Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Dushyant Dave. (Photo courtesy: TOI Hyderabad)

NEW DELHI: Senior advocate and former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Dushyant Dave has written a letter to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi , alleging serious irregularities in listing of some cases before a vacation bench which passed orders in favour of a corporate house and sought his intervention for corrective measures.

The senior advocate alleged that two cases of very high-stake matters relating to a corporate house were listed before a vacation bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra in violation of procedures. He said orders were passed in those cases despite objections from the lawyers appearing for opposite parties.

Dave in his letter also clarified that he had been appearing for the corporate house over the years in various cases in SC and HCs.

Dave reminded that the present CJI along with four senior most judges had held a press conference in January 2018 against the then CJI Dipak Misra and raised concerns over allotment of sensitive cases before some particular benches but said the situation has since worsened.

"Unfortunately, far from improved administration in the Supreme Court, situation has worsened. Cases having far- reaching consequences for the nation and the institution and cases involving political overtones, have been systematically assigned to the benches of 'preference' without any rational basis for such assignment...," the letter said.

"Clearly hearing and disposal of these two appeals have been done in complete contravention of the settled practice of SC as also its established procedure. Both these matters were listed, taken up and heard without any justification and in hurry and in improper manner. As a result besides causing grave injury to public interest and public revenue, it has caused immense damage to the image of SC and administration of justice. It is disturbing that SC should take up regular matters of a large corporate house during summer vacation in such a cavalier fashion and decide then in their favour. It raises very serious and disturbing questions as to whether the registry had sought concurrence of the CJI for listing such matters and if not whether registry became party in listing in violation of its own practice and procedure," the letter said.

“I am told that the total benefit to this corporate client from these two judgements will run into thousands of crores," Dave said. He said he is not raising questions on the merit of the judgement but objecting to the way in which cases had been listed and decided in a hurry during the vacation.

He also mentioned that earlier also two other cases of the same corporate group were decided by a bench headed by Justice Mishra.

Interestingly, it was the bench headed by Justice Mishra which had taken suo motu cognisance against allegation that fixers and middlemen were operating in SC and directed probe by former SC judge A K Patnaik.

