A special CBI court on Friday framed charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating against former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and five others in connection with the coal block allocation scam, reported ANI. The particular case in question pertains to allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks in West Bengal.

Gupta's refusal to take any legal help in the case drew attention from the Indian Administrative Services fraternity in Thursday. Senior bureaucrats held a two-hour meeting to discuss the issue. After the meeting, which was attended by at least 60 senior officers, it was decided that the IAS association will reach out to the implicated officer and help him with the case. The association's executive body will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to discuss the case, according to The Indian Express.

Citing his limited financial means, Gupta told the court on Tuesday that he will not hire a lawyer. He filed a petition saying he wanted to face trial from inside the jail. He also told the court that he didn't wish to examine any witness in his defence, reported The Times of India.