Vijay Darda, son and co-accused get bail in coal scam case

Special CBI Judge Madhu Jain today granted bail to Congress member of the Rajya Sabha Vijay Darda, his son and a businessman after they appeared in a coal block allocation case in a Delhi court, which had taken cognizance of CBI charges against them.

The court granted bail to Darda, his son Devendra Darda and Manoj Jayaswal, director of Nagpur-based AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs2,00,000 each and a surety of the like amount.

"The accused have fully co-operated with investigation. No purpose would be served by sending them into custody. The bail application is hence allowed," the judge said.

The three accused moved their bail pleas after they appeared before the court following summons issued on 7 May. The court had made AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd also an accused in the case and issued summons.

Counsel for the accused argued that since the investigation in the case is still going on and the three have not been arrested in the case till now, they should be granted relief.

The CBI prosecutor, however, opposed their bail pleas saying the allegations levelled against the accused are serious in nature.

He said the accused are influential persons and if granted bail they might tamper with evidence and try to win over witnesses.

The defence counsel countered the prosecutor's arguments and said investigation in the case is going on for the past two-three years and till date his clients have not affected the probe in any manner.

"This is a bald apprehension which is raised by the CBI," he said, adding, "We are law abiding citizens and we are bound by the restrictions imposed by the court of law."

The three are facing charges under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI has charged AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, its directors Arvind Kumar Jayaswal, Manoj Jayaswal, Ramesh Jayaswal and Devendra Darda along with unnamed officials of the coal ministry and some unidentified persons as accused in the case.