Coal case: Four years jail for two JIPL directors

New Delhi, April 4: In the first conviction in a coal block allocation case, a special court here on Monday awarded four-year jail term to two directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd., holding them guilty of criminal conspiracy and cheating in bagging a coal block.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation Judge Bharat Parashar awarded four years' jail terms to JIPL directors R.S. Rungta and R.C. Rungta and slapped a Rs.5 lakh fine each on them.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs.25 lakh against Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd. (JIPL).

The court last week convicted JIPL and its directors R.S. Rungta and R.C. Rungta for the offence of cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), observing that they had "fraudulently" and with a "dishonest intention" deceived the government in allocating the North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to the firm.

The Rungtas, who are already in judicial custody, were present in the courtroom when the sentence was pronounced.

Besides this case, 19 other cases investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are pending before the court, set up to exclusively deal with all the coal scam matters.

Two other cases probed by the Enforcement Directorate are also pending before the court.

IANS