A special court today reserved for May 20 its order on whether a Jindal Group's chartered accountant, who is an accused and has sought to turn approver in a coal scam case involving industrialist Naveen Jindal and others, would be allowed the to be questioned by CBI.
Special Judge Bharat Parashar reserved the order after CBI submitted that Suresh Singhal, also a director of New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd, was required to join the probe to decide whether his assistance can strengthen the case.
"He (Singhal) is required to make full length disclosure. We request the court to allow him to join the probe. There are documents which are to be verified. We must know the nature of testimony of this person (Singhal) and for that we need him to join the probe," special public prosecutor R S Cheema said.
"In order to answer the question (on whether to make him approver in the case and if he could be pardoned), we need his assistance in the probe," Cheema said, adding that Singhal was in possession of certain documents which could be useful for the prosecution.
He further said, "The testimony is likely to strengthen the prosecution case. However, no such document is produced by Singhal till date. The person seeking permission to turn approver must make full and true disclosure."
Meanwhile, advocate Asim Ali, who appeared for Singhal as amicus curiae, told the court that Singhal was in possession of various documents and could produce them as and when required.
The lawyers appearing for other accused told the court that, "what is required to dispose off this application is already with the court."
The court then reserved its order for May 20.
Earlier on May 11, the court had said that Singhal's statement be supplied to the CBI for rendering assistance on the issue. Following this, the documents were supplied to the probe agency.
The court had, however, clarified that issue of supplying the copy of Singhal's statement to the counsel representing other accused would be decided after hearing the arguments advanced by the probe agency.
While seeking pardon, Singhal had sought to make a disclosure statement in the case which was later recorded by a magistrate and was placed before the special judge in a sealed cover.
On April 29, the court had ordered framing of charges
against Jindal, former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao, ex-Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and 12 others for criminal conspiracy, cheating and other offences in Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation scam case.
The court is yet to formally frame charges against the accused.
In his plea, Singhal has claimed that co-accused Rajeev Jain, Director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, had purchased New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd at the instruction of Sushil Maroo also working with the Naveen Jindal Group.
"I was also in the practice of selling companies. Rajeev Jain had been purchasing different types of companies from me. I also sold New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd to him. I also handed over all the papers required by him for the purpose of transfer of ownership and management, documentary evidence of which forms part of the records...
"Rajeev Jain in conspiracy with Maroo kept me in the dark and didn't disclose their real purpose. After getting all the transfer papers from me they kept the shares and directors change pending taking the advantage of my good faith which I had for them," he has claimed.
Singhal has further claimed that decision to invest and pay Rs 2 crore to Sowbhagya Media Ltd, allegedly promoted by co-accused and Rao, was carried out at their behest.
The court, while ordering framing of charges, has said Jindal was the "central figure" in the entire criminal conspiracy in the case.
Apart from Jindal, Rao and Koda, the court had also ordered to put on trial former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and 11 others, who were chargesheeted by the CBI in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and GSIPL in 2008.
Besides them, the other accused are -- Rajeev Jain, Director of Jindal Realty Pvt Ltd, Girish Kumar Suneja and Radha Krishna Saraf, Directors of GSIPL, Suresh Singhal, Director of New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd, K Ramakrishna Prasad, Managing Director of Sowbhagya Media Ltd and chartered accountant Gyan Swaroop Garg. These accused are currently out on bail.
Besides them, five firms -- JSPL, JRPL, Gagan Infraenergy Ltd (formerly known as GSIPL), Sowbhagya Media Ltd and New Delhi Exim Pvt Ltd -- are also accused in the case.
