitting a feedback form on February 7, 2008 on behalf of RSPL, prima facie conspired together to submit a highly inflated claim about the actual land in its possession with a view to cheat the concerned MOC authorities who were having dominion over the nationalised natural resources of the country i.e. coal."

The CBI registered an FIR against the company and its CEO on June 19, 2013.