Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: A Special Court on Tuesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to further investigate the coal scam case, allegedly involving former coal secretary P C Parakh and industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla.
The court also asked CBI to record the statement of Manmohan Singh. "I desire that statements of then coal minister (Manmohan Singh) be recorded," Special Judge told the CBI.
The Court has also directed CBI to file status report of its further probe in the case on January 27.
An FIR was lodged against industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former Coal Secretary P C Parakh and others relating to the allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in Odissa in 2005 to Hindalco. CBI had later on filed a closure report in the case.
During the hearing on November 25, CBI had come in for some tough questioning from the court which had asked why the agency did not question former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was also holding the coal portfolio between 2005 and 2009.
The court’s observations came after CBI submitted that though initially it felt Singh’s examination was required, later it was found to be not necessary.
With PTI Inputs
