Former Coal Minister and veteran Telugu film director Dasari Narayana Rao gets bail in coal scam case along with 13 others. He was charge sheeted in Murga Dungal coal blocks allocation scam in which former coal secretary SC Gupta, former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda, Industrialist Naveen Jindal and some others are also accused. Five companies including Jindal Steel and Power and Jindal Reality Pvt Ltd. were also charge sheeted in this case. The court grants conditional bail to all of them after hearing the arguments of both sides. They were asked to submit a security bond worth Rs.1 lakh each and not to leave the country without its permission. The court adjourned the case for four weeks.

Satish, a lawyer who represented Dasari Narayana Rao in this case, argued that his client being a minister of state had no authority to grant mining licenses to any company. Even if he grants mining licenses, certainly it would have approval of the union cabinet and the prime minister. He argued that his client Dasari is innocent and was not indulged in any irregular practices, but he was trapped by some political leaders in this case. Hence, he should be freed from this case,” said Dasari’s lawyer Satish.