Coal scam: Court sentences former steel ministry official to three years’ imprisonment
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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced a former steel ministry official to three years in jail in a coal scam case related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj also imposed a fine of Rs five lakh on Gautam Kumar Basak, former executive secretary of the steel ministry’s JPC (Joint Plant Committee), guilty of corruption in the allocation of Vijay Central Coal Block.
According to the prosecution, Prakash Industries Limited, which had applied for the coal block in January 2007, was accused of misrepresenting its capacity. The ministry had directed Basak to ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
According to the prosecution, the steel ministry official submitted a false report in 2008 supporting the claims made by the company. The Delhi High Court had acquitted the company and its director in the case. The appeal of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the High Court order is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
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