A special court in Delhi, on 16 December, awarded three years of jail time to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and former coal secretary HC Gupta, holding them guilty of corruption and other offences in the coal scam case, reported PTI.
Koda's close aide Vijay Joshi, and AK Basu, Jharkhand's then Chief Secretary, were also sentenced to a jail term of three years. Koda, Joshi, Gupta, Basu, and private company Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL) were held guilty of ‘criminal conspiracy and cheating’ under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Four others were acquitted.
The court fined Koda and Joshi Rs 25 lakh each, and Gupta and Basu, Rs 1 lakh respectively. Special Judge Bharat Parashar also ordered a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the errant, Kolkata-based VISUL, IANS reported.
Ahead of the sentencing, Union Minister Piyush Goyal lashed out at the Congress at a press conference.
We all know that Madhu Koda was an independent MLA and how Congress leader Ahmed Patel had helped him become the Chief Minister.Piyush Goyal, Union Minister
The court had on 14 October 2016 framed charges against the accused, observing that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was kept “in the dark” by Gupta, who had prima facie violated the law and the trust reposed in him on the issue of coal block allocation.
In October 2012, the CBI registered an FIR in the matter. On 27 March 2014, it filed a closure report. The court rejected the closure report on 13 October 2014 and summoned Gupta and others as accused.
The CBI had alleged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and the existing capacity, adding that the state government had not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.
(With PTI inputs)
(This copy has been updated)
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT in partnership with #MyRightToBreathe to find a solution to pollution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)