Coal scam: Congress MP Vijay Darda named in CBI chargesheet

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Thursday charge sheeted Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda and Nagpur-based AMR Iron and Steel in connection with the coal blocks allocation case. The sets of charges were filed before Special CBI Judge Madhu Jain, who posted the matter for 1 May for further hearing. [caption id=“attachment_1454053” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Vijay Darda. Ibnlive[/caption] The CBI sources said that Darda and others are booked under various charges dealing with criminal conspiracy read with cheating and under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the FIR, AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd, its directors Manoj Jayaswal, Arvind Kumar Jayaswal, Ramesh Jayaswal, Devendra Darda, son of Vijay Darda, with unknown public servants of minister of coal, and unknown others, were named as accused in the case. The CBI said in the FIR that the firm, in its application form for allocation of coal blocks, had “fraudulently” concealed the fact that its group companies had previously been allocated five coal blocks. Detailing the allocation of coal blocks to AMR Iron and Steel Pvt. Ltd., the agency said the ministry of coal had invited applications for allocation of coal blocks, including Bander coal block in Maharashtra, having geological reserve of 126.105 million metric tonnes (MMT). The CBI said that the 36th Screening Committee, which is headed by the coal secretary, after concluding its deliberations on 3 July, 2008, recommended allocation of Bander Coal Block jointly to J K Cement Ltd, M/s Century Textiles and Industries Ltd and AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd for their proposed plants in Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively. “The enquiry revealed that AMR Iron and Steel Pvt. Ltd. had misrepresented/concealed facts in its application form in order to qualify and obtain wrongful gains/undue benefits in connivance with unknown public servants,” the FIR said. IANS