SC asks CBI to clarify stand on ex-director

Sinha met coal-scam accused, says Bhushan

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take a stand on fresh allegations made against its former director Ranjit Sinha of scuttling the investigation into the coal block allocation scam following his frequent meetings with the accused.

A three-judge bench, presided over by Justice Madan B Lokur, asked the CBI to look at a note submitted by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of NGO Common Cause alleging that meetings of the scam-accused, like Vijay Darda, his son, and former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, with Sinha at his residence here had resulted into closing of cases against them.

“We have to take a call. Either we have to agree with you (the CBI) or with him (Bhushan),” said the bench, posting the matter for consideration on February 16.

The court's decision came amid claims by Sinha's counsel, senior advocate Vikas Singh, that Bhushan's charges were a “blatant lie” and made with malicious intent.

The bench, also consisting of Justices Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri, however, decided to list an application pressing perjury charges against Bhushan for hearing on February 16.

In this contention, Bhushan had said that the entries in the visitors’ register of the former CBI director made it clear about that he had frequent meetings with the high-profile accused, which subsequently led to closing of the cases against them.

“If there is so much of evidence on record that this gentleman (Sinha) had so many times met with the accused and tried to change the course of the probe and manoeuvre the situation for closing cases, this court has to find out how this gentleman goes on meeting   (the accused) dozens of times and manoeuvres the investigation,” Bhushan had submitted.

He sought examination of charges against Sinha by the court-appointed special public prosecutor, as was done in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.