"Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and Bureaucrat KC Kropha Granted Bail in Chhattisgarh Coal Scam Case
The Delhi High Court has granted bail to former Secretary of the Union Ministry of Coal, HC Gupta, and bureaucrat KC Kropha, who were convicted for their involvement in irregularities pertaining to the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. The conviction, handed down on July 13 of this year, saw Gupta and Kropha sentenced to three years of imprisonment. The case also implicated former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devender Darda, and JLD Yavatmal Energy's director, Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, all of whom were found guilty and sentenced to four years in jail.
While the Dardas and Jayaswal had previously been granted anticipatory bail by the High Court, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, presiding over the matter, considered the sentences already served by Gupta and Kropha and their past bail history. The court issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and scheduled further proceedings alongside appeals filed by the other convicts.
The trial court had established the guilt of all accused parties under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, citing a criminal conspiracy to cheat and dishonestly obtain property. This marked the thirteenth conviction within the expansive coal scam case.
Originating from coal block allocations advertised in 2006, the case centered around allegations of JLD Yavatmal Energy's concealment of crucial information in its application to secure the coal block. The court identified a collaborative effort between the company's leadership and Ministry of Coal officials—Gupta, Kropha, and Samria—in securing the allocation.
In its conviction ruling, the trial court emphasized the active connivance between private entities and Ministry officials, asserting that public servants must be held accountable for their actions. While the court acknowledged that the Ministry's allocation guidelines may not carry the weight of 'law' under Article 13 of the Constitution, it emphasized their binding nature on officers involved."
TAGS: Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta bureaucrat KC Kropha Delhi High Court bail Chhattisgarh coal block allocation irregularities conviction imprisonment Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda Devender Darda JLD Yavatmal Energy director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal Central Bureau of Investigation trial court Indian Penal Code Prevention of Corruption Act collaborative effort Ministry of Coal officials connivance accountability.
