Coal Scam: Former ASG Maninder Singh, advocate Rajesh Batra appointed Special Public Prosecutors

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 16

The Supreme Court has appointed senior advocate Maninder Singh and advocate Rajesh Batra as Special Public Prosecutors for Enforcement Directorate cases registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in the coal scam.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde ordered that Maninder Singh – a former Additional Solicitor General – and Batra would replace senior advocate RS Cheema who wanted to be relieved from the responsibility.

“Though there was no consensus on the names of individuals, the learned counsel appearing on all sides unanimously agreed that this Court should appoint a seasoned trial court lawyer of impeccable integrity and a designated senior advocate to guide him and conduct the proceedings,” the Bench said, adding it has made the appointments “taking into account the above said criteria.” Passed on April 12, the order has now been uploaded on the top court’s website.

Expressing reservations over the names suggested by the Supreme Court to replace senior counsel RS Cheema as special public prosecutor to conduct trial in ED cases in the coal scam, the Centre had on Monday proposed that Maninder Singh and Rajesh Batra should be given the responsibility.

“We have some reservations,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said on Monday after the Bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for his opinion on the names advocates Satish Tamta and DP Singh.

Appointed as Special PP in 2014 by the top court, Cheema had sought to be relieved from the responsibility citing his age and shortage of law officers assisting him. However, he has agreed to continue as Special PP in CBI cases in coal scam.

On April 5, it had appointed two judicial officers—Arun Bhardwaj and Sanjay Bansal—as special judges to conduct trials in coal scam cases pending since 2014 in place of special judge Bharat Parashar who was holding trials in 41 cases.