Rajasthan counsel who took Meenakshi Lekhi case on Rahul Gandhi sacked

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s decision to seek Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s response to BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi’s contempt petition accusing him of twisting the SC verdict to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an unusual fallout — the sacking of Rajasthan’s standing counsel in the apex court.

In the SC, only a small group of lawyers designated as advocate-on-record, after they clear a tough examination conducted by the apex court, can file a petition on behalf of a litigant. An AOR is required to be present along with the arguing counsel when the court takes up a petition for hearing.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi had mentioned Lekhi’s petition before a bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi on April 12 and sought urgent hearing. The court’s order uploaded late in the evening showed that Ruchi Kohli was the advocate-on-record for Lekhi.

Kohli was appointed as Rajasthan’s standing counsel in the SC by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government, which lost power in December and a new Congress regime headed by Ashok Gehlot took over. However, Kohli continued as standing counsel under the new dispensation.

Late on April 12, officials in the Congress government realised the cardinal mistake committed by their own counsel of becoming the AOR for a BJP MP against the Congress chief. The panel of standing counsel for the Centre and states are appointed by each new regime as per their choice. The state government wasted no time in terminating Kohli’s assignment as standing counsel. Kohli refused to comment on her sacking.

The grand-daughter of legendary criminal law practitioner and senior advocate R L Kohli who started his practice in Lahore high court, Ruchi Kohli is a third generation lawyer.