Court: Coal scam accused can’t delay trial

The observation came while disposing of a petition filed by Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL) Director R S Rungta, seeking modification of December 23 last year order by which the court had dismissed his plea for summoning former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as defence witness in the case. 

Special CBI judge Bharat Parashar noted in his order that Rungta’s contention that the court had declined his request to bring on record the desired defence witnesses and documents to prove his innocence was “factually wrong”. 

Asserting that record which was sought to be summoned by the accused was already permitted in its order passed last year, the court has now fixed the matter for further defence evidence on January 15. 

JIPL and its two directors, RS Rungta and RC Rungta, are facing trial in a case pertaining to allotment of North Dhadu coal block in Jharkhand to the firm allegedly on the basis of false and forged documents. 

The court had on December 23, dismissed RS Rungta’s plea in which he had also sought summoning of former Minister of State for Coal, Dasari Narayan Rao, as a witness in his defence in the case.