NEW DELHI, 16 DEC

In a relief to the CBI, the Supreme Court on Monday set aside a judgement of the High Court of Karnataka quashing a 2013 criminal case against a MSPL Limited and others in connection with illegal iron ore export.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar asked the Dharwad bench of the High Court of Karnataka to decide the case afresh on charges except the amount of the alleged iron ore exported.

"We have set aside the (HC) judgement. The parties are directed to appear before the high court on 3 February, 2025,” the bench said, adding, "We have not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case."

The bench was hearing 11 appeals CBI filed against the 12 December judgement of Justice M Nagaprasanna of the high court.

The HC had quashed the CBI proceedings and said its registration of the case and the filing of the chargesheet against MSPL Limited and others were contrary to law.

The apex court empowered the CBI to investigate only cases of export above 50,000 metric tonnes of iron ore without valid permits, but the export quantity alleged in the chargesheet was 39,480 metric tonnes, which is below the threshold, the HC had said.

The high court held that the CBI lacked jurisdiction either to register the case or file the chargesheet, but said it did not mean that MSPL Limited could not be investigated. The HC order, therefore, partly allowed the petition and quashed the CBI’s chargesheet. —PTI