On Wednesday a special court issued bail to HC Gupta, ex-Coal secretary, and four others for their alleged involvement in a coal block allocation scam case.
Two senior public servants, KS Kropha and KC Samria, are also a part of the scam and got bail. Remaining two include P Trivikrama Prasad, chairman of Brahmani Thermal Power Pvt Ltd (BTPPL), and Y Harish Chandra Prasad, BTPPL vice chairman.
The bail was granted by Bharat Parashar, Special CBI judge. Each accused has furnished Rs one lakh personal bond with one surety of like amount.
The accused appeared before the court in a case related to alleged irregularities in allotting Rampia and dip side of Rampia coal block in Odisha in January 2008 to BTPPL, which was then known as M/s Navbharat Power Pvt Ltd (NPPL).
Bail was sought on the basis that the accused were not arrested during CBI probe and have cooperated in the investigation. However, CBI opposed the bail plea as the accused are influential people and could possibly tamper the evidences or drag the trial.
The judge said, “Keeping in view the overall facts and circumstances of the case, coupled with the submissions made, I am of the considered opinion that interest of justice will be met if the accused persons are granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one surety of the like amount.”
-Sumana
