[Coal Block Allocation Case] Supreme Court Appoints Shri Maninder Singh & Shri Rajesh Batra as Special Public Prosecutors in cases filed by Directorate of Enforcement under PMLA

The Supreme Court led bench by Hon’ble Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna & Justice V Ramasubramanian has appointed Shri Maninder Singh, Senior Advocate & former Additional solicitor General of India; and Shri Rajesh Batra, Advocate as Special Public Prosecutors in the place of Shri R.S. Cheema in cases filed by Directorate of Enforcement under PMLA related to coal block allocation scam.

“Though there was no consensus on the names of individuals, the learned counsel appearing on all sides unanimously agreed that this Court should appoint a seasoned trial court lawyer of impeccable integrity and a designated senior advocate to guide him and conduct the proceedings.”, the order reads

The Court on 09.12.2019 directed Shri RS Cheema & Ld SGI to suggest a few names after an application was moved by the Directorate of Enforcement to include appointment of a new Special Public Prosecutor after Shri RS Cheema who was appointed as a Special Public Prosecutor on 25.07.2014 expressed his desire to be relieved from the post.

On the last date of hearing, the Bench upon the letter dated 03.02.2021 filed by the Registrar General of Delhi High Court to nominate/post another suitable Officer as Special Judge in place of Mr Bharat Parashar, Special Judge who was appointed vide order dated July 25,2014 to deal and exclusively try the offences pertaining to coal block allocation matters under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 and other allied offences appointed Shri Varun Bharadwaj and Shri Sanjay Bansal for Special Courts number 1 and 2, in their order of Seniority.

The full Judge Bench comprising the then Hon’ble Chief Justice RM Lodha, Justice Madan B Lokur & Justice Kurian Joseph of Supreme Court on August 25, 2014 declared that the allotment of coal blocks made by the Screening Committee of the Government of India, as also the allotments made through the Government dispensation route are arbitrary and illegal upon a petition filed by Common Cause an NGO including former cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami in 2012 questioning the legality of allocation of coal blocks to private companies from 1993 onwards.

Along with appointing Mr Bharat Parashar as a Special Judge, on July 25,2014, the Court also directed to transfer all the cases pending before different Courts in Delhi pertaining to coal block allocation matters to the Court of Special Judge.

Case Title: Manohar Lal Sharma v. The Principal Secretary & Ors | WP (Crl) 120 of 2012