Former attorney general Goolamhussein Essaji Vahanvati, who got embroiled in many controversies, today passed away at the age of 65 after suffering a heart attack. Vahanvati served as the attorney general from June 2009 for three years and it was extended by another two years in 2012.
Vahanvati had a controversial tenure in office as in April 2013, his junior Harin P Raval raised allegations of impropriety against him and resigned. It was alleged that he colluded with senior government officials and misrepresented facts in the ongoing coal blocks allocation case. He also faced a CBI investigation regarding his role on the 2G scam but was given a clean chit by the agency in its status report filed to the Supreme Court.
On 6 May, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura had accused Vahanvati of giving false statement against him, saying he did so to “disassociate” his role in formulation of the revised first-come-first-served (FCFS) policy for distribution of the 2G spectrum licences. Deposing before the special 2G court, Behura had claimed that Vahanvati, who was the then Solicitor General (SG) in January 2008, had also given false statement regarding the draft press release about issuance of letters of intent (LoIs) to eligible telecom firms.
The former attorney general had resigned from the post following the rout of the Congress-led UPA in the 2014 general election.
Although a highly decorated legal luminary, Vahanvati also faces charges of undeclared assets in a UBS bank account as which was brought to the fore by former MP Gurudas Dasgupta. Both filed legal notices against each other in the case.
Vahanvati will be remembered for his contribution in the nine judges Bench hearing on the Ninth Schedule, Kuldip Nayar’s challenge to the amendment to the Representation of the People’s Act with regard to the Rajya Sabha, the tainted ministers case, in all matters pertaining to the sealing and the challenge to the Delhi Laws Special Provisions Act, 2007 and challenges to the Master Plan 2021.
He also left his stamp in the world of cricket as he along with Zimbabwe High Court Judge Steven Majied held an inquiry into the allegations of racism in Zimbabwe in September 2004 on the request of the International Cricket Council. Vahanvati was also the sole member of the Single Member Commission to inquire into allegations of racial abuse on South African cricketers during the South African tour of Australia in December 2005.
With PTI input
source: http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost.com / Home> F.India> Latest News> India News / by FP Staff / September 02nd, 2014