SC accepts CBI's clean chit to former PM Manmohan Singh

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the decision of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to close the case against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant quashed the 2015 order of a special CBI Court summoning former PM Singh in a coal block allocation case.

The Bench held that the trial court had no compelling reason to reject the CBI's closure report and take cognizance against Singh. Thus, it accepted the closure report filed against Singh by the CBI. The Bench allowed Singh's appeal challenging the summons issued to him by a trial court in 2015 in the case.


"We are satisfied that there were no compelling reasons for the sessions judge to turn down the CBI's closure reports and take cognizance. Consequently, we allow the SLP and set aside the impugned orders of the special judge, thereby accepting the closure reports filed by the CBI and closing the matter on merits," the Bench said in its order.

Singh passed away on December 26, 2024. The Bench decided to examine the legality of the trial court's order because it contained adverse observations against him.

Appearing on behalf of the late former Prime Minister, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal contended that while the appeal could have technically become infructuous after Singh's demise, the trial court's remarks warranted interference. He urged the court to expunge the observations made against the former Prime Minister.