NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s counsel for adopting a “technical defence” that a formal notice has not been issued to his client in the plea seeking recall of the court’s order granting him bail in a money laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam. The court, however, in its order granted him 10 days time to respond, stressing that no further time will be granted.
Expressing its displeasure over the conduct of senior lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, a special bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Augustine George Masih, noted that the court had been “taken for a ride.” “Though such an unfair stand is taken, we cannot be unfair to the second respondent. Hence, we grant time of 10 days to the second respondent to file the counter. No further time shall be granted,” the court said in its order providing a final opportunity to Balaji.
During the hearing on Monday, the court recorded that in each of the previous hearings, Balaji was represented by a senior advocate, even though notice was not issued. But when on Monday, Rohatgi objected that a formal notice was not issued so far, the apex court, after hearing this, observed,
“we are shocked to know that today the counsel representing the second respondent (Senthil Balaji) raises a contention that formal notice has not been issued.” When the court heard from Rohatgi that no formal notice was issued to him, Justice Oka questioned why he appeared for Balaji when no notice has been issued.
“Then why have you appeared? Mr. Rohatgi, we are warning you. If you take such technical defence, we will pass an...,” Justice Oka said.