Telling disclaimer

The Sahara group and its directors and promoters have hired some of India's top lawyers to fight their case against the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). But the legal team doesn't always speak in one voice. Thus, when Ram Jethmalani was about to begin his arguments for the Sahara group in a contempt petition filed by Sebi, Judge K S Radhakrishnan wanted to know which of the two companies he was representing - Sahara India Real Estate Corporation or Sahara Housing Investment Corporation. Jethmalani, who was representing the former, however, assured the judge that it didn't matter who he spoke for because his arguments "will be wide". This got C A Sundaram, the lawyer representing Subrata Roy, nervous. In an earlier hearing Sundaram had had to intervene when the nonagenarian made a statement that Sundaram thought would hamper his client's interest. He quickly stood up and said, "His [Jethmalani's] statements will not be binding on me." Later, the judge jokingly reminded Jethmalani of the Sundaram disclaimer.