Anand Grover named CBI and ED counsel on 2G case

The Supreme Court Tuesday appointed senior counsel Anand Grover as special public prosecutor to represent the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate before the special CBI court hearing 2G cases on day-to-day basis.

Grover stepped into the shoes of earlier special public prosecutor U.U. Lalit, who has since been appointed an apex court judge. Grover, like his predecessor, will be incharge of the prosecution in 2G cases.

Grover was appointed as special public prosecutor by the apex court bench of Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, noting that senior counsel K.K. Venugopal appearing for the CBI had recommended just one name and the court did not intend to question it.

Venugopal told the court that he had suggested Grover's name because he has not appeared for any of the parties in the case.

Having cleared the name of Grover for special public prosecutor, the court said it would take up for hearing an application by the petitioner-NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking that the CBI director should keep off the 2G case as it accused him of scuttling the investigating agency's probe into the scam.

Seeking that CBI Director Ranjit Sinha be taken off from the 2G case, being investigated and prosecuted by the CBI, Counsel Prashant Bhuhsan told the court that "last night I received information which is very disturbing and explosive and pertains to the entry registers which reveals that people belonging to a corporate house and even accused in 2G and coal scam cases were visiting him regularly".

At this, the court asked Bhushan to give the copies of the material in his possession to the court in a sealed cover.

"Give the copies of the material you have. We will examine it and take it up day after tomorrow (Thursday) and also a short note which court has to go through," the court told Bhushan.

The court also asked Bhushan to give a copy each to Venugopal and senior counsel Vikas Singh appearing for CBI director Sinha.

CPIL counsel told the court that Ranjit Sinha had also tried to transfer out the CBI's lead 2G case investigation officer without the permission of the court. The court was told that Sinha attempted to do this despite the court's orders that no one would interfere in the investigation being carried out by a dedicated team.

The court declined to interfere with Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate Rajeshwar Singh going on study leave. The court was told that he was an ace officer who had attached Rs.700 crore in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

Not passing any order on the plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the court noted that Rajeshwar Singh had himself said that as and when he would be required in the prosecution of the case he would be available.

The court will hold Sep 24 hearing on a plea by DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Reliance Telecom and its senior executives Surendra Pipara, Gautam Dosi and Hari Nair seeking quashing of charges against them. Besides, it will hear the plea by Essar Teleholdings Limited, Anshuman S. Ruia and Ravi N. Ruia.

They have sought the quashing of the charges framed against them in 2G case being exclusively heard by a special CBI court on day-to-day basis.