On Thursday, a Delhi court convicted seven individuals, including former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda and former coal secretary H C Gupta, in a case involving irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh. This marks the 13th conviction in the coal scam, which had a significant impact on the previous Manmohan Singh government. Special Judge Sanjay Bansal found Darda's son Devender Darda, two senior public servants K S Kropha and K C Samria, M/s JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd, and its Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal also guilty. The court ruled that the accused were involved in criminal conspiracy and cheating, as per the Indian Penal Code, and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The judge will determine the quantum of punishment on July 18. The court accepted the arguments presented by senior Public Prosecutor A P Singh, stating that the Central Bureau of Investigation had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Previously, on November 20, 2014, the court had rejected the CBI's closure report and ordered a fresh investigation, noting that the former MP had misrepresented facts in letters to the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who was in charge of the coal portfolio.