A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Tuesday allowed industrialist and accused in the coal block allocation scam Naveen Jindal to travel abroad for business purposes. However, special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar asked Jindal to inform the investigating officer and the court within seven days of his return to India, reported PTI.
The court said Jindal will also have to give details of places he visits. “He shall not tamper with the evidence nor try to influence any witness in any manner and will not use the permission granted to him contrary to the rules,” Parashar said.
The court was hearing Jindal’s plea seeking permission to visit Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Italy, London and the United States, among others. The industrialist will be out of the country till November 30. The court’s order goes against the CBI that had opposed Jindal’s petition citing that his travel plans may delay the trials. They also raised doubts about Jindal’s intention to return to India.
The special CBI court in April this year had ordered for charges to be framed against Jindal and 14 others accused in the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block allocation case. The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. This came a year after the CBI had filed a chargesheet against the 15 accused. The chargesheet was in connection with a transaction in 2008 where a company owned by former directors of the Naveen Jindal Group, and then by the industrialist himself, gave an unsecured loan of Rs 2.25 crore to a nondescript trading company called ND Exim. This company then used the money to buy shares of a company owned by former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao on extremely generous terms.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!