An Indian court summoned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday over accusations of criminal conspiracy and corruption in the illegal award of a coal field, a blow for the Gandhi dynasty that ruled India until last year.
A special court under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ordered the 82-year-old Singh, billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla and another official to appear on April 8, the court said in an order.
“I am upset, but this is a part of life,” a visibly distressed Singh told reporters in parliament, where he sits in the upper house. It is rare but not unknown for former Indian prime ministers to be called into court.
Known for his personal integrity and humble lifestyle, Singh has not been charged with any crime but is being investigated for criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, a prosecution lawyer said on condition of anonymity.
The CBI, India’s federal law enforcement agency, had earlier excluded Singh from the investigation. His Congress party called the summons a backlash against its opposition to economic reforms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to push through parliament.
In the past, the Supreme Court has accused the CBI of acting on the wishes of the government.
Parliamentary standoff
The summons coincided with a debate in the upper house on a bill to allow coal-field auctions. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the issue was a blot on Congress and called on the party to end its opposition to the bill.
“I hope reason will prevail,” Javadekar said. He denied any vendetta or political interference in the judicial process.
The maximum sentence for criminal breach of trust is life imprisonment. Singh said he was evaluating his legal options, which include seeking a stay on the summons from a higher court.
The mild-mannered economist implemented 1990s free-market reforms that unshackled India from its socialist past. Recognisable in his trademark blue turban, glasses and beard, he played a prominent role managing the 2008 financial crisis.
His second term at the helm of a Congress-led coalition was mired in corruption scandals and accusations that party leader Sonia Gandhi called the shots, tarnishing his image.
