Describing the issue raised by the Narendra Modi government in a petition on the appointment of the Gujarat lokayukta by the governor without consulting his council of ministers as “very important”, the Supreme Court on Friday admitted the state’s appeal brushing aside the formality of preliminary hearing.
“The petition raises an important issue, we want to examine it and are listing it for the final disposal. We have already prepared our notes on the issue,” a bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan and J.S. Khehar told a battery of top lawyers, appearing for different parties.
Even before Gujarat’s counsel Harish Salve and senior counsel Fali Nariman, P.P. Rao and Prashant Bhushan appearing for different parties, including Justice R.A. Mehta (Retd), who was appointed the lokayukta, principle secretary to the governor and NGO, national council for civil liberty, could open preliminary arguments, the top court said it was admitting the appeal.
The bench further told the lawyers that all those who are the “interested parties” and wanted to “implead” in the case, were free to file applications in this regard.
Since the appeal of the Gujarat government was straightaway admitted by the top court and fixed for final arguments on March 20, the bench did not thought it necessary even to stay the Gujarat high court verdict upholding the appointment of Justice Mehta as the lokayukta.
However, his appointment will not automatically materialise till the top court has decided the case, the counsel, appearing for different parties, said.