IANS/New Delhi

The Supreme Court yesterday appointed senior counsel R S Cheema as the special public prosecutor in the case relating to alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks.

A bench of chief justice R M Lodha, justice Madan B Lokur and justice Kurian Joseph also approved the appointment of sessions judge Bharat Parashar as a judge of the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that will hear the case on a day-to-day basis.

Parashar’s name was recommended by the Delhi High Court.

The court gave the authorities two weeks to issue notification for the setting of special court to be presided over by Parashar and the appointment of Cheema, who practices in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as special public prosecutor.

The court also directed that all the matters pending in different court relating to coal blocks allocation scam would stand transferred to the special court.

The apex court on July 18 had decided to set up a special court to try cases arising from coal block allocation scam and also appoint a special public prosecutor to lead the prosecution cases before the special court. The chief justice of the Delhi High Court had been asked to name a judge to preside over the special court.

Initially the court discussed a couple of names but all had to be given up following reservation from one quarter or the other.

At this stage, additional solicitor general Maninder Singh suggested Cheema’s name. The court then asked Singh to ascertain if Cheema was willing to take up the assignment and his name was finalised after his consent.

Allowing an application by the income tax department, the court directed the CBI to share information relating to recovery of some cash from an office of Hindalco, an Aditya Birla company.

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