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Coal scam: Charges framed in Kesla block allocation case

Stating that Kesla North coal block allocation in Chhattisgarh to Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Limited (RSPL) raises “grave suspicion”, the special court on Tuesday put on trial RSPL and its three officials —managing director Pradeep Rathi, chief executive officer Udit Rathi and AGM Kushal Aggarwal, for the alleged offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar framing charges against the accused company and its officials said, “I am of the considered opinion that the facts and circumstances of the present case raises grave suspicion against all the four accused persons warranting framing of charge against them for the offence u/s 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 420 (cheating) IPC.”

The framing of charges comes in the CBI case lodged against RSPL for alleged irregularities in the Kesla North coal block allocation. The special court observing that RSPL by “furnishing wrong information not only deprived other applicant companies of having allocation of a coal block in their favour” but also “managed to misappropriate important nationalised natural resources of the country”, said that all the accused prima facie “conspired together to cheat the Screening Committee” and thereby Ministry of Coal (MOC) by “furnishing wrong information”.

source: http://indianexpress.com