Coal scam: Delhi HC stays Madhu Koda's jail term

A special CBI court had on December 16 sentenced Koda to three years imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 25 lakh in the coal scam case.

Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the special CBI court's order of awarding three years imprisonment to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in connection with the coal scam case. The HC has also stayed the fine imposed on him till the next date of hearing.

A special CBI court had on December 16 sentenced Koda to three years imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 25 lakh in the coal scam case.

He was convicted in a case pertaining to irregularities in allocation of Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand to the Kolkata-based firm VISUL.

Former Jharkhand chief secretary A K Basu and Vijay Joshi, a close aide of the then chief minister, were also awarded jail term of three years for indulging in corrupt practices and hatching criminal conspiracy in allocation of Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand to a Kolkata-based private company, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL).

The CBI had alleged that the VISUL had applied for allocation of a coal block in January 2007.

The CBI court had tried Koda and others for offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants) of the IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

OneIndia News