New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday appointed Sunaina Sharma, an officer of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, to conduct trials in the coal scam cases probed by the CBI.
A bench comprising
Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of apex court-appointed special public prosecutor and senior advocate R S Cheema that incumbent special CBI judge Sanjay Bansal was allowed to continue on April 8, 2025 for a period of six months.
Cheema further said that more than eight months have passed since then and the presiding officer is now seeking to be relieved from the task to conduct the trials in the coal scam cases.
The bench noted that the Delhi High Court has submitted a panel of three names of judicial officers to replace Bansal.
“We appoint Sunaina Sharma as a special judge (the Prevention of Corruption Act/CBI/coal block allocation cases). The High Court is at liberty to seek replacement of the aforesaid in case of any exigency,” the CJI ordered.
The bench also directed the apex court registry to list the pleas related to the coal scam cases before an appropriate bench.
On April 8, 2025, the bench had relieved another special CBI judge Arun Bhardwaj and replaced him with Dheeraj Mor.
Mor had taken over as “the Special Judge (PC Act/ CBI/ coal block cases) and other connected matters”.
With the fresh orders, now Mor and Sunaina Sharma will be conducting trials in all the pending coal scam cases.
According to reports available in last June, a total of 29 corruption cases filed by the CBI are currently pending before two special courts set up to try cases arising out of coal scam whereas 27 cases have been disposed of so far.
On January 16, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate informed the top court that 45 prosecution complaints (ED’s equivalent to a chargesheet), including supplementary ones, were pending under the PMLA.
The top court in 2014 quashed 214 coal blocks allocated by the Centre between 1993 and 2010 after taking note of two PILs and had ordered a trial by a special CBI judge.
It later increased the number of the courts to two to try the scam-related cases. PTI SJK MNL SJK KVK KVK
