CBI special court frames charges against former coal secretary HC Gupta and five other accused
NEW DELHI August 19: A special court on Friday framed various charges including cheating and criminal conspiracy against former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, two public servants, private firm Vikash Metals and Power Ltd and its two officials in a coal blocks allocation scam case.
Special Judge Bharat Parashar put on trial all the accused in the case in which the CBI’s closure report was earlier rejected by the court, asking the probe agency to further investigate the matter.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks in West Bengal to VMPL. In September 2012, the CBI had registered an FIR in the case.
He had also refused to accept the court’s offer to avail an advocate from New Delhi Legal Aid Services Authority or an amicus curiae appointed by the court. His application is presently pending before the court.
With former coal secretary H C Gupta telling a special CBI court that he will not hire a lawyer since he cannot pay the legal fees, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) fraternity went into a huddle Thursday.
After a two-hour closed-door meeting that was attended by 60-odd officers — both serving and retired — it was decided that the IAS Association would reach out to Gupta and try to persuade him to withdraw his application filed in court.
