Coal Scam: Ex-CBI Chief Ranjit Sinha's Role to be Probed Further

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered further investigation into allegations that former CBI director Ranjit Sinha attempted to influence probe into the coal scam case.

The court has directed the CBI to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to look into prima facie charges against Sinha. The SIT will be headed by its current director and Special Public Prosecutor RS Cheema will assist the team on legal issues in the matter, the court said.

The court pronounced its order on the action to be taken on a report of its panel which has held that prima facie there was an attempt to influence investigation in the coal block allocation scam cases by former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha.

The apex court had on July 12 last year reserved the order on the issue after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench that the panel headed by former CBI special director ML Sharma has held that Sinha's meetings with some high-profile accused in the scam, prima facie indicated that there was an attempt to influence the investigation.

Rohtagi, who had only received an initial report of the panel for perusal on condition of confidentiality, had said he had gone through the report which has found that the visitors' diary at Sinha's residence was genuine.

However, he had said the correctness of entries in that diary can only be ascertained in the court through evidence.

The apex court-appointed panel was probing the alleged scuttling of probe into coal block allocation scam cases by Sinha, whose meetings with the accused persons were held as "completely inappropriate".

Earlier, the court had given the initial report of the Sharma committee to the Attorney General for his perusal, as the bench wanted his assistance after the panel had sought a direction for supply of documents relating to preliminary enquiry into some of the matters in which the probe was closed.

On December 7, 2015, the court had ordered handing over the original visitors' diary of the official residence of the former CBI director to the Sharma-led panel.

(With PTI agency)