Nagpur: A CBI special court on Friday acquitted Nagpur businessman, Manoj Jayaswal, former MP Vijay Darda, and former coal secretary H C Gupta in an alleged coal block allocation scam case during the Cong-led UPA regime.The court categorically mentioned that coal block allocation was a policy decision and could not be considered against public interest. The verdict also relates to the case in which the first charge-sheet under a series of coal scam matters was filed.Embroiled in multiple cases related to coal blocks, it’s also the first acquittal for Jayaswal, who has been in the eye of the storm for the last decade. He was discharged in an earlier case as the chargesheet was not filed, said a company official. The court said, “CBI failed to prove that allocation of a coal block at Bander in Yavatmal to Jayaswal’s company was done without public interest or it led to obtaining of anything of value for the accused”.“Allocation of coal blocks was a policy decision taken in accordance with the energy coordination committee and the Prime Minister’s Office at that time. The decision was taken after due deliberation, information furnished by applicants and feedback received from state govt and ministry of steel,” said the court. Even the charges of Darda receiving Rs 24cr kickbacks could not be proven, the court said.In 2012, a CAG report had pulled up the govt saying the allocation system was flawed and led to windfall gains to private players of around Rs 1.86 lakh crore. This followed a series of cases.Jayaswal stands convicted in two coal scam cases where CBI had submitted a closure report. Now, in a case where the Central agency submitted a charge-sheet, he has been absolved by the special judge. An appeal has been filed against the earlier two convictions, said his lawyer Mudit Jain. In the earlier two cases, the court took cognisance on its own even as CBI submitted a closure report, said Jain. The acquittal would help Jayaswal plead in the appeals, said his team of counsellors.The coal scam relates to allocation of coal blocks during the UPA regime, which was scrapped, bringing in the auction method by the NDA govt. Cases were booked against the allottees for misrepresentation of facts and officials of govt for corruption. Over 50 cases are being heard by the courts. The court also noted that Jayaswal did not complete another project at Tarsi village in Nagpur, not due to any dishonest intention, but owing to a family dispute that dragged on at the company law board.
