CBI seeks summoning of two government officers in coal case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached a special court seeking summoning of two senior public servants on alleged corruption charges in a coal block allocation case on Tuesday.

The agency moved a plea before special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar, who had on October 13 summoned the two officers along with former coal secretary HC Gupta and promoters of Madhya Pradesh-based Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Limited (KSSPL) after refusing to accept CBI's closure report.

According to news agency PTI, senior public prosecutor VK Sharma moved a plea before the court saying that the coal ministry's then-joint secretary KS Kropha, then-director (Coal Allocation-I section) KC Samaria were already summoned as accused for offences under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.

CBI requires the court's directive to get approval from the sanctioning authority to prosecute the two officers. Sharma said that the two accused should also be summoned for offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the court has the power to give direction to place the matter before sanctioning authority to consider the issue of grant of sanction to prosecute them.

The court reserved its order for October 30. "During the course of arguments, it has been submitted that this court has the power to direct further investigation to CBI under Section 173(8) of the CrPC and to direct that the matter be placed before the sanctioning authority to consider the question of grant of sanction or not to prosecute the public servants involved in view of the detailed order dated October 13, 2014, passed by this court," it said.

The court, in its October 13 order had noted that no cognisance of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act could be taken against Kropha and Samaria for want of sanction as they are still in government service. The case pertains to alleged misrepresenting of facts by KSSPL to acquire Thesgora-B/Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh.