Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 29: The Supreme Court on Wednesday formally exonerated former Prime Minister late Dr Manmohan Singh in the coal block allocation case by quashing a 2015 Special CBI Court order that had summoned him to face trial, holding that there were no valid grounds to reject the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) closure reports giving him a clean chit.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana allowed Singh's appeal and set aside the March 11, 2015 order of the Special Judge at Patiala House Courts, which had rejected the CBI's closure reports and taken cognisance against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Bench observed that after examining both closure reports and hearing the parties, it found no cogent reasons to discard the findings of the investigating agency.
"Consequently, we allow the appeal and set aside the impugned judgment dated March 11, 2015 and the consequential order summoning the appellant to face trial," the court said.
Dr Singh, who passed away in December 2024, had challenged the trial court's decision even though the CBI had filed two closure reports exonerating him in connection with the allocation of a coal block to Hindalco.
The apex court also noted submissions by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi that although the appeal had technically become infructuous after Singh's death, it was necessary to examine the legality of the Special Judge's order as it contained adverse findings against the former Prime Minister.
The Supreme Court had stayed the summons against Dr Singh on April 1, 2015, observing that the case raised important questions of law, including the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
During the proceedings, Sibal had argued that the allocation of the coal block was an administrative decision taken in public interest and that the trial court had erred in issuing summons despite the CBI filing two closure reports.
With Wednesday's verdict accepting the CBI's findings, the Supreme Court has brought the criminal proceedings against the late former Prime Minister to a close.