‘We accept the closure reports’: SC ends 12 years-long Manmohan Singh coal case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has brought an end to the criminal case against former prime minister Manmohan Singh related to the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha in 2005.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana accepted the closure reports filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and set aside the earlier order that had summoned Singh as an accused.

The court said there was no sufficient reason for the trial court to reject the CBI's closure reports and take further cognisance of the matter.

Court accepts CBI closure reports

The Supreme Court noted that although Singh's death in December 2024 meant the appeal could technically become irrelevant, it examined the legal question surrounding the trial court's decision to reject the CBI reports.

The bench observed that after reviewing the investigation agency's reports and existing legal principles, it found no justification for continuing the proceedings.

The court said: "We are satisfied that there was no reason for the learned judge to turn down closure reports of CBI and take cognisance."

Following this, the court accepted the CBI closure reports and closed the case.

Case related to Talabira-II coal block allocation

The case concerned the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha to Hindalco Industries in 2005, when Manmohan Singh was serving as prime minister and also holding the coal portfolio.

A special CBI court had earlier summoned Singh, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P C Parakh and others as accused in the case.

The allegations involved sections of the Indian Penal Code related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Singh had challenged the summons, arguing that there was no criminal wrongdoing in his decision-making process and that mandatory sanction requirements for prosecuting public officials had not been followed.

CBI had earlier found no prosecutable evidence

The CBI had initially registered a case naming P C Parakh, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Hindalco Industries and others over the coal block allocation.

However, after investigation, the agency filed a closure report, stating that there was insufficient evidence to proceed against Singh and others.

The trial court had refused to accept the closure report and directed further examination of Singh and senior officials connected with the Prime Minister's Office.

The matter later reached the Supreme Court, which stayed the trial court's order.

Political significance of the coal allocation controversy

The coal block allocation controversy, widely known as the "Coalgate" issue, became one of the biggest political controversies during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) government.

The BJP and other Opposition parties had accused the then government of irregularities in coal block allocations and highlighted the issue during the political campaign ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The controversy became part of a wider debate over corruption allegations during the UPA period, along with issues such as the 2G spectrum case and Commonwealth Games controversy.

The Supreme Court's decision formally ends the criminal proceedings against Manmohan Singh in this case after accepting the CBI's closure reports.

The ruling addresses the legal status of the case, while the broader political debate surrounding coal block allocations remains part of India's recent political history.

The judgment also highlights the difference between political allegations surrounding policy decisions and the legal requirement of proving criminal wrongdoing through evidence.