The Centre on Monday questioned in the Supreme Court the bona fide of political leaders who have filed public interest cases about the tenure extensions granted to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief even as petitioners retorted that “piecemeal” lengthening of service has a tendency to affect the independent functioning of officers heading agencies that investigate sensitive cases.
The exchange occurred before a Bench headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, which was hearing a batch of petitions filed by the likes of Congress party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, social activist and General Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Congress Mahila Committee Jaya Thakur. They have sought the quashing of a government order of November 2021 extending the tenure of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra by a year.
The court appointed senior advocate K.V. Viswanathan as amicus curiae in the case and listed it for final disposal on September 19.
