The Supreme Court of India formally accepted the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure reports regarding the late former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the long-pending coal block allocation case, setting aside a 2015 trial court order that had summoned him as an accused. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant noted that while the appeal technically became infructuous following Singh’s passing in December 2024, judicial intervention was necessary to address the adverse observations and improper findings against him. The apex court held that the special judge had failed to apply settled legal principles by rejecting the investigating agency’s twice-submitted closure reports without any compelling or cogent reason. The case originated from the 2005 allocation of the Talabira-II coal block in Odisha to Hindalco Industries during Singh’s tenure as Minister of Coal, a decision he maintained was a legitimate administrative policy. By quashing the trial court’s summoning order and endorsing the CBI’s findings of zero criminality, the Supreme Court delivered complete legal exoneration and brought an end to a decade-long legal battle.
