Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) on Thursday denied allegations of any wrong doing while being allocated the Amrakonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand. Arguing on framing of charges in a coal scam case in which it is accused with 14 others, JSPL told a special court that it was not involved in any conspiracy and claimed that it was the only eligible firm to get the said coal block. Senior advocate N Hariharan, who appeared for the accused firm, said the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block was allocated to it after the recommendation of the screening committee and all prescribed guidelines were followed during the entire process.
"It was the net worth of the applicant company which was to be considered as per the guidelines of the screening committee for which only my client (JSPL) was eligible," Hariharan told Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar. He also contended that the other firms which had applied for the block did not fulfil the criteria mentioned in the guidelines and therefore, the coal block was allocated to JSPL. The lawyer also argued that there was no evidence to show that there was any conspiracy between the firm, and other accused-- then Coal Secretary HC Gupta and then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao.
Besides JSPL, former MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal, ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, Gupta, Rao and 10 others are accused in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to two Jindal group firms, JSPL and Gagan Sponge Iron Private Ltd (GSIPL). During arguments, Hariharan told the court that Gupta had asked the screening committee to follow all the guidelines and the allegation that he was in conspiracy with JSPL was not correct. "I (JSPL) am anguished as my application was right, all the other things were right, still I am here (in the court)," the counsel said. The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on November 30.
On Wednesday, Jindal had also denied in the court the CBI's allegation that he was part of any conspiracy in the case, with his counsel saying it was a case of no evidence and based "purely on the surmises and conjectures" as far as Jindal was concerned. Similarly, Rao's counsel had argued in the court that being the then Minister of State for Coal, he had no role to play with what happened in the state of Jharkhand and he was not involved in any conspiracy.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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