On Monday, October 26, 2020, CBI Special Judge for Coal Cases, New Delhi, announced the quantum of punishment for guilty personnel.
Mahendra Kumar Agarwalla, earlier a Director on a private company, was punished with rigorous imprisonment of three years and a fine of Rs. 60 lakh.
Dilip Ray, a Minister of State for Coal in the Vajpayee administration, is served with a three-year RI and a fine of Rs. 10 lakh.
Pradip Kumar Banerjee, previously an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Coal is given a 3-year RI and a fine of Rs. 2 lakh; Nitya Nand Gautam, earlier an Advisor (Project), Ministry of Coal, a three-year RI and a fine of Rs. 2 lakh; and M/s Castron Technologies Ltd., Dhanbad, fined Rs. 60 lakh & M/s Castron Mining Ltd. fined Rs. 10 lakh in a case related to the allocation of Brahmadiha Coal Block situated in District Giridih (Jharkhand).
CBI had registered a case on 07/01/2014 against M/s Castron Technologies Ltd. and others related to the allocation of Brahmadiha Coal Block in District Giridh (Jharkhand) to M/s Castron Technologies Ltd. (CTL), Dhanbad.
The investigators argued and proved with evidence that M/s Castron Technologies Ltd, Dhanbad, (then Bihar, now in Jharkhand), M/s Castron Mining Ltd., Kolkata and then Directors of these companies conspired among themselves and with the public servants to cheat the Government of India in the matter of allocation of Brahmadiha Coal Block. The investigators also proved that the conspiracy secured for M/s Castron Technologies Ltd. Brahmadiha Coal Block situated in District Giridih (then Bihar, now in the State of Jharkhand). The conspiracy was aided and abetted by public servants.
The investigation also revealed that the company was to establish the end-use plant for consuming the coal but it did not establish the same. It was alleged that the Brahmadiha Coal Block was not included in the list of captive coal mining at any point in time.
After a thorough investigation, a charge sheet was filed against the said 06 accused. In this case, in addition to the documentary evidence, CBI had examined around 51 prosecution witnesses including 19 witnesses through their affidavit
The Trial Court found the said accused guilty and convicted them on 06.10.2020.
