(Image source from: Former PM Manmohan Singh’s appeal in SC not to be heard on 21 September})

Quashing of summons to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by a special court will not be heard by the apex court on 21 September. Singh’s lawyer Kapil Sibal said that the process of giving the court papers to the parties in the case is still underway and more time is needed to complete the process. There are other issues in the appeal filed by Singh, along with others, against the lower court’s summons which will fall beyond the scope of the coal bench of the apex court and so shouldn’t be listed before that bench.

The appeals by former PM arise out of an 11 March order, in which the special court judge Bharat Parashar had summoned Singh, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh and two Hindalco executives, D. Bhattacharya and group executive president of Aditya Birla Management Corp. Pvt. Ltd Shubhendu Amitabh for criminal conspiracy and corruption. They are required to be present before the court on 8 April.

Former PM Singh and the others are summoned over the allotment of Odisha blocks Talabira II and Talabira III coalfields to a joint venture between Hindalco, Neyveli Lignite Corp. Ltd and Mahanadi Coalfields in 2005.

By Premji