Sunaina Sharma Appointed to Lead Coal Scam Trials

The Supreme Court has appointed Sunaina Sharma from the Delhi Higher Judicial Service to conduct trials in the coal scam cases investigated by the CBI. She replaces special CBI judge Sanjay Bansal, and along with Dheeraj Mor, will oversee 29 pending corruption cases. The top court had previously increased the number of courts for these trials.

The Supreme Court has taken a significant step forward in the handling of the ongoing coal scam cases by appointing Sunaina Sharma, an officer from the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, to conduct the trials. The decision follows a recommendation from a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Sharma replaces the incumbent special CBI judge Sanjay Bansal, who had sought to be relieved from conducting the trials. The Delhi High Court had submitted a list of three potential candidates for the position, with Sharma emerging as the Supreme Court's choice. She, along with Dheeraj Mor, will now oversee the 29 pending coal scam cases.

The coal scam has been an ongoing issue since the Supreme Court quashed 214 coal block allocations in 2014, prompting a directive for thorough investigations. With this new appointment, the court aims to expedite the legal process and ensure justice is served efficiently.

(With inputs from agencies.)