A special CBI court on Friday dismissed former Jharkand CM Madhu Koda’s plea to summon former PM Manmohan Singh as an accused in the allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block to Jindal group firms. The court stated that it did not “find sufficient evidence warranting” Singh’s summoning. Special judge Bharat Parashar said that summoning of a former PM has to be seen from a “completely different yardstick”. The court also observed that Koda’s plea summoning Singh along with two other government officials of Jharkhand was “self contradictory in nature” and “devoid of any merit”. “I am of the considered opinion that seeking summoning of Dr Manmohan Singh as PM has to be seen from a completely different yard stick than seeking his summoning as a Minister. Though one may argue that summoning of Dr Mammohan Singh as Minister of Coal should be considered, but as already mentioned by me, at this stage I do not find sufficient evidence warranting his summoning as an accused,” Special Judge Parashar said. [related-post] Koda had moved the plea before the special court, seeking summoning of Singh and two officials of the Jharkhand government — Jai Shankar Tiwari, then Secretary (Mines & Geology) and Anand Swaroop, then Secretary (Energy). The special judge, however, clarified that if during the course of trial, sufficient evidence warranting summoning of any other public servant or private person comes on record, “then the law will certainly take its own course.” Stating that Koda’s application to be “self-contradictory”, the court said, “On the one hand, it has been alleged that. the government of Jharkhand was merely a recommending authority and as the final approval was given by Prime Minister/Minister of Coal so Dr Manmohan Singh was liable to be summoned as an accused. However, at the same time, two officers of government of Jharkhand who were part of a sub-group to make recommendations to the government of Jharkhand were sought to be summoned.” The court also said Koda’s application sought summoning of Singh as “Prime Minister and not as Minister of Coal”, adding that the plea was “completely silent” as to under which section of law it was moved.
