Former PM Manmohan Singh summoned as accused in coal scam

New Delhi: A special CBI court on Wednesday summoned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an accused in the Coalgate scam, a significant development that is likely to have a cascading effect on the country’s political situation.

The case pertains to the allocation of Talabira II coal block (in Orissa) to Hindalco in 2005 and involves industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, who, along with former coal secretary P.C. Parakh, have also been summoned as accused.

The court observed that the former PM was “roped” into a criminal conspiracy to “accommodate” a major private company in coal block allocation. Dr Singh held the coal portfolio in 2005.

Special CBI judge Bharat Parashar in his order clarified that he was fully conscious of the observations made by him as the then minister of coal was none else but the then Prime Minister. “It will not be wrong if I say that while coming to such a conclusion about prima facie involvement of the then Prime Minister in the present matter this court had to act with a heavy conscience and with full realisation the present order or the observations/conclusions being made here will have over the morale of the country as a whole,” he said.