Ex-coal secretary HC Gupta held guilty of corruption in coal scam case
HC Gupta was Coal Secretary for two years under the Congress-led UPA government before he retired in 2008.
New Delhi: Ex-coal secretary HC Gupta and five others have been found guilty by a Delhi court in a case related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks to in West Bengal to Kolkata-based Vikas Metal Power Limited company.
Gupta was Coal Secretary for two years under the Congress-led UPA government before he retired in 2008.
Besides Gupta, Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar also convicted private firm Vikash Metals and Power Limited, one serving and one retired public servant — ex-joint secretary in Ministry of Coal (MoC) KS Kropha and the then director (CA-I) in MoC, KC Samria — in the case.
The court also convicted the firm's managing director Vikash Patni and its authorised signatory Anand Mallick in the case.
In September 2012, the CBI had registered an FIR in the case.
The court took all the convicted persons into custody and has fixed December 3 for hearing arguments on quantum of punishment.
The convicts may get a maximum seven-year jail term.