The Supreme Court has strongly censured the CBI for showing a report on its coal investigation to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and others in the government before submitting it to judges last month. It has observed that "sharing information with the government has shaken the entire process," and has told the government to "liberate the CBI from political interference." Today's hearing is crucial for Mr Kumar, who has refused to resign despite the opposition stalling parliament over the demand that he quit.
Here are the latest developments in this story:
The court said today that the CBI must explain why the agency did not reveal that the report had been shared, when the document was submitted in a sealed cover to the judges on March 12. The CBI made its admission only last week, when it submitted a written affidavit sought by the court.
The judges asked the CBI today if the facts did not suggest "a total erosion of faith this court placed in you." They said the "suppression by the CBI was not ordinary."
In an important observation, the judges said "the CBI's independent position must be restored" and that the court's "first exercise will be to liberate CBI from political interference."
The BJP has said that the Prime Minster must resign after the Supreme Court's strong censure. It has accused the UPA government of being "thick skinned" and said it will campaign more intensely against the government. Both Houses of Parliament saw repeated adjournments over the controversy today.
The government has so far backed its Law Minister. After the Supreme Court's strong censure today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath briefed the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Sources said both leaders are disturbed at the developments.
Last week, CBI director Ranjit Sinha said in an affidavit that its report submitted in March had indeed been vetted by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and a senior bureaucrat each from the Coal Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
Today, before Supreme Court hearing began, the CBI chief Ranjit Sinha told NDTV that when he screened the report, the Law Minister did make changes to the document, but Mr Sinha said he could not recall the amendments.
Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval, who is representing the CBI in the case, has accused Attorney General GE Vahanvati of trying to shape not just this case, but others being handled by the CBI as well. Attorney General GE Vahanvati is representing the government in the case.
Mr Raval had told the court on March 12 that the government had not seen the CBI's report. He has said in his letter that he was "forced to take a stand in the court consistent with" Mr Vahanvati's submission that the report was shared with anyone in the government. Mr Raval is likely to resign soon, sources said.
The CBI is monitoring the inquiry into how and why coal fields were allocated to private players without a transparent bidding process. The case is sensitive for the government because for some of the years under scrutiny, the Prime Minister held direct charge of the Coal Ministry.
