Coal scam: SC asks CBI to probe its ex-boss Sinha with 'due earnestness'

SC holds Ranjit Sinha prima facie guilty of abuse of authority in multi-crore coal scam

The Supreme Court on Monday directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an investigation against former CBI Director, Ranjit Sinha for his alleged involvement in the coal scam case, holding him prima facie guilty of abuse of authority for frequent meetings with some of the accused in the coal scam.

"Prima facie a case is made out against him for allegedly conniving with certain accused in coal scam,", Supreme Court said,

The apex court asked CBI chief Alok Verma to probe with 'due earnestness' his predecessor Ranjit Sinha for abuse of office.

A special bench headed by Justice M B Lokur pronounced the probe.

The apex court had on July 12 last year had reserved the order on the issue after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the panel headed by former CBI special director M L Sharma has held that Sinha's meetings with some high- profile accused in the scam, prima facie indicated that there was an attempt to influence the investigation.

Rohtagi, who had only received an initial report of the panel for perusal on condition of confidentiality, had said he had gone through the report which has found that the visitors' diary at Sinha's residence was genuine.

However, he had said the correctness of entries in that diary can only be ascertained in the court through evidence.

The apex court-appointed panel was probing the alleged scuttling of probe into coal block allocation scam cases by Sinha, whose meetings with the accused persons were held as "completely inappropriate".

Earlier, the court had given the initial report of the Sharma committee to the Attorney General for his perusal, as the bench wanted his assistance after the panel had sought a direction for supply of documents relating to preliminary enquiry into some of the matters in which the probe was closed.

On December 7, 2015, the court had ordered handing over the original visitors' diary of the official residence of the former CBI director to the Sharma-led panel.