SC asks Centre to produce file related to appointment of Election Commissioner Arun Goel

The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Wednesday to produce before it the file related to the appointment of Election Commissioner Arun Goel, who was appointed on November 19.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph said it wants to know whether there was any "hanky panky" in Goel's appointment as election commissioner as he was only recently given voluntary retirement from service.

The bench rejected the objections of Attorney General R Venkataramani on the court's willingness to see the file related to Goel's appointment while the hearing is on.

Venkataramani said the court is dealing with the larger issue of the appointment of ECs and the chief election commissioner (CEC) and it cannot look at an individual case flagged by advocate Prashant Bhushan.

"I take serious objection to this and have my reservation to the court seeing the file amidst the hearing of a Constitution bench," he said.

The bench said it started hearing the matter last Thursday and Goel's appointment was effected subsequently on November 19 therefore, it wants to see what prompted the step.

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