By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior Supreme Court counsel Uday Lalit will be the special public prosecutor leading the CBI’s case as the central probe agency files its first charge sheet in the 2G spectrum scam case Saturday.
Lalit will lead the team of public prosecutors in the special court of Additional Session Judge O.P. Saini that has been set up to hear the 2G spectrum scam case here.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly was told this by senior counsel K.K. Venugopal appearing for the investigating agency. Venugopal said Lalit, though initially reluctant, finally agreed to be the special public prosecutor in “public interest”.
Even as Venugopal asked the court to pass direction to the government to issue notification appointing Lalit as special public prosecutor, the court asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Indira Jaisingh to inform the court by Tuesday as to when it would issue notification for the appointment of Lalit.
“The cCentral government is directed to take necessary steps and inform the court on Tuesday on the appointment of U.U. Lalit as special public prosecutor,” the court said in its order.
The court said, “So far we all are convinced that things are moving in the right direction”. To this, senior counsel Prashant Bhushan responded: “They should continue moving in the right direction”.
At this the court observed, “There is no reason to believe that they will not (move in the right direction).”
Lalit’s name came in the wake of the apex court insisting that the investigating agency should have a special public prosecutor beyond those available on its panel of lawyers who represent the investigating agency in the special CBI courts.
With Venugopal giving the name of Lalit, senior counsel Prashant Bhushan suggested the names of senior Delhi High Court counsel Arvind Nigam, K.L. Arora and Harish Ghulati as possible alternatives. He told the court that given their considerable experience, they would be excellent.
At this Justice Singhvi said, “Let the CBI take a decision on the issue. Lalit alone will not be conducting the prosecution. He will be assisted by a team of lawyers. Given the width and magnitude, the case will require more than a team.”