Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Thursday convicted former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and Ex-Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta along with 5 others in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh.
The conviction was announced by Special Judge Sanjay Bansal. This was the 13th conviction in the coal scam.
Among the seven people convicted are: Devender Darda, IAS officers K S Kropha and K C Samria. Also convicted was Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, Director of M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd.
The accused were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and cheating along with charges related to the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The hearing to decide their punishment is scheduled for July 18.
The court, in November 20, 2014, had refused to accept the CBI’s closure report and had directed the agency to probe the matter further.
The court had maintained that the former MP had “misrepresented” facts in letters written to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who then held the Coal portfolio. The same was done to get the Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh allotted to JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd.
Mr Gupta, who was coal secretary from December 2005 to November 2008, is further accused in 12 cases of irregularities in allocation of coal blocks during the UPA government.
