Will Manmohan Singh face the coal scam heat? SC to hear former PM’s plea on April 1

By Newsgram Staff Writer

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will take up for hearing of Manmohan Singh's plea in coal scam case on April 1.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has filed a petition challenging his summoning by the apex court in connection with the allocation of a Talabira II coal block to owned Hindalco which is owned by industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla.

On being asked when they were going to mention former prime minister's plea for an early hearing, a senior counsel who will appear for Manmohan Singh on Friday said there is no need to mention as petition is listed for hearing on April 1.

Special Court Judge Bharat Parashar, who is holding trial of cases rooted in coal block allocation scam, on March 11 had summoned Manmohan Singh as an accused for allocating Talabira II coal block in Orissa to Hindalco in 2005.

Besides the former prime minister, the court had also summoned Birla and then coal secretary P.C. Parakh under offences of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust of the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.