The Supreme Court has decided to examine the validity of the appointment of P.T. Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner and issued notice to him and the Centre on the petition filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation.
Considering the importance and urgency of the matter, a Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Swatanter Kumar posted it for final hearing on January 27, 2011.
During the resumed hearing on Monday, the CJI told Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati, “We have gone through the file [deposited in the court]; we will keep the matter for final hearing.”
The Attorney-General said, “I will accept notice on behalf of the Centre and I will file reply in six weeks.” But “I cannot accept notice on behalf of Mr. Thomas.”
When counsel Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the Centre for PIL, pleaded for an early hearing, the CJI said: “We will post it for final hearing on January 27, 2011. You complete the pleadings by then.”
On November 8, the Bench asked the Attorney-General to produce the files on the appointment of Mr. Thomas.
The CJI also asked the Attorney-General to take instructions on whether Mr. Thomas could continue in the sensitive post as a charge sheet was pending against him in the Kerala palmolein import case.
