A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned industrialist Naveen Jindal and four executives of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) in a case of allocation of a coal block to the company in an illegal manner.
Taking cognisance of the CBI chargesheet in the matter, Special Judge Bharat Parashar summoned JSPL's advisor Anand Goel, executive director (Raw Materials) D.N. Abrol, then executive vice chairman and CEO Vikrant Gujaral and former director (Finance) Sushil Maroo for September 4.
The court also summoned the company to be represented by an authorised representative.
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They were summoned for alleged charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy in the allocation of Urtan North Coal block to JSPL in Madhya Pradesh.
"From the overall facts and circumstances of the case as stand disclosed from the final report filed by CBI, including the documents and statement of witnesses, I am of the considered opinion that prima facie offences under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy/ 420 (cheating) IPC and 420 (cheating) IPC is made out against accused...’" Mr. Parashar said in his order.
Earlier in the day, CBI filed the chargesheet against the accused persons alleging irregularities in the allocation of the coal bloc to JSPL. It is the second charge-sheet against Jindal
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The probe agency charged that during investigation it was revealed that JSPL and its office-bearers misrepresented facts to the Screening Committee pertaining to land acquired for its Patratu project in Jharkhand and orders placed for equipment for its Angul project in Odisha and obtained the coal block.
In the feedback form, JSPL has misrepresented facts and made false claims that it had already acquired 964 acres of land for its Patratu project and placed orders for equipment for its Angul project, the charge-sheet said.
The accused persons cheated the Ministry of Coal and got a "wrongful gain and pecuniary advantage," the probe agency further alleged.
Regarding the role of public servants in the case, the probe agency informed the court that no incriminating material was found against any of them.
Mr. Jindal is also facing prosecution in another coal bock allocation case which pertains to the allotment of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand.