New Delhi: In a move which is bound to have long-term political repercussions, a special CBI court on Tuesday directed the investigative agency to examine former prime minister Manmohan Singh over its probe into the allocation of the Talabira-II coal block to Hindalco in 2005, that involved top industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla.

Dr Singh held the coal portfolio in 2005.

Besides Dr Singh, the court also said it would be appropriate if the investigating officer examines B.V.R. Subramanyam, who was PS to Dr Singh, and T.K.A. Nair, who was then working as principal secretary in the PMO, in connection with the case.

Sending the matter back to the CBI for a further probe after it had filed a closure report, special judge Bharat Parashar said it would be “appropriate” that the then coal minister be “first examined” on various aspects of the matter.