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 A special court under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
ordered the 82-year-old Singh, billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla and
another official to appear on April 8, a source at the agency said.
"I am upset, but this is a part of life," a visibly distressed Singh
told reporters in parliament, where he sits in the upper house. It
is rare but not unknown for former Indian prime ministers to be
called into court.
Known for his personal integrity and humble lifestyle, Singh has not
been charged with any crime but is being investigated for criminal
breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, a
prosecution lawyer said on condition of anonymity.
The CBI had earlier excluded Singh from the investigation. His
Congress party called the summons a backlash against its opposition
to economic reforms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to push
through parliament.
In the past, the Supreme Court has accused the CBI of acting on the
wishes of the government.
 PARLIAMENTARY STANDOFF
The summons coincided with a debate in the upper house on a bill to
allow coal-field auctions. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
said the issue was a blot on Congress and called on the party to end
its opposition to the bill.
"I hope reason will prevail," Javadekar said. He denied any vendetta
or political interference in the judicial process.
The maximum sentence for criminal breach of trust is life
imprisonment. Singh said he was evaluating his legal options, which
include seeking a stay on the summons from a higher court.
The mild-mannered economist implemented 1990s free-market reforms
that unshackled India from its socialist past. Recognizable in his
trademark blue turban, glasses and beard, he played a prominent role
managing the 2008 financial crisis.
His second term at the helm of a Congress-led coalition was mired in
corruption scandals and accusations that party leader Sonia Gandhi
called the shots, tarnishing his image.
"We have done nothing wrong and we have nothing to hide," said
Ambika Soni, a senior Congress leader close to the Gandhis.
The Gandhi lineage stretches back to India's first prime minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru. The family ruled for much of the period from
independence in 1947.
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AWARDS ILLEGAL
Most coal block awards made by Singh's government, which ran India
for a decade, were overturned late last year by the Supreme Court,
which ruled the process illegal.
The case known as "Coalgate" came to light in 2012 after a
government auditor said the exchequer had lost up to $33 billion due
to collusion between officials and private firms to depress the cost
of coal-field awards.
Modi, who ousted Singh last May, issued an executive order to
re-auction the fields in a process key to reducing India's
dependence on coal imports. He needs to pass legislation to make the
decree permanent.
Auctions of the first 32 blocks have brought in a projected $32
billion, Coal Secretary Anil Swarup told Reuters.
The summons relates to the allocation of a coal field in 2005 to
Hindalco Industries <HALC.NS>, part of the $40 billion Aditya Birla
Group. Kumar Mangalam Birla is the chairman of the group. The
company declined to comment.
Shares in Hindalco, an aluminum company, fell by 5 percent to their
lowest in nearly a year - extending falls over the past week to
nearly 20 percent.
Modi, who promised a "Congress-free India" in his election campaign,
was visiting the Seychelles as news of the summons broke posting
photos on Facebook of the tropical islands.
(Additional reporting by Suchitra Mohanty, Sanjeev Miglani, Malini
Menon and Aditya Kalra; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Robert
Birsel)
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