The desperate game

The Centre’s stand not to approve the elevation of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as Supreme Court judge may be justified

It was the fallout of an impropriety at the Law Ministry. Intelligence reports are mandatory before hiring a Supreme Court judge, but leaking the contents of such a report sent to the Ministry is preposterous.

The Centre’s stand not to approve the elevation of senior advocate Gopal Subramanium as Supreme Court judge may be justified. So is the former solicitor general’s decision to withdraw his candidacy in the wake of the leak of an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report.

The NDA Government is said to have objected to his appointment as an apex court judge because of his alleged ‘links’ with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia; also, an IB report said he is known for his ‘odd’ behaviour.

Subramanium, who was amicus curiae in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, had been critical of the Modi-led Gujarat government in the past. In his letter to the Chief Justice of India, Subramaniam said: ‘I’m fully conscious that my independence as a lawyer is causing apprehensions.’

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