Lawyer accuses SC Registry of preferential listing of Arnab Goswami’s petition

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 24

The urgent hearing given to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami by the Supreme Court on Friday created a controversy with a lawyer alleging that his petition was given a preferential listing by the court’s Registry.

In a letter addressed to the Supreme Court Secretary-General, advocate Reepak Kansal sought to highlights that Goswami’s petition was filed on Thursday, April 24 at 8 pm and was quickly listed for hearing on Friday, April 25, at 10.30 am.

He pointed out that the list of “short category matters” published by the Supreme Court earlier this month didn’t cover the class of cases Goswami’s matter fell under. Despite that it was listed within a few hours from being filed, he said.

Kansal said a matter filed on April 17 was yet to be listed and heard by the top court despite several complaints made to the Registry.

Alleging discriminatory practice in listing of cases by the Registry, he requested the SC Secretary-General to take steps against the “pick-and-choose policy” adopted by the Registry.

This listing was done without pointing out any defects in the petition or urgency letter and a previous list of pending cases was ignored in the process, he alleged.

It was a routine issue for the SC Registry to favour certain specific lawyers and law firms when it came to listing of cases, Kansal said terming it “discrimination”.

However, SCBA Secretary Ashok Arora contradicted Kansal’s claim.

“I have made enquiries from the Registry. There is no discrimination. Arnab’s matter was not related to COVID. Reepak’s matter is related to COVID and has been sent to the COVID (relevant) Bench, which would approve the listing for its next sitting, which is likely to be Monday,” Arora said.