BackSuresh Singhal allowed to turn approver in Navin Jindal coal block case
The court order has enabled Suresh Singhal to make fresh disclosures against 14 other accused, including Naveen Jindal, in the coal scam
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New Delhi: A trial court on Monday allowed Suresh Singhal, co-accused and chartered accountant for Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), to turn approver in a case related to coal block allocations.
This would enable Singhal to make fresh disclosures against 14 other accused (9 individuals including industrialist, Naveen Jindal and 5 companies) in the scam and help strengthen the ongoing probe.
The order was passed by special CBI judge Bharat Parashar after the Central Bureau of Investigation backed the decision on 31 May. The court was also told that the documents that Singhal could provide if he was allowed to turn approver, would be of help.
Besides Naveen Jindal, the special court has framed charges against former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayan Rao, ex-Jharkhand chief minister, Madhu Koda and 12 others for criminal conspiracy, cheating in a coal scam involving irregularity in allocation of the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block.
During earlier hearings, the court had asked the investigating agency if it could continue probe without the disclosures that Singhal would provide if he was allowed to turn approver.
The CBI, in April 2015, had filed a chargesheet against Jindal, Koda, Rao and former coal secretary H.C. Gupta apart from Singhal, Jindal Realty director Rajeev Jain, Gagan Sponge directors Girish Kumar Juneja and R.K. Saraf, Sowbhagya Media’s managing director K. Ramakrishna and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg.
Five firms, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.(JSPL), Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media Ltd and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd. were also among those on trial.
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