Former CBI director tried to manipulate coal scam probe: AG Rohatgi

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi today told the Supreme Court that the panel appointed to enquire the investigation of the coal block allocation scam has indicated that there was an attempt made by former Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI) director Ranjit Sinha to influence the probe.

Rohatgi, who was provided with the copy of the interim report, said he studied the panel report by former CBI special director M L Sharma which confirmed that the visitors' diary at Sinha's residence was genuine.

However, he said that the credibility of these entries in the diary can only be ascertained in the court of law through evidence.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, vouching for Sinha, refuted the allegation saying that the entries in the diary were dubious as the former CBI director was not in the national capital on many of those days.

Taking note of the submissions, a bench headed by Justice M B Lokur reserved its order for passing directions.

The apex court-appointed panel has been investigating the allegations on Sinha whose meetings with those accused in the scam have been held as "completely inappropriate".

Earlier, the court had received an initial report of the Sharma panel and had handed it over to the AG for examination on the condition of keeping it confidential.

The copy of the report was given to the AG as the bench wanted his assistance after the Sharma panel had sought apex court's direction for supply of documents relating to the preliminary enquiry into some of the matters in which the probe was closed.

On December 7 last year, the court had ordered handing over of the original visitors' diary of the official residence of the former CBI director to the Sharma-led panel.

The bench then appointed a panel headed by Sharma who later sought the visitors' diary to proceed with the probe.