The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi High Court to decide within two weeks the plea against the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police commissioner.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said: "There are issues, one is about my participation in my matter as one ground. I have expressed my views about this person in CBI selection."
The Chief Justice, while participating in the High-Powered Committee, had objected to the appointment of Asthana as the head of the CBI. The top court was hearing a petition filed by Centre for Public Interest Litigation challenging Asthana's appointment.
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Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, submitted: "I don't think that disables your lordship at all."
The bench also comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant noted that a petition on the same issue has been filed in the Delhi High Court. "We know time is of essence...we will give time of 2 weeks to the high court to dispose of (the petition)", noted the bench, adjourning the plea for two weeks.
Bhushan argued that the petition in the high court was a "copy-paste" from his client's petition. "It was filed through somebody else after we filed the petition here", said Bhushan.
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Bhushan argued that today we find ambush petitions being filed, filed in collusion with the government to get a dismissal of a genuine petition. The bench gave liberty to Bhushan to intervene in the petition filed before the Delhi High Court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the top court to grant a period of at least 4 weeks to the high court to decide the matter, but the bench did not agree. The top court adjourned the matter for two weeks.