Coal case: T.Nadu files SLP in Supreme Court

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 11. The Tamil Nadu Government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the judgment of the Madras High Court, upholding the orders of the Special Court discharging the AIADMK supremo, Ms. Jayalalitha from the `Coal Import Case'. The SLP filed yesterday will be admitted in the next few days.

The case now before the Special Court-II in Chennai at the trial stage related to import of coal for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) in 1993 at a price over and above the minimum tender price, thereby causing a wrongful loss of Rs. 6.50 crores to the State exchequer and wrongful gain to the coal suppliers. Though the tender was for the import of 20 lakh tonnes, the import was cancelled after the first consignment.

Besides, Ms. Jayalalitha 11 other accused in the case included the former Finance Minister, V.R. Nedunchezhian (who died recently), the former PWD Minister, Mr. S. Kannappan, the former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Mr. T. V. Venkataraman, the former TNEB chairman, Mr. N. Haribhaskar and the former Finance Secretary, Mr. Mr. N. Narayanan.

The accused were charged for offences under IPC Sections 120 B (conspiracy) and 409 (breach of trust) and under Section 13 (2) read with Section 13 (1) (c) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On June 16, 1999, the trial court discharged both Ms. Jayalalitha and Nedunchezhian from the case holding that there was no material on record to proceed against them. Against this the Tamil Nadu Government preferred a criminal revision petition, which was dismissed by the High Court on January 13 this year. The present SLP in the Apex Court was directed against the judgments of both the special court and the High Court.

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Section  : National
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