Kapil Sibal turns ‘savage’, tells SC judges they are “pressurised”

New Delhi: Amid the growing trend of casting aspersions on judiciary in case of unfavourable orders, Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday told a bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta that the judges are “pressurised”.

When confronted with a “no” by Justice Khanna, Sibal pretended to be joking.

During the hearing on former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's petition challenging the arrest by the ED, Sibal tried to suggest a date.

Justice Khanna appeared miffed with Sibal and asked what is this? 

“Give us some discretion,” Justice Khanna added.

To this, Sibal quipped I understand your Lordships are also pressurised.

When Justice Khanna said they are not 'pressurised', Sibal pretended to be joking.

“Work-wise, I am saying,” Sibal said.

After a brief hearing, the bench issued notice to the ED and sought its response by May 6.

The bench said the Jharkhand High Court may pronounce its verdict on Soren's plea challenging his arrest in the case. The order was reserved on February 28.

Soren moved the top court on April 24, saying the high court was not pronouncing the verdict on his plea challenging his arrest in the case.

Soren was arrested on January 31 shortly after he resigned as the chief minister, and state transport minister Champai Soren was named his successor.

The probe against Soren pertains to an 8.86-acre plot of land in Ranchi that the ED has alleged was illegally acquired by him.

The money laundering investigation stems from multiple FIRs registered by Jharkhand Police in land "scam" cases against several people, including state government officials.

The ED is probing the alleged "huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by manipulation of official records by showing dummy sellers and purchasers in the guise of forged/bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores".