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The Special Court of Delhi on Monday convicted three key individuals and a company in connection with the allocation of coal blocks.
The convicted individuals include Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, Managing Director (MD) of M/s Abhijeet Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. (now M/s Abhijeet Infrastructure Ltd.), Ramesh Kumar Jayaswal, former Director of the company, and the company itself. The judgement comes after a protracted investigation into the company's involvement in securing coal blocks in Jharkhand under questionable circumstances. The case dates back to 2016, when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an investigation under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The investigation centered around the allocation of coal blocks, specifically the Brinda, Sisai, and Meral coal blocks in Jharkhand, to M/s Abhijeet Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. in 2005. The CBI alleged that the company, in conspiracy with public servants, had fraudulently obtained these coal blocks by misrepresenting its financial status and providing fabricated documents regarding land acquisition, machinery procurement, and financial backing for an end-use plant. This deception led the Ministry of Coal to allocate the coal blocks to the company, resulting in significant financial losses for the public exchequer. The CBI investigation revealed that M/s Abhijeet Infrastructure had submitted forged documents, including, Fake purchase records of private land in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. Fabricated procurement details for machinery for a proposed plant. False claims of financial tie-ups with banks. These misleading documents played a crucial role in securing a favorable recommendation from the Ministry of Steel, which ultimately led to the coal block allocation. The CBI argued that the company used these fraudulent representations to exploit the allocation process for illegal gain. The CBI filed a charge sheet in 2020, accusing the Jayaswals and their company of various criminal activities, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. The trial, which saw 38 witnesses testify and 74 documents presented, culminated in the conviction of all three accused by the Special Judge, Arun Bhardwaj, at the Rouse Avenue District Court in Delhi. Though the court has convicted the three individuals, the sentence will be pronounced at a later date. The verdict marks a significant step in the government's efforts to crack down on corruption and fraud in the coal sector, which has been under scrutiny for years due to numerous irregularities in the allocation process. (ANI)
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