Delhi court sentences Abhijeet Infrastructure's officials in coal scam

A special CBI court on Wednesday awarded separate jail terms to the senior officials of Abhijeet Infrastructure Ltd in an alleged case of irregularities related to the allocation of three coal blocks in Jharkhand.

Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj handed out a four-year jail term to the company's then managing director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal and a three-year imprisonment to then director Ramesh Kumar Jayaswal.

A fine of Rs 30 lakh was imposed on the Nagpur-based company in the case related to irregularities in the allocation of Brinda, Sisai, and Meral coal blocks in the state.

The court on December 9 held that forged documents were used by the convicts to secure the recommendation of the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, for the allocation of the coal blocks.

 

The judge on Wednesday passed the order on sentence for the offence of cheating, criminal conspiracy and using forged documents as genuine.

"Manoj Kumar Jayaswal is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years for each offence, i.e., 471 (using forged documents), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy)... The sentences shall run concurrently," the judge said.

The judge further awarded three-year rigorous imprisonment to convict Ramesh for offences under section 420, 120-B and 471 of IPC.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on Manoj, while Ramesh was asked to pay Rs 20 lakh fine, observing the "leniency" in imprisonment.

After the order on sentence, while Manoj was sent to jail, Ramesh was granted bail for 60 days to enable him to appeal against the order in the Delhi High Court, considering his jail term was less than four years.

The judge on December 9 noted that Manoj was controlling the affairs of the company when forged letters and documents were submitted to the ministry.

"It is he who got forged documents submitted (through Ramesh Kumar Jayaswal) to the Ministry of Steel. False information in these letters led to the recommendation of the Ministry of Steel in favour of M/s AIPL. On the basis of recommendations of the Ministry of Steel, the screening committee was also induced to believe false facts to be true and recommended allocation of coal blocks in favour of the company," the judge held.

The CBI filed a chargesheet on October 29, 2020, against the accused.

The probe agency was represented by senior advocate R S Cheema and advocates Sanjay Kumar and Tarannum Cheema.

The CBI registered the case on January 6, 2016, on the allegations that M/s AIPL, in conspiracy with public servants, fraudulently and dishonestly obtained the aforesaid coal blocks by misrepresenting its financial position, acquisition of land for its proposed end-use plant, and other related claims.