CBI Court Clears Accused in Bander Coal Block Allocation Case

In a landmark ruling, a special CBI court acquitted former MP Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda, former coal secretary HC Gupta, and others in a long-standing case related to the allocation of the Bander coal block in Maharashtra.

The court found the CBI's evidence against the accused insufficient in establishing charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy involving wrongful gains or deceit. The verdict emphasized that the allocation was a policy decision taken unanimously after thorough deliberations with no public interest compromise.

Notably, the court pointed out that former MP Vijay Darda's recommendations were never crucial for the decision-making process. The allegations of quid pro quo and illicit financial transactions also failed to hold ground due to a lack of concrete evidence.