Supreme Court refuses pleas to look into coal allocation verdict again

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a batch of pleas filed by various firms to re-look into its earlier verdict by which allocations of 214 out of 218 coal blocks were cancelled and asked the CBI to ensure to complete the probe into coal block cases by March 2015. The apex court, which agreed to hear two petitions challenging the Centre's ordinance on fresh coal allocations on December 16, also rejected the peas of several under-ground mining firms which claimed that the order should not be applicable on them.

It also pulled up Enforcement Directorate filing "vague" status report in the case and directed the agency to file the next status report with "correct and updated facts."

A bench headed by Justice Madan Lokur fixed January 16, next year to decide the application filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of petitioner NGO Common Cause to set up Special Investigating Team to probe the "abuse of authority committed by erstwhile CBI director Ranji Sinha to scuttle inquiries, investigations and prosecutions carried out by the agency in coal block allocation cases.

It also returned the appraisal report, prepared by Income tax department, pertaining to alleged hawala operator and meat exporter Moin Qureshi's conversation with "high level contacts" saying "this is nothing to do with the coal case."

The bench asked the senior counsel appearing for the agency to ensure that the probe to be over by March next year. "You have sought extension since March this year. Complete the probe by March next year,' the bench said.