The government on Wednesday appointed Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as the new solicitor general of India. The post was vacant since Ranjit Kumar resigned on 20 October 2017, giving personal reasons.
Tushar Mehta’s name was confirmed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. He will remain in office till 30 June 2020.
Mehta who hails from Gujarat has been serving as the Additional Solicitor General since mid-2014 when BJP came into power.
Who is a Solicitor General ?
A Solicitor General is a legal officer who represents state or central governments in courtroom proceedings.
Tushar Mehta’s Repertoire :
He has appeared for the Centre in many significant cases including the challenge to Section 66A of Information Technology Act.
Mehta is currently representing the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Article 35A hearing before the Supreme Court. He has represented the Centre in many high profile cases such as 2G scam case, Aircel-Maxis case and the arrest of activists in the Bhima Koregaon case.
He has been a trusted aide to the BJP president Amit Shah for more than a decade. He was the main legal advisor for Shah during encounter cases in Gujarat, particularly in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.