Why Former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda Has Been Found Guilty

In the latest verdict delivered by the Delhi’s Special CBI court set up exclusively to hold trial in the coal block allocation scam, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, former Jharkhand Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and one other have been found guilty of criminal conspiracy. The case pertains to irregularities in the allocation of Rajhara North coal block to private entity VISUL- Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Limited. The court found that the convicted had favoured VISUL in allocating the coal block in contravention of the then recommendations made by a state committee. In July, Gupta along with two others was sentenced for a jail term of two years by the same court in a case on the alleged irregular allocation of coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh to Kamal Sponge Steel & Power Ltd. (KSSPL). However, Gupta was out on bail the same day.

While the court has scheduled to hear the quantum of punishment for tomorrow, others earlier summoned in the case - VISUL’s Director Vaibhav Tulsyan, two public servants Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh and chartered accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan were acquitted of all charges on Wednesday.

CBI had registered 22 cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of 214 coal blocks across the country since 1993, two other key cases with the court pertain to the allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to JSPL and GSIPL and allocation of  Talabira coal block in Odisha to the Kumar Mangalam Birla-owned Hindalco. In the latter case, the court has named former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an accused. Earlier in 2012, CAG had estimated that the central government had incurred a loss of RS 1.86 lakh crore due to the alleged irregular bidding of coal blocks to private companies between 2004 and 2009 during the first tenure of the Congress led UPA. Manmohan Singh held the Coal Ministry in 2006.

Though the CBI has taken up its investigation into the coal scam in 2012, it has emerged that various CBI officials have allegedly been involved in corruption in ‘fixing’ cases on the private companies.

Madhu Koda, Jharkhand Chief Minister between 2006 and 2008 also faces allegations of accumulating illicit wealth during his tenure.