CBI ex-chief's plea for recall of probe order dismissed

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by former CBI director Ranjit Sinha to recall an order to investigate his role for prima facie scuttling the investigation in coal scam cases.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur rejected Sinha’s application, saying there was no merit in the plea.

The court directed that the probe by the Special Investigation Team has to continue.

The apex court had on January 23 directed incumbent CBI chief Alok Verma to lead a criminal probe against Sinha over his private meetings with the accused in the coal block allocations scam, saying a “prima facie case has definitely been made out for investigation into the abuse of authority”.

Sinha’s counsel senior advocate Vikas Singh cited the apex court’s order in the reported Sahara-Birla payoff case,  wherein the diary entries were found to be insufficient to order a probe.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, which filed the petition, countered Sinha’s plea, saying the order in the Sahara-Birla case was not to be taken as the right one.

The court, however, said it was not required to look into that case as it was based on different facts.

The court also said its order for the probe was based on a report submitted by former CBI additional director M L Sharma.