The Supreme Court, which had stayed summons to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the coal scam probe, on Monday indicated that the appeal filed by the former PM will be heard out of turn as the questions raised in it was relied upon by other accused to stall the ongoing trial against them as well.
The issue came up while hearing a petition filed by former Coal Minister Santosh Bagrodia. Represented by senior advocate KK Venugopal, the former Minister sought a stay of the summons issued by the trial court asking him to depose on Tuesday.
The Bench refused to issue notice but agreed to hear the petition along with the other petitions filed by Singh and others pending before it.
The provision challenged by the former PM had bearing on the present case too as both challenged applicability of Section 13(1)(d)(iii) of Prevention of Corruption Act that deals with dishonest and deliberate act on part of a public servant to cause any pecuniary advantage to a person without public interest.
When Venugopal failed to obtain stay on his client’s deposition in Court, he wondered why this double standards. It was then the bench of Justices Madan B lokur, Kurian Joseph and AK Sikri assured him that the petition will be heard along with the pending petitions by it. “let him appear tomorrow. The other case is likely to come up shortly,” the bench added. The matter has already been communicated to the Supreme Court Registry and within few weeks, the matter is expected to get listed.
Considering the pace at which appeals follow their turn of hearing, at present appeals of 2010 are being heard. Singh’s petition was admitted in April this year.