NEW DELHI: The IAS officers association termed the conviction of "honest" IAS officers in the coal scam on Saturday "as most unfortunate" and vowed to rally behind the three officers who have been convicted by a special CBI court.

"Conviction of honest IAS officers in the coal scam is most unfortunate. A black letter day for bureaucracy — convicting officers for bonafide decisions in the interest of administration. We stand by the officers in this time of distress," the IAS officers association said.

"We will do whatever we can under the ambit of law," Abhishekh Chandra, secretary of the IAS officers association, told TOI. He said the association will help the officers to seek legal remedy at the next level. The association has convened a meeting on Sunday to "deliberate the future course of action". A special CBI court convicted former coal secretary H C Gupta and two other senior IAS officers on Friday for corruption in the allocation of a coal block in West Bengal.

The two other bureaucrats convicted are K S Kropha, then a joint secretary in the coal ministry, and K C Samria, then a director in the coal ministry who is currently joint secretary in the ministry of minority affairs. They have been convicted of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption under provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act in the allocation of a coal block in West Bengal for captive use of a private company— M/s VMPL. They can be sentenced for up to seven years in prison.

Chandra said the officers had "absolutely impeccable integrity" and will appeal their conviction. He said the association will stand by the officers, adding that they had collected funds from donations by members from their salaries for any assistance.

Former coal secretary Gupta, who is facing charges in several cases had made a stunning disclosure that he was finding it difficult to meet his legal fees from his pension and would prefer to be in jail. Officials vouch for his credentials and have been struggling to cope with the news of his conviction.

The conviction of senior IAS officers has jolted the bureaucracy and there is a view within the section of civil servants that "honest" officers were being made a scapegoat. The government amended the Prevention of Corruption Act to shield officers for their bonafide decisions during their tenure but in the current case, this will be not be applicable as the case was registered before the amendments were carried out.