'Jindal company transferred Rs 2 cr to firm controlled by Rao'

A Naveen Jindal company had allegedly transferred Rs 2 crore to a firm controlled by then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao in a "clandestine manner" which prime facie showed a well-planned conspiracy in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block, a special court today said.
Special CBI judge Bharat Parashar, while taking cognisance of the charge sheet and summoning as accused Jindal, Rao and 13 others, said prima facie a criminal conspiracy was there between the private parties and public servants involved in the entire coal block allocation process.
"The clandestine manner in which Rs two crore stood transferred in favour of M/s Sowbhagya Media Ltd, a company controlled by Dasari Narayan Rao, from M/s Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, a Jindal group company, further prima facie shows the existence of a well-planned criminal conspiracy between the private parties and the public servants involved in the entire coal block allocation process," the judge said.

CBI in charge sheet alleged that Jindal paid Rs 2 crore to Rao for showing "undue favour" to him in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to two Jindal group firms.
"The final report further states that from the aforesaid financial transactions it transpired that the company promoted by Rao received payment of Rs two crore from Jindal on account of undue favour shown by him in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal Coal Block to Jindal Group of companies," the court noted.