In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday formally exonerated former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case, bringing a decisive end to one of the most politically sensitive cases linked to the UPA government's coal allocation controversy. The apex court quashed a 2015 trial court order that had summoned Singh as an accused, ruling that there was "no cogent reason" to prosecute him, especially after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had twice filed closure reports finding no evidence against him.
The verdict was delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, who observed that the trial court had erred in summoning the former prime minister despite the investigating agency's repeated conclusion that no criminal case was made out.
The ruling carries immense significance as it offers posthumous legal vindication to Manmohan Singh, who passed away in December 2024 while his appeal against the summoning order had remained pending before the Supreme Court for over a decade. Although the bench noted that the appeal had technically become infructuous following Singh's demise, it held that examining the legality of the trial court's order was necessary in the interests of justice.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the trial court's decision to summon Singh lacked sufficient legal basis, particularly when the CBI had twice investigated the matter and found no material warranting his prosecution. By quashing the summons, the court expressly endorsed the CBI's findings, effectively closing all criminal proceedings against the former prime minister.
The coal block allocation cases, popularly referred to as the "coal scam," emerged as one of the most contentious issues during the second term of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Several allocations made between 2004 and 2009 came under judicial and investigative scrutiny following allegations of irregularities and alleged financial losses to the exchequer.
Manmohan Singh, who briefly held the Coal Ministry portfolio during part of the allocation period, was summoned by a special CBI court in 2015 in connection with the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha. The trial court's decision had surprised many legal observers, as it came despite the CBI's closure reports stating that there was no prosecutable evidence against him.
The Supreme Court's latest order effectively overturns that decision, reinforcing the principle that criminal prosecution must be supported by credible evidence and cannot proceed merely on conjecture. The bench underlined that when an investigating agency, after a thorough probe, concludes that no offence is made out, any contrary judicial decision must be backed by compelling legal reasons.
With Wednesday's judgment, the apex court has brought finality to the proceedings against the late former prime minister, affirming that there was no justification for his prosecution. The verdict marks the conclusion of a long-running legal chapter and restores Manmohan Singh's legal standing in one of the most high-profile cases arising from the coal block allocation controversy.
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