Lawyers approach SCBA for action against AG and ASG in Coalgate case

The President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has received a “Requisition” from 253 SCBA members demanding a General Body Meeting to discuss the possible steps to be taken against senior Law Officers including Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati (AG) and Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval (ASG). In the Requisition, the signatories have condemned the AG and former ASG for their alleged role in the changes made to the CBI’s draft status report on the coal blocks allocation scam..The Requisition signed by 253 SCBA members states:.“ We, the members of the Supreme Court Bar Association are highly disturbed by the latest incident of alleged misconduct before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India by the Senior Law Officers of Union of India. Such an act of misconduct has brought disrepute and dishonour to the Institution of the ‘Officers of the Court’. Going by the letter of the Former ASG, Harin Raval, the office of Attorney General of India has also come under disrepute and calls for an explanation.We as members of the Bar, unanimously urge the President of Supreme Court Bar Association to call for an emergency meeting of the General Body of SCBA for discussing this issue and pass appropriate resolution in this regard”..Speaking to Bar & Bench, SCBA President M.N. Krishnamani (pictured) said, “I was present in court to see if the Court makes any adverse remark against the law officers. The AG stuck to his stand stating that he had neither asked, nor got the CBI’s probe report in coal scam though contrary to CBI Affidavit and Raval’s letter.”.“The Court didn’t want to get into these details and refrained from making any observations on the act of the law officers”, added Krishnamani..Talking about the further course of action with respect to the lawyers’ petition, , Krishnamani said, “We will hold a General Body meeting in July. Since I have got a requisition signed by more than 150 members, then as per SCBA rules, we have to call for a General Body meeting which will be held immediately after the summer vacations”..The Court had today pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allowing the Law Minister and officials from Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Ministry of Coal to peruse and make changes to the draft status report submitted to the Supreme Court.