SC closes coal block allocation case against former PM Manmohan Singh

The Supreme Court on Wednesday closed the criminal case against former prime minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case, setting aside the summoning order against him and accepting the CBI's closure report.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said there was no reason for the special court to reject the CBI's closure reports and take cognisance of the case.

Singh, who died on December 27, 2024, had challenged the summoning order in connection with the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha to Hindalco in 2005, when he was also holding the coal portfolio.

The Supreme Court said it was satisfied that the CBI's closure reports should have been accepted and ordered the matter closed.

The case had also named industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P C Parakh, Hindalco Industries Ltd and its officials Shubhendu Amitabh and D Bhattacharya as accused.

A special CBI court had summoned the six accused for alleged offences including criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust by a public servant under the IPC, as well as provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI had initially named Parakh, Birla, Hindalco and others in its FIR. The agency later filed a closure report, which the special court refused to accept and directed it to examine Singh and senior officials of the then Prime Minister's Office.

Singh had challenged the summoning order, questioning the absence of mandatory sanction for prosecuting a public official and denying any criminal wrongdoing in the coal block allocation.

The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the special court's directive.

With the top court's order accepting the CBI's closure reports, the criminal proceedings in the case have now been formally closed.