A Supreme Court-appointed committee led by former CBI Special Director M.L. Sharma on Wednesday handed over its report on investigations into frequent meetings held by the investigating agency’s former chief Ranjit Sinha with prominent accused in the coal scam cases as revealed from a leaked visitors’ logbook maintained at his official residence.

A Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur directed that a copy of the report be handed over to Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi in a sealed cover to help the top law officer provide assistance on future course of action by the apex court in the matter.

The court asked Mr. Rohatgi to peruse the report and come back with his suggestion on whether copies could be handed over to NGO Common Cause, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan. The court scheduled the case for further hearing on May 4.

The committee’s probe is to answer the fundamental question whether Mr. Sinha’s meetings had compromised the role of the CBI as an investigating and prosecuting agency in the coal scam trials.

No effect on probe

The CBI, however, rallied around its former chief, pointing out how such meetings had had no effect on the investigation and prosecution of the accused. To buttress its point, the CBI through senior advocate Amarendra Sharan said the recent conviction and awarding of a four-year prison term to R.S. Rungta and R.C. Rungta, directors of the Jharkhand Ispat Pvt Ltd (JIPL), shows Mr. Sinha was clean. This was the first conviction in the coal scam cases.

[Source:- The Hindu]