W.P. (C) 505/2015 tagged with W.P. (C) 683/2014
Writ challenging CVC, VC appointment

Summary :

Common Cause along with a few renowned and concerned citizens have filed a writ petition in public interest challenging the arbitrary appointments of India’s new Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioner. It is argued that a complete non-transparency was followed by the Central Government in making the said appointments and that these were illegal and void as they violated the principles of ‘impeccable integrity’ and ‘institutional integrity’ laid down in the landmark judgments of the Apex Court in Vineet Narain case (1998) and Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) case (2011). Notice has been issued in the petition. Common Cause filed an IA praying that the UOI may be directed to not make any appointments which required the participation of either the CVC or the VC, since their appointment itself had been challenged by CC. There are no further orders of listing.

The IA filed by Common Cause in November 2016, praying for directions for constitution of a Special Investigation Team to thoroughly investigate the evidence gathered in the raids on the Aditya Birla and the Sahara groups was dismissed on January 11, 2017 by the Court on account of lack of evidentiary value, being irrelevant and legally inadmissible. On February 10, 2017, the counsel for the Union of India brought the entire original record to defend the appointment of the CVC and the VC. However, the court said that the records would be seen later.

Judgement on the matter was reserved on September 7, 2017 by the Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Mohan M Shantanagoudar. On April 4, 2018, the Court directed that proper summary be prepared with flagging of relevant papers and the record be submitted in sealed covers within two weeks. 

On July 2, 2018 the Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra dismissed the petition and said that there were no grounds to quash the appointments of the CVC and the VC