SC seeks status report from SIT probing former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the SIT, probing allegations of abuse of authority by former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to scuttle the coal scam probe, to submit status report before it within four weeks.

A three-judge bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri sought to know the status of the probe after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, contended that the report should be called from the SIT as several months have gone since the SIT's formation.

The court also directed the CBI Director to finalise eight pending cases on or before January 15, 2018.

Senior advocate R S Cheema, acting as special public prosecutor in coal scam cases, submitted that eight CBI cases relating to the scam were pending consideration before the "highest authority" of the agency.

To this, Bhushan asked, "why should these cases be kept pending before the highest authority? These are politically sensitive cases".

Cheema argued that CBI had requested the West Bengal government to give some documents pertaining to the coal block allocations in the state but the documents have not yet been handed over to the agency.

The bench issued notice to the state government directing it to inform the court why the records have not been given to the CBI.