SC directs ASG to nominate new amicus curiae to assist him

New Delhi, July 21 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanyam, an amicus curiae in petrol pump allotment scam case, to nominate a new amicus curiae in place of S Muralidharan, who has since been elevated as a High Court Judge.

The ruling came on a plea filed by lawyers P H Parekh and E R Kumar, appearing for some of the petitioners whose petrol pump allotments were cancelled after the scam was exposed, for a new amicus curiae to assist Mr Subramanyam.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice C K Thakker, also adjourned the hearing till August 3.

The scandal involving alleged illegal allotment of over 300 petrol pumps to relatives and associates of politicians and bureaucrats came to light in 2002 and the then NDA government, headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee, cancelled all the allotments allegedy vitiated by political considerations. One of the beneficiaries of such an allotment included a close relative of former Prime Minister Vajpayee.

The cancellations were challenged in the apex court, which appointed an expert committee to ascertain the legality of such allotments. According to the committee's report, the newspaper reports which exposed the scandal were found partly incorrect.

The court then held the cancellation order as 'invalid,' and is examining the validity of cancellations of such allotments.

UNI AKS/SC VD RS1855