Senior counsels paid Rs 1.79 crore to plead for government

Lucknow, Aug 18 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government today said they have spent around Rs 1.79 crore as payment to the senior counsel of Supreme Court and High Courts for pleading in favour of the government in different cases between 2005-08.

In a written reply in the assembly to a question of Congress member Anugurah Narain Singh, Chief Minister Mayawati said in 2005-06 senior advocates pleaded for 20 cases and were paid Rs 21.44 lakh, in 2006-07, for 41 cases, they were paid Rs 92.10 lakh and in 2007-08, for 24 cases, Rs 65.95 lakh were paid.

The government paid Rs 3.63 lakh to the counsel R K Jain to plead against a case filed by present BSP MLA Puja Pal on murder of her MLA husband Raju Pal in 2006-07.

The highest paid amount is Rs 30.25 lakh, which was given to Supreme court senior counsel Ashok H Desai for three different cases in 2006-07.

The government also paid Rs 11.66 lakh during 2006-08 to senior counsels, Ashok Desai, R P Mehrotra and Mukul Rotagi in a case filed by former chief secretary of UP Neera Yadav, CBI and others.

Prominent senior counsels, who were paid by the UP government includes Harish N Salve, K T S Tulsi, Soli J Sorabji, Rakesh Dwivedi, K K Venugopal and Rajiv Dhawan.

UNI MB PDM SV AS1640