Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who is defending former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, went off-screen for a few moments during a dramatic hearing in the Supreme Court in a case containing charges against his client. Mr Sibal, who was defending Anil Deshmukh, disappeared while he was reading out a previous judgement to back up his argument that the charges against his client were all based on hearsay.
"He (Mr Sibal) seems to have vanished," said SC Chief Justice SK Kaul. "Even the system crashed hearing his claims," senior lawyer Harish Salve joked. The Maharashtra government and Mr Deshmukh were dealt a blow when the Supreme Court declined to stay a preliminary CBI investigation directed by the Bombay High Court into allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh against the former minister and NCP leader.
Mr Deshmukh resigned as Maharashtra Home Minister after the HC ordered the CBI investigation.
After being replaced and shifted to the Home Guards as a result of the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case in February, Mr Singh wrote an incendiary letter accusing the former minister of extortion and unlawful transfers. He later brought Mr Deshmukh to court as well. Mr Deshmukh had organised an extortion network with police officer Sachin Waze, who was arrested in connection with a car full of explosives abandoned near Mukesh Ambani's house, according to Mr. Singh.
