The Supreme Court has ordered the Delhi High Court to resolve pending coal scam appeals within four weeks. The ruling forbids interim stays on trials to speed up the legal process, marking a shift from the 2014 mandate that required all appeals to be handled directly by the top court.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a directive to speed up the disposal of legal cases linked to the coal block allocation scam. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant has instructed the Delhi High Court to wrap up pending appeals within a four-week timeframe. To ensure these trials move forward without further delay, the top court explicitly prohibited the High Court from granting any interim stays.
This decision marks a significant change from the court's 2014 order. At that time, the Supreme Court had ruled that all appeals arising from the special court’s orders in coal scam cases must be filed directly with the Supreme Court, effectively bypassing the Delhi High Court. This restriction was originally put in place to prevent those accused from using the appeals process to stall trial proceedings.
However, in recent times, several accused individuals requested a change to this rule, arguing that being unable to approach the High Court limited their legal rights. The Supreme Court recently signaled that it would consider these requests. By allowing these appeals to be heard in the High Court while setting a strict four-week deadline and blocking interim stays, the court aims to balance the need for fair access to legal avenues with the need for timely trial completion.
The coal scam, which centered on the allocation of 214 coal blocks between 1993 and 2010, remains one of the most long-standing legal matters in the Indian judiciary. The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed 57 cases related to the scam, along with numerous money laundering investigations that are currently at different stages. The movement of these cases has been a significant concern for the judicial system given the scale of the original allegations.
The primary focus for the legal system and the parties involved will now be the speed of these High Court proceedings. By removing the possibility of interim stays and setting a clear deadline, the court is looking to ensure that these decade-old matters reach a conclusion rather than remaining in a cycle of repeated delays. Further updates will depend on the progress of these specific appeals in the Delhi High Court over the coming month.