SC allows Speaker to withdraw appeal against Team Pilot

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker to withdraw his appeal against the high court's order asking him to defer till July 24 the disqualification proceedings against sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 dissident Congress MLAs.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Speaker C P Joshi, told a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra that the Rajasthan high court had passed a fresh order on July 24 and they were weighing the legal options.

While withdrawing the plea, Sibal told the bench that the appeal had become infructuous as the apex court did not stay the earlier high court order passed on July 21 asking the Speaker to defer disqualification proceedings.

"The SLP (special leave petition) is withdrawn with liberty to file a fresh SLP and keeping all grounds open," advocate Sunil Fernandes, who also represents Joshi, said.

The high court had ordered on July 24 maintenance of status quo on the disqualification notice issued by the Speaker to 19 dissident Congress MLAs, including Pilot.