Coal scam: Response on sanction issue awaited, CBI tells court

CBI today told a special court that they have not yet received the response of the competent authority on the grant of sanction to prosecute two public servants allegedly involved in two separate cases in the coal blocks allocation scam.
The two public servants against whom sanction is awaited are -- K S Kropha, then Joint Secretary in Coal Ministry, and K C Samaria, then director in Coal Allocation section of the ministry.
"It has been submitted by senior public prosecutor that no response from competent authority has been received regarding according of sanction to prosecute the two public servants," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

"Accordingly, matter be put up for filing of progress report of further investigation on July 21," the court said.
The court had earlier refused to accept closure reports filed by CBI in two separate cases lodged against two firms, JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd and JAS Infrastructure and Power Ltd, now known as JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd, and others.
The court, on November 20 last year, had directed CBI to further probe the matter after refusing to accept its closure report in the case in which an FIR was lodged against JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd, its directors Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda, Rajendra Darda, Manoj Jayaswal, Anand Jayaswal and Abhishek Jayaswal and other unknown persons.

CBI had lodged the FIR in the case under sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
The agency had later filed a closure report, saying no undue benefit was given to M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Ltd by the Coal Ministry in the allocation of coal block.