New Delhi: Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta has been appointed as the new solicitor general of India. The senior lawyer will assume the office, which was vacant since October last year, till June 30, 2020.

Who is Tushar Mehta?

1. Mehta, who is from Gujarat, has represented the Centre for several important cases like the Section 377, Aircel Maxis deal, 2G scam, Rohingya refugee crisis and Aadhaar.

2. Mehta has been serving as the ASG since June 2014.

3. Mehta will succeed Ranjit Kumar, who resigned last year.

4. He is currently representing the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Article 35A hearing before the Supreme Court.

5. Mehta has close associations with BJP president Amit Shah and was the main legal advisor for him in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and other encounter cases in Gujarat.