Coal scam: Darda, Gupta on trial, Soren gets relief

INew Delhi High-profile persons, including politician Vijay Darda and bureaucrat H C Gupta, were on Thursday put on trial by a court in a coal scam case by framing charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust but gave relief to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren by dismissing a plea to make him an accused. Charges were also framed against five others — officials K S Kropha and K C Samria — private firm JLD Yavatmal Pvt Ltd, its director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal and Darda's son Devendra after they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial in the case relating to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a Chhattisgarh coal block.