Harish Salve takes up Vinesh Phogat's case. Here's a look at some landmark cases the ex-Solicitor General has fought

Harish Salve, one of India's legal doyens, has taken up star wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The wrestler has appealed against her shock disqualification ahead of her final bout. The court accepted Vinesh's plea on Thursday and will hear the matter at 1:30 pm IST on Friday. 

Vinesh made two appeals -- one was to allow her to appear for the final bout and the other one demanding a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. While her first appeal was rejected, the CAS accepted her second appeal.

Harish Salve representing Vinesh Phogat is good news not only for the star wrestler but also for Indians at large. Salve, who was also the Solicitor General of India from 1999 to 2002, has represented many top corporations as well as the government in several high-profile cases. 

Salve frequently represents corporates like the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, Tata Group, and ITC Limited. Here are some major cases fought by Harish Salve: 

1. Kulbhushan Jadhav case: In May 2017, Harish Salve represented India before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. A Pakistani military court sentenced Jadhav to death on charges of spying. 

Due to Salve's efforts and incisive arguments, the ICJ ordered a provisional stay on Jadhav's execution till a final verdict is declared. He only charged Re 1 as his legal fee for the case. 

2. Ayodhya Dispute: He was also involved in the long-running Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. In this long-running case, Salve represented the Hindu religious groups advocating for the construction of a Ram Temple at the contested site.

He focused his legal strategy on establishing the historical and religious significance of the site for Hindus, stating that this was the birthplace of Lord Ram. Due to his efforts, the Supreme Court in November 2019 ruled in favour of Hindus and ordered the construction of the Ram Temple. 

3. Tata Sons vs Cyrus Mistry: In 2016, Salve represented Tata Sons in the legal battle against the late Cyrus Mistry. Mistry was removed as the chairman of Tata Sons.

When Mistry challenged his removal, it led to a high-stakes corporate battle. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Tata Sons and upheld the decision to remove Mistry. 

4. Vodafone Tax Dispute: The legal eagle represented telco Vodafone in a landmark tax case against the Government of India. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Vodafone and exempted it from paying a large tax demand. 

5. Salman Khan hit-and-run case: In 2015, Salve took up the high-profile Salman Khan hit-and-run case. Due to his efforts, the Bombay High Court suspended the sessions court decision. On December 10, 2015, the High Court acquitted Khan of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run and drunk-and-drive case.