SC Questions CBI over Filing Closure Report On Coal Block Allocation Scam

06 April, New Delhi

The Supreme Court Monday questioned the way CBI had decided to file a closure report in the Coal Block Allocation scam and said what was purpose of further investigation, when the probe agency had made up its mind to file a closure report in the case.

Terming the move of CBI as ‘a peculiar manner of investigation,’ a division bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri said, ”What is the purpose of further investigation, when you are taking a call for filing a closure report? This is a peculiar manner of investigation.”

The Apex court of the country passed these remarks when it was told by an NGO, which has sought probe by the Special Investigating Team (SIT) against former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, for being hand-in-glove with certain officials to derail the process of investigation in the Coal Block Allocation scam case.

Claiming innocence in the case, Sinha’s senior counsel Vikas Singh told the apex court that in coal block cases, every angle was explored against all the accused persons and when it was found that there was no evidence against certain accused, the investigative agency filed a closure report in the case.

Prashant Bhushan, senior Supreme Court lawyer appearing for the NGO Common Cause, had alleged that Sinha, as the then CBI Director, had not followed the rule while dealing with the case.

Bhushan said the court also rejected the closure report earlier and had ordered to appoint a Special Public Prosecutor and Special CBI Judge, to deal exclusively with coal scam cases