Shivani Gadhavi –
Published On: December 1, 2021 at 21:00 IST
A Delhi Court took cognizance of offences under Section 120-(B) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code, in regards with the Bhandak (West) Coal Block case. The Delhi High Court has summoned the company; M/s Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Pvt Ltd. (SBABPL) and the company’s managing director Suresh Kumar Sharma.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier registered the case under section 120-(B) and other relevant section of the Indian Penal Code against the company (SBABPL) and its directors/promoters.
In 1999, the company (SBABPL) made an application and submitted it to the Ministry of Coal in India for the purpose of allocation of a coal block in Bhandak (West) Coal Block which was seized captive, so that they can begin the working their paper mills which were located in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The Central Bureau of Investigation alleged that the company (SBABPL) and its joint managing director Suresh Kumar Sharma were involved in a Criminal Conspiracy, in which they ‘Willfully, dishonestly and fraudulently misrepresented information’ regarding the presence of the paper mill.
The Special Court Judge Sanjay Bansal stated, “The Company has been changing its proposals from time to time. The ultimate intention of the company apparently was to get allocation of the coal block somehow or the other. The conduct of the company post allocation also shows that it was only interested in allocation of the coal block. The company did not develop the coal block and allocation was ultimately withdrawn.”