The Narendra Modi government curtly told the Supreme Court not to encroach into executive's domain and suggested that judiciary would do better by devising ways and means to tackle massive pendency of cases. The suggestion came from attorney general Mukul Rohatgi during the hearing of a PIL filed by eminent persons questioning the Centre's decision to appoint former defence secretary Shashikant Sharma as comptroller and auditor general (CAG), which audits government spending. Petitioners' counsel Prashant Bhushan said Sharma's appointment as CAG could give rise to a conflict of interest situation as Sharma would now be auditing purchase of defence equipment, which were procured during his tenure as defence secretary. Several of the purchases, including VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland, have been mired in controversy, he claimed. A bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justices A K Sikri and Arun Mishra did not accept Bhushan's plea for examining the appointment of Sharma as CAG, a constitutional post, on mere apprehension of conflict of interest but sought the AG's views on a suggestion to make the appointment process transparent.
