New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): A CBI court at Rouse Avenue Delhi on Monday discharged former Minister of State (Coal), Santosh Kumar Bagrodia, former MP Vijay Darda, and other accused persons in a case of alleged interference in the Investigation in a coal scam case.

While discharging the accused, Special CBI Judge Arun Bhardwaj said there was no sufficient evidence to prosecute Santosh Bagrodia, Vijay Darda, Devendra Darda, and CBI's former Additional Legal Advisor K. Sudhakar.

It was alleged by the CBI that then CBI director Ranjit Sinha and K Sudhakar entered into a criminal conspiracy with Vijay Darda, Devender Darda and Santosh Kumar Bagrodia and made writings on the files and prepared record, with the intention and knowledge that their acts will save the Dardas and Bagrodia from legal punishment.

The court noted that Bagrodia was summoned by the court in the case against AMR against the opinion of CBI not to chargesheet him. Later, the court discharged him. While discharging Bagrodia in the present case, the court said, 'Discharge of Bagrodia in AMR case has brought a sea change.'

The court said that in the facts and circumstances of this case, large number of meetings by an innocent person under investigation by CBI with the Director of CBI, in the absence of investigating officer of the case, and a large number of telephonic conversations between the two are not circumstances of suspicion, leave aside grave suspicion, for framing charge of criminal conspiracy because the person under investigation had been an innocent person all along.

'He was innocent all along. He did not become innocent the day he was discharged. The order of discharge merely declared him innocent,' the judge added.

The judge noted that the CBI never challenged the discharge order before the superior court. While discharging Devender Darda, the special judge noted that his meetings with Ranjit Sinha made no difference to the outcome of the case against him, and he was recommended to be prosecuted for the offences recommended by the IO of the case.

The court held, 'Ranjit Sinha did not abuse his authority to scuttle the case against Devender Darda. Had there been a criminal conspiracy, as alleged in the chargesheet, the Director, CBI, would have followed the opinion of ALA, K Sudhakar and would have exonerated Devender Darda. Filing of the chargesheet against Devender Darda shows that Sinha showed no favour to Devender Darda.'

The court discharged Vijay Darda and said, 'Had there been a criminal conspiracy, as alleged in the chargesheet the Director, CBI would have followed the opinion of ALA, K.Sudhakar and would have exonerated him.

The court also said, 'It cannot be said that Ranjit Sinha diluted the case against Vijay Darda by invoking Section 9 of the PC Act. Ranjit Sinha did not abuse his authority by directing prosecution of Vijay Darda under section 9 of the PC Act.'

'It shows that he showed no favour to Vijay Darda and recommended appropriately framing the charge against Vijay Darda,' the judge said.

The court observed, 'It also shows there was no conspiracy to abuse the authority by Ranjit Sinha to scuttle the investigations against Vijay Darda and Devender Darda.'

While discharging Dardas, the court said, 'Neither Devender Darda nor Vijay Darda could get any relief by meeting Ranjit Sinha; therefore, this court finds that there is no material to frame the charge of criminal conspiracy against Devender Darda and Vijay Darda.'

The court also discharged K Sudhakar and said that, unlike in Ranjit Sinha's case, there is no allegation that he met Dardas or Santosh Bagrodia or had a telephone conversation with them.

'He is sought to be prosecuted for changing his opinion. Whereas earlier he had suggested prosecution of all the private accused and public servants, but later on he opined that no criminal case has been made out against the MoS (Coal), Secretary and other public servants,' the judge observed.

The CBI filed the case in 2022, alleging interference in the investigation in a coal scam case against AMR Iron & Steel Pvt Ltd., its directors, Devendra Darda and unknown officials of the central government. The CBI had investigated former Director Ranjit Sinha. He was not named as an accused since he died in April 2021.

The CBI said that the then Prime Minister, as Minister of Coal, while approving the recommendations of the Screening Committee, had directed that in case any company now recommended for allocation of a coal block was earlier also allocated any coal block, then the progress of development of that coal block shall be examined, and in case the development is not satisfactory, the matter shall be put up before the Prime Minister.

'In spite of such noting, the matter was not put up before the Prime Minister, but a meeting was called by Minister of State (Coal) Santosh Bagrodia,' the agency said. (ANI)