In a major legal setback for the Central Bureau of Investigation, a special court in New Delhi has discharged former coal secretary H C Gupta and two other officials in the controversial Seregarha coal block allocation case from Chhattisgarh.
Court Delivers Stinging Rebuke to Investigators
The special CBI court, while delivering its verdict, strongly criticized the investigating agency for what it termed as a "complete lack of evidence" and "failure to establish criminal intent" against the accused officials. The court noted that the prosecution could not prove any criminal misconduct or wrongdoing in the allocation process.
Who Else Was Discharged?
Along with former coal secretary H C Gupta, the court also discharged two other senior officials:
- K S Kropha, who served as the then joint secretary in the Ministry of Coal
- K C Samria, the then director in the same ministry
All three officials were facing charges related to their alleged roles in the irregular allocation of the Seregarha coal block located in Chhattisgarh.
The Seregarha Coal Block Controversy
The case centered around the allocation of the Seregarha coal block to a private company. The CBI had alleged that the company misrepresented its financial and technical capabilities to secure the valuable coal block during the screening committee meetings.
The prosecution claimed that the accused officials, despite being members of the screening committee, failed to exercise due diligence in verifying the company's claims before recommending the allocation.
Legal Experts Weigh In
Legal analysts suggest this verdict represents another significant blow to the CBI's multi-year investigation into the coal block allocation scam. The court's observation about the lack of evidence raises serious questions about the quality of investigation conducted by the agency.
Pattern of Discharges in Coal Cases
This is not an isolated instance. Several high-profile figures accused in the coal allocation scam have secured discharges or acquittals in recent years, pointing to potential weaknesses in the cases built by investigating agencies.
The repeated discharges highlight the challenges in proving criminal intent in complex policy decisions made by government officials.
What's Next for the Case?
While the three officials have been discharged, the legal proceedings continue against the private company and its directors accused in the case. The CBI now faces the critical decision of whether to appeal this verdict in a higher court.
The Chhattisgarh coal block allocation scam remains one of the most significant corruption cases in recent Indian history, and this latest development adds another chapter to its complex legal journey.
