Supreme Court allows Rajasthan Speaker to withdraw appeal in Sachin Pilot case

New Delhi: Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi withdrew from the Supreme Court on Monday his challenge to the High Court decision restraining him from proceeding against the rebel Congress MLAs led by former deputy CM Sachin Pilot.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Joshi, told a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra that the Rajasthan High Court had passed a new status quo order on July 24 and they were weighing the legal options.

The Rajasthan High Court had on Friday ( July 24) directed the Speaker to maintain status quo on disqualification notices to Pilot and his 18 dissident MLAs till the top court addressed the issue.

Sibal told the bench that the appeal had become infructuous as the SC did not stay the earlier high court's order of July 21 on defering disqualification proceedings.

"The SLP (special leave petition) is withdrawn with liberty to file a fresh SLP and keeping all grounds open," Sunil Fernandes who also appeared for Joshi told the court.