Rs 1.98 crore for Kapil Sibal to defend liquor policy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet has cleared Rs 1.98 crore as lawyer’s fee for senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who appeared on behalf of the State in the case filed by the bar owners, challenging the shutdown of 418 substandard bars as part of implementing phased prohibition in Kerala.

The high-profile Mr Sibal, Congress leader and former Union Law Minister, defended the controversial liquor policy in the High Court and the Supreme Court on more than 20 occasions.

The bar owners’ special leave petition challenged the High Court verdict that upheld the Government’s decision to shutter substandard bars. Justice Vikrajit Sen is expected to deliver the verdict by the month-end.

The Cabinet approved the payment on the recommendation of Advocate-General K P Dandapani. The Law Department had originated the file but Finance and Law Minister K M Mani quit during the processing of the file.     

Law Secretary B G Harindranath told DC that he had not received any claims from Mr Sibal for appearing for Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in the bar bribery case, allegedly involving Mr Mani.

The Law Department, which earlier declined to release fees for senior counsel Nageswara Rao and Mohan Parasaran, who advised Vigilance in the bar case, has agreed to pay Rs 7 lakh. This sets the precedent for Mr Sibal to raise hi claim for appearing on behalf of Vigilance.

The clearance was given after Advocate-General K P Dandapani confirmed with the Law Department that he had given prior verbal approval to the then Vigilance director, Mr Vinson M Paul, to consult the two counsel in the bar bribery case.

The permission was initially withheld on technical grounds as the AG’s prior permission was necessary before the Vigilance chief sought external opinion.

Normally, the procedure is to approach the Law Department, the Advocate-General or the Attorney-General of India. External expertise is sought only on the advice of the Advocate-General.          

However, senior counsel Shanti Bhushan and Sushil Kumar, who were consulted by the Achuthanandan Government in the ice cream parlour case, were denied remuneration by the Chandy Government on the grounds that the consultation was not routed through the Advocate-General.   

There was an instance of senior counsel Gopal Subramanium offering his services for free to Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, accused of favouring ex-serviceman T K Soman in a land gift case in Kasargod.

 

 

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