Delhi High Court

Chhattisgarh Coal Scam: Delhi HC Grants Bail to Ex-Coal Ministry Secretary and Bureaucrat

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Secretary of the Union Ministry of Coal HC Gupta as well as bureaucrat KC Kropha in connection with a case involving irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh.

Convicted by a trial court on July 13 this year along with former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Vijay Darda, his son Devender Darda, and JLD Yavatmal Energy director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, Gupta and Kropha received a three-year prison sentence. Another bureaucrat named KC Samria was also convicted in the case.

A single bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma observed that Gupta and Kropha had been granted bail in similar cases previously due to their three-year prison terms. While granting them bail, the Court issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and scheduled the case for further consideration along with appeals filed by other convicts.

The trial court found all accused guilty under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13(1)(d)(iii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

This marked the thirteenth conviction in the coal scam case. The case pertains to coal block allocations advertised in 2006. Allegations surfaced that JLD Yavatmal Energy had concealed pertinent information in its application form to improperly benefit from the coal block allocation.

The trial court stated in its conviction order that private parties had engaged in the act of cheating with the active collusion of Ministry of Coal (MoC) officials. The court also held the public servants accountable for their actions, emphasizing that while the MoC’s guidelines for captive coal block allocation might not be legally classified as ‘law’ under Article 13 of the Constitution, they were binding on the officers.

Nunnem Gangte

Recent Posts

Punjab & Haryana HC Notice To Jindal Law School Over AI-Generated Exam Claims

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Jindal Global…

4 hours ago

ED Files Money Laundering Complaint Against Charanjit Singh Bajaj, 4 Others

The ED on Tuesday has filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Special Court in Mohali…

5 hours ago

Pune Porsche Case: SC Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Father Of Minor Driver’s Friend

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to Arunkumar Devnath Singh, whose son is a…

6 hours ago

SC Dumps Plea Against Quashing LOC For Sushant Singh Rajput’s Ex-House Help

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Centre's appeal against a Bombay High Court order…

6 hours ago

Rape Case: SC Issues Notice On Ex-Army Officer’s Plea For Quashing Charge sheet

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has agreed to review a plea from retired Army Captain…

7 hours ago

Chhattisgarh NAN Scam: FIR Against 2 Retired IAS Officers, Former AG

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday has registered a case against 2 retired IAS officers…

7 hours ago