Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been appointed as Special Public Prosecutor for the 2G spectrum scam case to file an appeal against the acquittal of the accused by a trial court in December last year.
A notification issued on February 8 says that the Central government has appointed Tushar Mehta as Special Public Prosecutor for “conducting prosecution, appeals/revisions or other proceedings” arising out of the cases relating to 2G spectrum investigated by the CBI before the Special 2G court and the appellate/revisional court.
It made no mention of the fate of senior counsel Anand Grover who was appointed Special Public Prosecutor by the Supreme Court on September 2, 2014.
Grover’s appointment followed the incumbent U.U. Lalit’s appointment as top court judge. He was representing both the Central Board of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate.
Prior to Lalit, senior counsel K.K. Goel argued the case in its initial days but he was replaced by A.K. Singh. However, Singh was dropped after he was allegedly heard in a telephonic conversation advising one of the accused how to fight the case and Goel then staged a comeback After Lalit was sworn in as top court judge on August 13, 2014, Grover’s name was recommended by now Attorney General K.K. Venugopal who at that point of time represented the CBI in 2G cases before the apex court.
Grover was appointed as Special Public Prosecutor by the apex court bench of Justice H.L.Dattu (since retired), Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre noting that Venugopal had recommended just one name and the court did not intend to question it.
Venugopal had told the court that he has suggested Grover’s name because he has not appeared for any of the parties in the case. Grover however fell into a row after the acquittal of DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A. Raja and 15 other accused by the 2G court on December 21. The special court had also adversely commented on Grover in the judgement.
After the judgement, the CBI said it would appeal in the High Court against the acquittal.