An accused in one of the cases pertaining to the allocation of coal blocks has sought the summoning of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao as defence witnesses. Mr. Rao is also an accused in another coal block allocation case.
R.S. Rungta, a director of the Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited (JIPL), who faces prosecution for allocation of a coal block in Jharkhand allegedly on the basis of false and forged papers, sought the summoning of Dr. Singh and Mr. Rao to prove the genuineness of certain documents relating to the allocation. Rungta has also sought summoning of these documents.
Taking his application on record, Special Judge Bharat Parashar asked his counsel to argue the relevance of summoning the two politicians as defence witnesses in the case and posted the application on December 8.
“In the facts and circumstances of the case, I first deem it appropriate to hear the counsel for the accused on the relevance of summoning these witnesses in his defence,” Mr. Parashar said in his order.
The CBI in its charge sheet has alleged that it found that JIPL had grossly misrepresented a number of aspects before the Ministries of Steel and Coal to inflate its claim, thereby inducing the Coal Ministry officers and the Screening Committee to allocate a coal block to it.
