Charges framed against Rathi Steel and Power Ltd in Coal block case

New Delhi: A special court on Tuesday framed charges in the coal block allocation case against Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Ltd. (RSPL) and others.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar framed charges of cheating against RSPL and its CEO Udit Rathi.

The court also framed charges of criminal conspiracy against Udit Rathi, RSPL and its managing director Pradeep Rathi and assistant general manager Kushal Aggarwal.

After the accused pleaded not guilty and asked for a trial, the court fixed June 2 for recording the statements of prosecution witnesses in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has chargesheeted the company, its CEO and two officials.

The court, while summoning them, had said: "It is prima facie clear that Pradeep, Udit and Aggarwal, who all appeared before the screening committee for making presentation and submitting a feedback form on February 7, 2008 on behalf of RSPL, conspired together to submit a highly inflated claim about the actual land in its possession with a view to cheat the concerned MOC (ministry of coal) authorities who were having dominion over the nationalised natural resources of the country i.e. coal."

The CBI registered an FIR against the company and its CEO on June 19, 2013.