After his statement that the AAP Government favours Haryana in demanding construction of Satluj-Yamuna link (SYl) Canal cost him his job as Delhi Government counsel, the lawyer in question has claimed that he was made a scapegoat as the stand taken by him was vetted by top officials in the Delhi Government who failed to find any fault.
In its latest affidavit, the Delhi Government replaced the written submission placed in Court by the sacked lawyer Suresh Tripathy and said that he had filed the same without taking instruction.
Incensed by the wrong allegation leveled against him, Tripathy filed an affidavit before the five-judge bench hearing the Presidential Reference on the SYl Canal case and sought to set the record straight by revealing details of e-mail exchanged by him to the top officials of the Delhi Jal Board. The e-mail showed that Tripathy wrote to RS Tyagi, Member (Water Supply) Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on April 7 attaching the written submission of the Delhi Government for circulation to CEO, Jal Board.
ON April 8, after Tripathy made the statement in Court, all hell broke loose as the AAP Government realised that siding with Haryana would cost the party heavy reverses in Punjab which is bound for elections next year. Punjab had backed off from its commitment to construct the canal and had recently passed a law authorising return of land acquired for SYl canal to the original land owners.
Tripathy was represented by senior advocate R Basanth who informed the bench that the reputation of a lawyer of the apex court was unnecessarily maligned by filing of an affidavit which is a “blatant lie”. He sought withdrawal of the said paragraph making reference to Tripathy.
Appearing for Delhi Government, senior advocate Indira Jaising agreed to look into Tripathy’s grievance and sought a copy of his affidavit. The bench headed by Justice AR Dave asked Jaising to deal with the same and address the concerns expressed by Basanth. “The decision is not intended towards any individual but it is on the issue. We had filed affidavit. On seeing his (Tripathy’s) objection we will see how it can be sorted out,” she said.