The Supreme Court on Monday postponed for six weeks the hearing on a plea by a Sahara firm seeking approval to sell its properties to the Adani Group, directing the Centre to also submit its response to a note filed by the amicus curiae.
A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices Surya Kant and MM Sundresh added the Ministry of Cooperation as a party after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, pointed out that numerous cooperative societies created by the Sahara Group could be impacted.
Amicus curiae and senior advocate Shekhar Naphade placed a note before the court, stating that he had received several objections regarding the properties proposed to be sold by the Sahara Group. He informed the bench that he had specifically filed objections related to 34 of those properties.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Sahara Group, told the court that he intended to respond to the amicus curiae’s note and stressed that many properties had been sold or leased using forged documents.
The bench observed that it was not the proper forum to scrutinise the sale or lease documents, adding that such scrutiny could be undertaken by a trial court or a specially appointed committee.
CJI Gavai told Naphade, "Let the Union of India file its response and then we will look into those issues".
The bench then scheduled the matter for further hearing after six weeks and instructed the Centre to file its response to both the Sahara firm’s plea and the note submitted by the amicus curiae.
Earlier, on October 14, the court had sought responses from the Centre, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and other stakeholders on Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd’s request for permission to sell its 88 prime properties to Adani Properties Private Limited.