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SC to examine allegations against sinha in coalgate probe
The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine a civil rights organisation’s allegations of interference against CBI director Ranjit Sinha that accused him of scuttling the coal block allocation scam probe.
The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine a civil rights organisation’s allegations of interference against CBI director Ranjit Sinha that accused him of scuttling the coal block allocation scam probe.
A special bench headed by justice MB Lokur fixed February 16 to hear the common cause’s application for a probe. It will then also hear Sinha’s application pressing perjury charges against the NGO and its counsel Prashant Bhushan.
Senior counsel Vikas Singh, appearing for Sinha, claimed judicial record was evidence of the fact that Bhushan was making “false and malicious” allegations.
Bhushan contended the entries in the visitors’ register of the former CBI director made it clear that he was meeting the high-profile accused and those associated with coal block allocation such as Vijay Darda, his son Devendra Darda and former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay.
However, CBI counsel senior advocate Amarender Sharan opposed Bhushan’s contention, saying his note contained incorrect contents. Sharan said CBI had already filed its response in a sealed cover to the NGO’s plea on September 17.
The NGO claimed that it came to light that Sinha and a few other senior officers of the level of joint director overruled investigating officers and forced them not to register cases.
The SC also sought an explanation from the Gujarat government over the CBI’s claim that the state had failed to provide information about two coal block allocations.
