SC Closes Coal Block Case Against Former PM Manmohan Singh
Apex court accepts CBI closure report, sets aside summoning order in Talabira-II coal allocation case.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a summoning order against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case and accepted the CBI’s closure report, effectively closing the proceedings.
Singh, who passed away on December 27, 2024, stands formally cleared in the case following the apex court’s order. A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana accepted the closure reports filed by the CBI, giving a clean chit to Singh and other accused.
The court said there was no justification for the trial court to reject the closure reports and take cognisance of the matter. “Due to the unfortunate demise of the appellant, this appeal could be disposed of as infructuous. But with a view to consider the aspect of Ld. Spl. Judge taking cognisance and summoning the appellant, we have gone through both closure reports filed by CBI. Having regard to the relevant parameters consistently laid down by this court on acceptance of reports of the investigating agency, we are satisfied that there was no reason for ld. Judge to turn down closure reports of CBI and take cognisance. We allow the appeal and set aside the impugned judgment. As a result, we accept the closure reports of CBI and close the matter,” the court said.
The case pertains to the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha to Hindalco in 2005, when Singh was holding the coal portfolio.
A special court had earlier summoned Singh, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh and others, including Hindalco Industries Ltd and its officials Shubhendu Amitabh and D. Bhattacharya, as accused.
Former Prime Minister Singh had contested the absence of sanction required to prosecute a public servant and denied any criminality in the decision.
Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar had summoned the accused for alleged offences under Sections 120B and 409 of the IPC and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI had initially named Parakh, Birla, Hindalco Industries Ltd and others in its FIR under Section 120B of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, but later filed closure reports, which were rejected by the trial court.