SC Defers Oath of DERC Chairman, Will Hear Delhi Govt's Challenge Next Week

Justice Umesh Kumar was previously slated to take oath on Thursday morning.

(Photo: iStock)

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, 4 July, deferred the appointment of Justice Umesh Kumar as chairman of  Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), as it agreed to hear the Delhi Government's challenge to his appointment.

The former Allahabad High Court judge was previously slated to take oath on Thursday morning.

The apex court, however, has listed Delhi Government’s petition challenging Justice Kumar’s appointment for next Tuesday and said:

“It is understood that the administration of oath to the former judge shall stand deferred.”

CONTEXT: The Delhi LG had, as per Livelaw, ignored the Delhi Government’s proposal to appoint Justice Rajeev Shrivastava as the chairman, and had picked Justice Kumar instead. 

Appearing for the petitioners, Dr AM Singhvi also claimed that the Centre via the LG wants to appoint someone to stop the the Delhi Govt scheme which had given “power of 200 units to the poorest of poor in Delhi.”

However, the Solicitor General, appearing for the Centre, argued that “no one is stopping the scheme.”

(With inputs from Livelaw.)