Justice Raveendran had recused himself from hearing of the high-voltage legal battle between the Ambani brothers on the ground that his daughter Sunitha Rajesh is a partner in AZB.
Mukesh Ambani group firm RIL today regretted that crucial time of the Supreme Court got wasted as it was not aware that Justice RV Raveendran's daughter was associated with solicitors firm AZB Partners, which is advising the company on various issues.
Commenting on the developments in the Supreme Court today, RIL in its statement said it was "neither aware nor solicitors firm AZB Partners informed us that Justice RV Raveendran's daughter is associated with the Bangalore office of AZB.
"This fact came as a surprise to our senior counsel (Harish Salve) and us. AZB Partners which has been advising us from time to time should have informed us of this fact and RIL regrets that six working days of the honourable court were lost," the company said.
Earlier in the day, Justice Raveendran had recused himself from hearing of the high-voltage legal battle between the Ambani brothers on the ground that his daughter Sunitha Rajesh is a partner in AZB which is the firm advising Mukesh Ambani group on global acquisitions.
The judge said he had came to know only yesterday that law firm with which his daughter was associated since September 1 this year was advising the Mukesh Ambani group.
The recusal has come after the apex court Bench, headed by chief justice KG Balakrishanan, had already heard the matter for six days and RIL was likely to conclude its arguments today.
Justice B Sudershan Reddy has replaced Justice Raveendran in the newly constituted Bench which will hear the case afresh from tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Ram Jethmalani, lawyer for Anil Ambani's ADAG, contradicted RIL's claim it was not aware that Justice RV Raveendran's daughter was associated with solicitors firm AZB Partners, which is advising the company on various issues.
According to Jethmalani, RIL was aware that a lawyer from the same firm was not only attending the hearings but was also advising it(RIL) in some matters. It was their(RIL) plain duty to disclose this before the hearing, he said. RIL lawyer Harish Salve said the hearing will go on as per schedule tomorrow but did not want to comment much on Jethmalani's remarks.
Salve said Jethmalani has hit a "new low " targeting lawyers and that his words should be treated with the "contempt it deserves".
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