SC allows Harish Salve to withdraw as amicus, raps some senior lawyers for imputing motives to it

Vedanta lawyer Harish N Salve on Friday recused himself from acting as the amicus of the Supreme Court in the Covid-19 crisis case after senior advocates accused SC of stepping in to restrain high courts from dealing with Covid-19 related cases.

Salve also took umbrage to insinuations that he had been appointed amicus as he was a friend of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde. Conflict of interest allegations were alos levelled against me, he said, seeking permission to recuse himself. Appearing for Vedanta, Salve offered to manufacture oxygen for free at its Tuticorin plant shut in 2018 over environmental violations. Tamil Nadu had opposed it.

The CJI observed that it was strange that every time the court looked for an amicus it would have to ensure that it was a lawyer the judges did not know. He, however, permitted Salve to recuse himself as amicus.


As the din over the allegations that the top court was stepping on the toes of the high courts continued, SG Tushar Mehta urged the CJI to adjourn the case so that the CJI could have a peaceful last day in court.