Coal scam: CBI to record Manmohan statement

New Delhi: A special court hearing the coal block case involving industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and others here Tuesday asked CBI to record the statement of former prime minister Manmohan Singh who was then holding coal ministry portfolio.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar asked Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to record the statement of Manmohan Singh in the case.

The court also ordered CBI to conduct further investigation in the case and posted the matter for Jan 27.

"I have ordered further investigation. I desire that statement of then coal minister (Manmohan Singh) be recorded beside other officials," the judge said.

The CBI had booked Birla, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh, and others on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the coal blocks' allocation in October 2013.

But the central investigating agency filed a closure report in the case Aug 28, saying: "The evidence collected during investigations did not substantiate the allegations levelled against the people named in the FIR (first information report)."

The court, earlier, sought to know on what basis did the CBI draw its conclusion to close the case and what kind of investigation it has conducted.

The court also sought clarifications from the CBI whether an element of criminality was involved in allocating the coal blocks to the Birla-promoted Hindalco firm.

Special Public Prosecutor R.S. Cheema, in the last month's hearing, had told the court that it could take cognizance of the CBI's closure report filed Oct 21 as there was no prima facie "evidence against the accused to show their involvement".

The court Nov 25 has asked the investigating officer if officials at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the then coal minister were examined. The officer said some PMO officials were examined but the then coal minister was not.