SC Closes Coal Case Against Manmohan Singh
The Supreme Court has closed criminal proceedings against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Talabira-II coal block allocation case, accepting the Central Bureau of Investigation’s closure reports and setting aside a 2015 summoning order.
Supreme Court Accepts CBI Closure Reports
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant ruled that the Special CBI Court had no sufficient reason to reject the investigating agency’s closure reports and take cognisance against Singh.
The Bench allowed Singh’s appeal and concluded that the settled legal principles governing closure reports had not been properly applied by the trial court.
Although Singh died in December 2024, the Supreme Court examined the matter because the summoning order contained adverse observations against him.
Manmohan Singh Summoning Order Set Aside
The Special CBI Court had summoned Singh and five others in March 2015 over the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha to Hindalco Industries in 2005.
Singh was serving as Prime Minister and also holding the coal portfolio when the allocation was made. Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh, Hindalco and two company officials were also named in the proceedings.
The Supreme Court had stayed the summoning order in April 2015 after Singh challenged it.
Talabira Coal Allocation Case Closed
The CBI had initially registered a case alleging criminal conspiracy and violations of anti-corruption laws. However, after completing its investigation, the agency filed closure reports stating that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Singh and the others.
The trial court rejected those reports and ordered further investigation before summoning the accused. The Supreme Court has now reversed that decision, accepted the CBI’s findings and formally closed the proceedings against the former Prime Minister.
