SC dismisses Bhagwat’s plea against Fernandes

NEW DELHI, AUG 18: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition by sacked Navy chief Vishnu Bhagwat challenging the Government's decis...

NEW DELHI, AUG 18: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition by sacked Navy chief Vishnu Bhagwat challenging the Government’s decision to dismiss him from service and the punitive measure to strip him of the title of Admiral.

A bench comprising Justice B N Kirpal and Justice Shivaraj V Patil, while dismissing the appeal filed by Bhagwat against the Bombay High Court order rejecting his petition, said: "We see no reason to interfere with the High Court order."

Appearing for the Union Government, Attorney General Soli Sorabjee and Additional Solicitor General Kirit Rawal pointed out to the Court that the petitioner had agreed on July 21 to amend his petition by deleting all allegations made in the petition against the Government and Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Story continues below this ad

Sorabjee further said the petitioner had also undertaken to confine his pleas only to – whether the "pleasure doctrine" adopted in the dismissal of the Admiral could cast aspersions on him without giving him a chance to defend himself.

Arguing for the petitioner, his wife and advocate Nilofur Bhagwat contended that the petitioner was not consulted by the counsel before giving the undertaking to the court and that the former Navy chief did not want the petition to be amended.

She raised questions of national security and other fallouts from the sacking of the former Navy chief but the court said it was not inclined to entertain the petition.