Ranjit Kumar assumes charge as solicitor general

Senior counsel Ranjit Kumar Monday assumed charge as the solicitor general. His appointment to the post was notified Saturday.

Besides Ranjit Kumar, five senior counsels Maninder Singh, L. Nageshwar Rao, P.S. Patwalia, P.S. Narsimha and former additional advocate general of Gujarat Tushar Mehta took charge as additional solicitor generals.

In his first appearance Monday as the solicitor general, Ranjit Kumar appeared for Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited, which had challenged the Gujarat High Court order asking it to give power connection that would have benefited 2,500 plot owners.

The entire issue centres on the payment of outstanding dues of the power company. These plots were carved out from the land that belonged to Baroda Rayon Corporation.

With Ranjit Kumar and five additional solicitor generals taking charge, the question making round in the apex court corridors is what is holding the notification for the appointment of the attorney general.

Sources in the Law Ministry said notification for the appointment of attorney general would be issued this week itself.

It is being said that the delay was caused as a number of letters recommending different names have reached the government after it (government) had zeroed in on senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi as the first law officer of the country.

On being asked about a letter by eminent lawyer and Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani recommending the name of a senior lawyer, a source said: "There may be other letters also."