Ex-Coal Secretary, five convicted in coal block case

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) A Delhi court on Friday held former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and five others guilty in a coal block allocation case and ordered them to be taken into custody. The court will hear arguments on the quantum of punishment on Monday. CBI special judge Bharat Parashar convicted the six -- Gupta, two former coal officials K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samria, company Vikash Metal and Power Ltd (VMPL), its Managing Director Vikash Patni and the authorised signatory Anand Mallick -- for criminal conspiracy and cheating under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. "...it is clear that the three accused Ministry of Coal officers Gupta, Kropha and Samria abused their position as public servants," the Central Bureau of Investigation court said. The court said that all six convicts conspired together to allocate a captive coal block, Moira-Madhujore coal block of West Bengal, in favour of VMPL. It was the sixth judgment by the Special CBI Court exclusively dealing with the coal block allocation cases. Over 20 other cases probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are still pending.