Sibal's propriety

After pronouncing the judgment in the Sahara case, judges expressed surprise at how three senior lawyers - Kapil Sibal and Rajiv Dhawan for Sahara, and Arvind Datar for the Securities and Exchange Board of India - were present in Delhi, despite it being the court's summer break. Dhawan said it was the first time in his career that he was coming to court during vacation. Datar said he happened to be in Delhi because he was appearing before the vacation bench that is hearing the NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission) matter. When judges wondered if others were not appearing in the NJAC matter, Sibal, who had arrived in Delhi only on judgment day, said he was not making any submissions in the NJAC matter because "it would not be proper." He explained: "I have been the (law) minister. I have seen the files. I have taken views on it." Sibal was the union law minister in the United Progressive Alliance government between May 2013 and May 2014.