Coal scam: court orders framing of charges against Jindal, others

A court in Delhi today ordered the framing of charges in a coal block allocation case involving the Jindal Group.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar ordered that charges relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act be brought against former parliamentarian, industrialist and senior congress leader Naveen Jindal, former union minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and others.

The court was hearing a case related to the allocation of Jharkhand's Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Gagan Sponge.

The Central Bureau of Investigation said there was sufficient evidence to frame charges against the accused in a case related to the allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to these entities.

Jindal, Rao, Koda and others have denied the allegations and sought being discharged from the case.

The CBI in April last year filed a charge-sheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao, former coal secretary H C Gupta with six other individuals.

The six others include New Delhi Exim director Suresh Singhal, Jindal Realty director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R K Saraf, Sowbhagya Media's managing director K Ramakrishna and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg.

Five private companies -- four based in Delhi and one in Hyderabad -- have also been named in the chargesheet.

The companies are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd, Jindal Reality Pvt Ltd, New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd and Sowbhagya Media Ltd.