Coal scam: Himachal EMTA Power Ltd's 3 officials granted bail

Himachal EMTA Power Ltd's (HEPL) two directors and another senior official, who were summoned as accused in a coal scam case for allegedly misrepresenting facts to acquire a coal block in West Bengal, were today granted bail by a special court here.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar granted bail to HEPL's two Directors, Ujjal Kumar Upadhaya and Bikash Mukherjee, and its senior official N C Chakraborty, on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each and one surety of like amount.
The court has now fixed the matter for April 4 for the scrutiny of documents.
After taking cognisance of CBI's charge sheet in the case on February 5, the court had summoned four accused, including the company, for alleged offences under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC.

"I am of the considered opinion that prima facie there is sufficient incriminating evidence on record warranting summoning of accused persons i.E. Company M/s HEPL, its two directors Ujjal Kumar Upadhaya and Bikash Mukherjee and N C Chakraborty, CGM (Power), M/s HEPL for offences under section 120-B and under section 120-B/420 IPC and also for substantive offence i.E. Under section 420 IPC," the judge had said.
CBI has chargesheeted HEPL, Upadhaya and Mukherjee in the case but the judge had said "though CBI has not chargesheeted N C Chakraborty in the present case but I do not find myself in agreement with the said conclusion drawn by CBI".

In its charge sheet, CBI has alleged that HEPL had grossly misrepresented about its status of preparedness not only in its application form but also in the feed back form submitted on June 22, 2007 and in the information supplied by Chakraborty to the West Bengal government.

According to CBI, M/s Eastern Minerals and Trading Agency
Ltd (EMTA) had entered into a joint venture (JV) with Himachal Power Corporation Ltd to establish a power project in West Bengal and the company was named M/s Himachal EMTA Power Ltd.
It has said HEPL, through its January 10, 2007 application, had applied for allotment of Gourangdih ABC coal block.

In its charge sheet, CBI has claimed that in the application submitted under Upadhaya's signatures, it was said the firm intended to establish a 500 MW power project in Raniganj, West Bengal.
It has alleged that regarding project status, it was stated by the firm that out of the total land of 160 hectares required for establishing the power project, 80 hectares was already acquired and it had applied for the remaining land.
It has said the West Bengal government had not recommended HEPL's name to MoC for the coal block and instead recommended West Bengal Mineral Development Trading Corporation.

CBI has said on June 22, 2007, Mukherjee had made a presentation on behalf of the firm before the 35th screening committee and had also submitted the feed back form.
It has alleged that after the West Bengal government had sought information about the status of certain aspects from applicant companies, Chakraborty had submitted the present status of the firm and the proposed end-use project.
CBI has said that the screening committee, in its September 13, 2007 meeting, chose to recommend allocation of Gourangdih ABC coal block jointly in favour of M/s HEPL and M/s JSW Steel Ltd.
The court had then directed that Chakraborty's name be deleted from the list of witnesses filed by CBI.