Probes destabilising system: Govt lawyer

The Centre on Monday cautioned the Supreme Court that passing orders on an application seeking probe against a high functionary of the government would “destablise the system”.

The Centre on Monday cautioned the Supreme Court that passing orders on an application seeking probe against a high functionary of the government would “destablise the system”.

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“Hearing and passing orders on such applications based on incomplete information would destabilise the system,” senior counsel PP Rao said on the Centre’s behalf,
while opposing Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy’s plea to probe home minister P Chidambaram in the 2G scam.

Rao’s argument came a day after law minister Salman Khurshid said the judiciary needed to consider the political economy and that sending businessmen to jail would hit investments.

The petitioner’s counsel, Prashant Bhushan, said, “I am alarmed by the nature of this (Rao’s) submission.”

When Rao later denied having made this argument, the bench said: “You have said so. You said it (filing of application) would destabilise the system.” The court reserved its order on Swamy's plea.