Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been summoned to a special court over charges that he allegedly had a role in a multi-billion-dollar coal deal scandal.

Singh, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014, was in direct charge of the Coal Ministry and oversaw the sale of coal blocks.

The judges of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ordered Singh and five others to appear in court on April 8 to defend themselves against charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy for their alleged roles in the scandal. The charges also include breach of trust.

So far, there seems to be no hard evidence against Singh or the other defendants embroiled in the case, and there has been no immediate statement from Singh, who has previously said there was no wrongdoing on his part.

Two months ago, Singh was questioned by the CBI in connection with the allocation of a coal field in Odisha State in 2005 to Hindalco Industries.

The multi-billionaire head of Hindalco Industries, Kumarmangalam Birla, is among those summoned by the court to respond to the charges.

Last year, India’s Supreme Court cancelled 218 coal contracts dating from 1993 to 2010, saying the government deals for the mines lacked fairness and transparency.

The coal scandal, along with several other high-profile cases of alleged graft, led to Singh’s Congress party’s loss in last year’s elections and the rise of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

If the defendants are convicted of the crimes, they would be sentenced to life in prison.

XLS/HJL/HRB