Rohington Nariman to plead-Sibal

Sibal yesterday prevailed over the government to appoint senior counsel Rohington Nariman to plead his case at the next hearing in the 2G case.Solicitor-general Gopal Subramanium was defending the beleaguered telecom department in the case after Subramanian Swamy, a petitioner in the case, objected to attorney-general G.E. Vahanvati’s involvement in the case.The attorney-general, Swamy had contended, should not represent the government as he had already given an opinion favouring a private party in the case. Thus-following Swamy’s objections, the attorney-general defended only the PMO in the case. The telecom department’s legal brief was since being handled by Subramanium.Subramanium was criticised in certain quarters for the initial setbacks in the case, he was believed to have been brought back by the Prime Minister to handle the case.But with two casualties in the form of A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran so far, more than the government, Sibal seems to be unwilling to run any risk.Government decision to appoint a private counsel to defend telecom minister Kapil Sibal in the 2G case bypassing him, so to protect and defend the dignity of his office, sources close to him said.Media-agencies