NEW DELHI: Today (16th Jan): Justice K.V. Viswanathan of the Supreme Court recused himself from hearing cases related to the coal scam, citing his prior involvement as a lawyer in one of the matters.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away Yesterday (Dec 26), aged 92 in the national capital, had a brush with the justice system when he was summoned as an accused in a coal block allocation case. The Supreme Court, however, intervened and stayed the directive. Singh, an astute economist and a stalwart politician, questioned the absence of the mandated sanction for prosecuting public officials like him, and denied any criminality in his decision concerning the coal block allocation.
![[Coal Scam] Setback for Former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda; Supreme Court Rejects Plea To Contest Upcoming Election](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-1-4.jpg?resize=447%2C367&ssl=1)
The Supreme Court today (25th Oct) denied former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda’s plea to stay his 2017 conviction for corruption in a coal scam, preventing him from contesting the upcoming assembly elections. The Delhi High Court previously ruled against staying the conviction, reinforcing the decision that Koda cannot hold public office until fully acquitted.
Today, On 24th October, the Supreme Court will hear Madhu Koda’s plea for a stay on his 2017 conviction concerning the coal scam. Koda, convicted for corruption in coal block allocations, aims to contest upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections. The Delhi High Court previously denied similar requests, citing disqualification from public office for convicted individuals.
