Coal scam: SC rejects ex-CBI chief Ranjit Sinha's plea for modification of order for SIT probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the ex-CBI boss Ranjit Sinha's plea for modification of order for SIT probe into charges of scuttling coal scam probe.

On January 23, the apex court had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to be headed by the CBI Director, to look into the prima facie allegations against former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha of trying to influence the probe in the coal scam cases.

The apex court had on July 12 last year reserved the order on the issue after Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi told the Bench that the panel headed by former CBI Special Director M.L. Sharma has held that Sinha’s meetings with some high-profile accused in the scam, prima facie indicated that there was an attempt to influence the investigation.

Rohtagi, who had only received an initial report of the panel for perusal on condition of confidentiality, had said he had gone through the report which has found that the visitors’ diary at Sinha’s residence was genuine.

However, he had said the correctness of entries in that diary could only be ascertained in the court through evidence.

On December 7, 2015, the court had ordered handing over the original visitors’ diary of the official residence of the former CBI Director to the Sharma-led panel.