The CBI framed charges against 48 persons in a coal smuggling case at a special court in Asansol on Tuesday, four years after the central agency had started its probe.

Forty-five accused persons were present in the special CBI court during the framing of the charges on Tuesday. Three others, including one of the prime accused, Bikash Mishra and two former ECL employees, appeared in the court virtually.

Mishra appeared virtually from the Presidency Correctional Home in Calcutta. He has been in judicial custody on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The two ECL employees appeared virtually from a hospital because of their ill health. All the 48, except Mishra, are now out on bail.

All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before the judge.

Altogether 50 persons, including two prime accused persons — Anup Maji aka Lala and former Youth Trinamool Congress leader Vinay Mishra — were named in the final chargesheet.

One person died during the investigation. As Vinay continues to be at large, charges could not be framed against him.

Trinamool had distanced itself from Vinay after his name had been tagged by the CBI in the alleged coal scam ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections.

The CBI told the court that the accused were involved in smuggling 31 lakh metric tons of coal from different Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) mines in Asansol between 2015 and 2020, causing a loss of revenue to the tune of ₹1,340 crore to Coal India.

All the 48 were charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, theft and corruption, which entail a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail.

The trial will start on January 21 and 450 witnesses are slated to appear in the court to record their statements.