Delhi Court Acquits Ex-Coal Secretary HC Gupta
A Delhi court has acquitted former Coal Secretary HC Gupta, along with ex-Joint Secretary KS Kropha and then Director KC Samaria, in a case concerning alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Mahuagarhi coal block in Jharkhand to JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd. The ruling marks a significant turn in the long-running coal scam investigations, which have entangled several top bureaucrats and private entities.
Special Judge Sanjay Bansal ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence to convict the former government officials. With this, Gupta records his second acquittal in coal allocation-related trials, although he has been previously convicted in five other cases. Appeals in those convictions are currently pending before the Delhi High Court.
JAS Infrastructure and Director Held Guilty
While the government officials were cleared of wrongdoing, the court found JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd and its then Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal guilty of cheating and criminal conspiracy. The verdict held that the company and its director had knowingly misrepresented facts to secure the coal block’s allocation, violating principles of fairness and transparency.
The court will hear arguments on sentencing for the company and its director on July 8. This judgment separates the alleged criminal misrepresentation by private entities from the administrative actions taken by the officials during the coal allocation process.
Ongoing Legal Scrutiny in Coal Scam Cases
The coal allocation cases, dubbed as the “coal scam,” trace back to allocations made between 1993 and 2010, where several private companies were accused of securing coal blocks through manipulation and false disclosures. The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed 19 cases against HC Gupta, of which 12 are still pending before special courts.
Currently, two special courts are dealing with 29 pending coal scam-related cases, while 27 have been disposed of so far. The outcomes have been mixed, with some officials convicted, others acquitted, and private firms facing varying degrees of legal accountability.
The recent verdict highlights the complex nature of these high-profile corruption trials and reopens conversations around the processes of natural resource allocation in India’s administrative machinery. As the proceedings continue, attention remains focused on judicial consistency and the broader pursuit of institutional accountability.
