[ Bengia Ajum ]

ITANAGAR, 20 Aug: The Government of Arunachal Pradesh has appointed advocates Durga Dutt and Rishi Awasthi as standing counsel for the state in the Supreme Court of India.

The move comes after Additional Advocate General-cum-standing counsel for the state in the SC, Anil Srivastav, resigned from his post on 10 August after representing the state government in the apex court for nearly 30 years. He conveyed his decision to resign in a letter addressed to the law secretary.

The appointment of the new standing counsel assumes significance as the next hearing in the case related to the chief minister is scheduled for 24 August.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had blamed the state's standing counsel team for allegedly failing to appear before the Supreme Court in a case concerning allegations that government contracts were awarded to family members of the chief minister.

Khandu had said the standing counsel's absence prevented the state government from placing before the court records and evidence regarding its cooperation with the CBI. The Supreme Court subsequently directed the chief secretary and the home principal secretary to appear personally on 24 August.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the CBI, said the probe agency had sought more time to complete the enquiry, and that the state authorities were not cooperating with it.