New Delhi: In a historic move, the Kerala State Cabinet has appointed prominent advocate M R Ramesh Babu as the state's first-ever Senior Standing Counsel in the Supreme Court. Alongside this pioneering appointment, the Cabinet also decided to indict four new Standing Counsels to represent the state government in the apex court.

According to state government sources, Ramesh Babu will be entrusted with coordinating highly critical cases concerning the state administration. Notably, he will represent Kerala in sensitive interstate river dispute cases. During the previous government's tenure, these river disputes were managed by G Prakash—a close confidant of Pinarayi Vijayan—though he was never granted the official status of Senior Standing Counsel.

As per guidelines, individuals over the age of 65 cannot be appointed to the post of Standing Counsel. This age restriction prompted the creation and allocation of the Senior Standing Counsel position for Ramesh Babu to handle the interstate river disputes. Currently serving as a counsel for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ramesh Babu has extensive experience, having previously served as the state government's Standing Counsel in the Supreme Court from 2001 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2016. He has also represented the Andhra Pradesh High Court in the Supreme Court.

Four new Standing Counsels appointed

The Cabinet also appointed advocates P S Zulfiker Ali, Aljo K Joseph, Marsooq Thangal and James P Thomas as the new Standing Counsels.

  • P S Zulfiker Ali: A former KSU Palakkad district vice-president and long-time KSU state committee member, he has been practising in the Supreme Court for the last two decades.
  • Aljo K Joseph: Currently serving as the Joint Secretary of the AICC Legal Cell, he has previously functioned as the All-India Chairman of the Youth Congress legal wing. He is also the Treasurer of the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA).
  • Marsooq Thangal: He makes history as the first member of the Thangal family and the first IUML leader to be appointed as a Standing Counsel for the state government in the Supreme Court.
  • James P Thomas: Hailing from Muvattupuzha, he has been practising in the Supreme Court since 2012. His appointment comes with the joint backing of the Congress party and the Kerala Congress.