M A I N   N E W S

2G trial to be held daily: SC
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, April 8
Rejecting objections raised by the Centre and the Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court today made it clear that senior advocate UU Lalit would be the special public prosecutor for the trial in the 2G scam.

A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly said an order to this effect would be issued on Monday. It said it would also clarify in the order that the trial court of Sessions Judge OP Saini would conduct the proceedings on a daily basis and would grant adjournments only in unavoidable circumstances. Further, no court other than the trial court and the SC would entertain any petition relating to the 2G scam.

At the last hearing, Attorney General GE Vahanvati had objected to Lalit being appointed as special public prosecutor as it was the government’s prerogative to choose the lawyer.

Also, the special public prosecutor for money laundering cases should have worked with the government for a specified number of years dealing with such cases.

Today, Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaisingh pleaded for a week’s time to enable the government to take a decision on the issue. Another Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, also expressed himself against the court choosing the public prosecutor. But the Bench was not convinced.

Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry asked Mumbai and Delhi Police to provide security to seven persons who have given “confessional” statements in the 2G case. The sources said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had written to both Mumbai Police Chief Arup Patnaik and Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta, asking them to provide security to the seven “witnesses” who had recorded their “confessional” statements under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate. The move came amid reports that underworld gangs might try and target these witnesses to subvert the probe.