New Delhi / Ranchi : The Special court on Friday dismissed ex-Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda’s plea seeking summoning of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as accused in a coal scam case.
The Special court on Friday dismissed ex-Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda’s plea seeking summoning of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as accused in a coal scam case.
Koda had on August 17, moved an application seeking to summon Singh as an accused along with Anand Swaroop, the then Secretary (Energy), and Jai Shankar Tiwari, the then Secretary(Mines and Geology), contending that CBI’s theory of conspiracy remains incomplete without the involvement of the then Prime Minister who was also holding the portfolio of Coal Minister.
Koda’s counsel had argued in the court that the then Prime Minister was “aware of everything” in the process of allocating a coal block to Naveen Jindal group firm and if there was any conspiracy to allocate the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand, it could not have been without the knowledge of Singh who was also the then coal minister.
Koda, had said if there was any conspiracy to allocate the Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to Jindal group firm, it could not have been without the knowledge of the then Prime Minister who was also the coal minister at that time.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand to two Jindal group companies, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Gagan Sponge Iron Pvt Ltd (GSIPL). Koda, Jindal and 13 others were chargesheeted by the CBI in the case earlier.
Referring to the facts of the case and a Delhi High Court verdict, Koda said in his plea “it is clear that Dr Manmohan Singh as Coal Minister has allotted the coal block without public interest and there is sufficient evidence on record warranting this court to summon him for facing trial” if CBI’s contention was accepted that the allotment was illegal.
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