Delhi court acquits ex-coal secretary, two other bureaucrats in Odisha coal scam case
The Central Bureau of Investigation had failed to prove any conspiracy, said Special Judge Sanjay Bansal.
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A Central Bureau of Investigation court in Delhi acquitted former coal secretary HC Gupta and senior bureaucrats KS Kropha and KC Samria on Wednesday in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of two coal blocks in Odisha, reported Bar and Bench.
Along with them, the court also acquitted Navabharat Power Private Limited, its managing director Y Harish Chandra Prasad and chairman P Trivikrama Prasad.
The case pertains to Navabharat Power Private Limited obtaining coal blocks in Odisha’s Rampia and Dip Side of Rampia, and Mandakini between 2006 and 2008 by allegedly misrepresenting its financial strength, net worth and land holdings.
Gupta, Kropha and Samria allegedly did not scrutinise the company’s applications, facilitating it in getting an undue advantage in obtaining the coal blocks.
On Wednesday, Special Judge Sanjay Bansal said that the Central Bureau of Investigation had failed to prove that Navabharat Power Private Limited made any misrepresentations, reported PTI.
“When the application has been found to be complete, when the applicant company NPPL has been found to be eligible company and when no misrepresentations were made by the company, no question arises for existence of any conspiracy,” said Bansal.
The charge of criminal breach of trust against Gupta, Kropha and Samria “cannot be said to have been made out”.
In July 2023, the three officials,...
