New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS): A special court here on Wednesday deferred hearing in a coal block allocation case in which former prime minister Manmohan Singh was issued summons.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar deferred the hearing to December 21 as proceedings in the present matter have been stayed by the Supreme Court.

The trial court was hearing a case related to Odisha Talabira II coal block allocation to Kumar Mangalam Birla-owned Hindalco.

The apex court had also put on hold the summons issued to Birla, former coal secretary P.C. Parakh, Hindalco and one of its top officials D. Bhattacharya.

Manmohan Singh moved the apex court on March 25, challenging the summons issued by the trial court on March 11 over the allocation of Talabira II coal block in Odisha to Birla-owned Hindalco in 2005.

The court summoned Manmohan Singh, Birla and Parakh after it rejected a closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.