Coal scam: CBI special court acquits businessman Manoj Jayaswal A CBI special court in Nagpur on Friday acquitted businessman Manoj Jayaswal, along with former MP Vijay Darda and former coal secretary H C Gupta, in a coal block allocation scam case linked to the UPA government. The court ruled that the allocation of coal blocks was a policy decision made in accordance with the energy coordination committee and the Prime Minister’s Office at the time, and could not be deemed against public interest. The verdict also pertains to the first charge-sheet filed in a series of coal scam investigations. The court emphasized that the CBI failed to prove that the allocation of a coal block in Bander, Yavatmal, to Jayaswal’s company was done without public interest or that it led to any personal gain for the accused. It noted that the decision was based on information provided by applicants, feedback from state governments, and input from the Ministry of Steel. The court also dismissed charges against Darda regarding alleged kickbacks of Rs 24 crore, stating there was insufficient evidence to support them. Jayaswal, who has faced multiple legal battles over the past decade, received this acquittal in a case where a charge-sheet was filed by the CBI. Previously, he had been convicted in two other coal scam cases, but those convictions were based on closure reports submitted by the agency. His lawyer, Mudit Jain, mentioned that an appeal has been filed against those earlier convictions, and the acquittal could strengthen Jayaswal’s position in the appeals process. The coal scam investigation centers on the allocation of coal blocks during the UPA regime, which was later replaced by an auction system under the NDA government.#cbi #manoj_jayaswal #vijay_darda #h_c_gupta #upadras
