Extension to ED Chief: SC to hear maintainability petitions on Thursday

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it was “not concerned” about the political affiliation of the petitioners who had challenged the extensions granted to Enforcement Directorate chief SK Mishra.

The top court said it would on Thursday hear arguments, if any, on the maintainability of the batch of petitions challenging the extensions.

A bench headed by Justice BR Gavai expressed displeasure over the absence of the central government's senior lawyer to argue the case on Tuesday. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the counsel for the government sought a pass over on behalf of the solicitor general. The bench then verbally remarked that at the last hearing, it was made clear that the matter would be taken up on Tuesday. “Is this fair to the court,” Justice Gavai asked.


The bench, however, agreed to adjourn the case to Thursday.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the issue of inter partes had already been decided by the court.

The counsel for the government, however, argued that it would address the court on the maintainability of the petitions. The Centre, in its affidavit filed last month, had argued that the public interest litigations were motivated by personal interest of the president and office bearers of the Congress party.

The said objection, to the ma- intainability of the petitions, was flagged by Singhvi.

Adding to it, amicus curiae KV Viswanathan contended that the arguments ed to be addressed “purely on law” and that the challenge could not be raised on the ground of “politics of the petitioners or individual cases”. To this, the bench verbally remarked that it was not concerned about who belonged to the Congress and who belonged to the BJP.

In January, the amicus curiae had informed the top court that the extensions given to the ED chief were “illegal”.