New Delhi: Delhi’s special court sentenced former Rajya Sabha P Vijay Darda and his son Devender Darda to four years imprisonment in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. Special Judge Sanjay Bansal ordered three years imprisonment to ex-Coal Secretary HC Gupta, and two senior public servants- KS Kropha and KC Samaria in the corruption case.
Further, the court imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakhs on JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd, which was convicted in the case, and a fine of Rs 15 lakhs each on Dardas and Jayaswal. The other three convicts were directed to pay Rs 20000 each.
Earlier on July 13, special judge Sanjay Bansal held all of them guilty. The court convicted them under offences under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court on November 20, 2014, refused to accept the closure report submitted by the CBI in the case and directed the federal probe agency to investigate afresh, stating that the ex-MP had misrepresented facts in letter to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh, who held the coal portfolio.