The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibits only the conversion of religious character but does not prevent the state from acquiring such properties for secular and public purposes. This observation came while dismissing a petition challenging the widening and beautification of the Dalmandi area in Varanasi for the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor, which involved the proposed demolition of six ancient mosques.
The Supreme Court has declined an urgent hearing on a plea demanding a fair and time-bound investigation into alleged embezzlement of donations at the revered Ram temple in Ayodhya, deferring the matter until after the summer break.
The Allahabad High Court has rejected a plea seeking to halt prosecution proceedings against Sarfaraz Ansari, an alleged sharpshooter linked to deceased gangster Mukhtar Ansari, in connection with the Usri Chatti massacre case.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) celebrated Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, calling it their first victory in the ongoing protest against the alleged NEET paper leak. Led by Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP vowed to continue their agitation until demands for compensation for student suicide victims and action against those responsible for the leak and police excesses are met.
By the time Ikka reaches its overblown finale, complete with a redundant trick ending, the verdict becomes clear: Melodrama wins, logic loses, observes Mayur Sanap.
The bail application of Shyamkanu Mahanta, a key accused in singer Zubeen Garg's death case, was heard by the Special Fast Track court in Guwahati, with the prosecution opposing it due to discrepancies in his statements and evidence related to alcohol supply to the late singer.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a husband's obligation to pay maintenance to his estranged wife is not negated by her parents' financial support. The court overturned a family court's decision, emphasising that parental income cannot substitute a husband's legal duty and enhanced maintenance for both the wife and children.
The population is gripped by anxiety against arbitrariness and the cruelty of a state that sells its actions as minimum government, asserts Aakar Patel.
The Gujarat High Court has ruled that the performance of customary rites and ceremonies, particularly 'saptapadi', is essential for the validation of a Hindu marriage, stating that registration alone is insufficient. The court emphasised that marriage is a sacrament and not merely a social occasion, highlighting the spiritual and legal significance of traditional rituals.
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi government to assess the well-being of a child in a disputed paternity case, ensuring access to basic necessities and a minimum standard of living.
The Supreme Court has ruled that borrowers are not entitled to a personal hearing before banks classify their loan accounts as "fraud" under RBI directions, clarifying that a written response to a show-cause notice and access to the forensic audit report (with redactions) are sufficient for natural justice.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected bail for Shubham Sangra, the main accused in the 2018 rape and murder case of a minor nomad girl in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, citing the heinous nature of the crime.
A special fast-track court in Guwahati has reserved its order on the bail application of Shyamkanu Mahanta, a key accused in the Zubeen Garg death case, with the decision expected on April 30.
Coming to the aid of an inter-caste couple fearing "honour killing", the Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Rajasthan high court order allowing the woman's parents to meet them, despite their apprehensions of any untoward eventuality.
Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is significant because it punctures, however slightly, the perception that the Modi government never retreats under pressure. Every long-serving government eventually reaches a point where every institutional failure is identified with the leader himself. Removing the minister may have prevented that political burden from falling directly on Modi. Whether it also resolves the underlying crisis is another matter, notes Ramesh Menon.
The Supreme Court has granted four weeks of protection from arrest to Bihar-based contractor Rishu Shree, who is accused of acting as a middleman in government tender manipulation. Shree is alleged to have charged commissions to facilitate contracts, with the Enforcement Directorate investigating a "larger conspiracy" involving multiple Bihar departments.
'Courts are not moved by spectacle. They act when the facts, as they stand, call for the law to step in.'
The Supreme Court of India refused to entertain a petition from a judicial officer challenging the recommendation of junior officers for appointment as Himachal Pradesh High Court judges. The court stated it would not "open a pandora's box" by judicially reviewing collegium proceedings, emphasising the collegium's subjective satisfaction in such matters. The petitioner later withdrew his plea to pursue administrative or judicial remedies at the High Court level.
Opposition parties disrupted Lok Sabha proceedings on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, leading to multiple adjournments. Protests focused on the alleged NEET paper leak and Ram temple donation theft issues, with demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The House was eventually adjourned for the day after repeated appeals for order failed.
The Supreme Court has requested a response from the Manipur State Legal Authority regarding the appointment of legal aid counsel for two women allegedly paraded naked during the 2023 ethnic clashes in Manipur. This follows a plea from the CBI against the Gauhati High Court's decision to grant bail to two accused in the case.
'...Or will we take a positive approach and learn from those mistakes so that it is not repeated in future?'
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of suspended Banda Jail Superintendent Anil Kumar Gautam in connection with the alleged illegal release of a Noida-based gangster from jail without a court order.
The Jharkhand High Court has directed police to send a skeleton found in Bokaro to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Kolkata for further examination in connection with a missing woman case. The court also addressed concerns about the investigation's handling and the suspension of police personnel.
State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) has agreed to pay $600 million (about 5,700 crore) to settle litigation arising from the collapse of NMC Health, ending years of cross-border legal proceedings.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
No one can do this, the Gujarat high court said on Monday, questioning how former cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan occupied public land in Vadodara without paying a single penny, even after the state government had refused the allotment proposal.
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike has entered its 20th day, with doctors warning of his critical health condition. Despite this, Wangchuk is resolute in his call for a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the Monsoon Session's opening, to protest alleged examination irregularities and demand the Union education minister's resignation.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik and four accomplices for the 1990 kidnapping and brutal killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat, marking a "historic milestone" in addressing legacy terror crimes.
Retired Bombay high court Judge Gautam Patel and his family have allegedly been subjected to repeated threats in India and in Britain over his 2024 verdict in a case on the succession row in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
The Morena administration in Madhya Pradesh has banned sand mining and transportation from the Chambal River, along with restricting fuel sales to unregistered vehicles, following criticism from the Supreme Court regarding illegal mining activities.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated that the Supreme Court views technology as an aid to human reasoning, not a replacement, and emphasised developing "Swadeshi Jurisprudence" tailored to India's unique conditions. He highlighted efforts to create an indigenous AI ecosystem for the judiciary and stressed that AI cannot substitute human judgment, empathy, or ethical discernment.
The Rajasthan High Court has granted bail to two accused in an ATM theft case, ordering them to plant trees as community service, emphasising a reformative approach to criminal justice.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered that Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, currently detained in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, will appear virtually before a trial court in Amritsar for the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case.
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Barrett as the Supreme Court Judge by 52-48 votes, overcoming the unified opposition of Democrats.
The Trinamool Congress has moved the Calcutta High Court to challenge the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision to recognise Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition, citing that 58 of its 80 MLAs supported him over the party's official nominee. The court has scheduled an urgent hearing for June 11, ahead of the 18th Assembly session starting June 18.
When dialogue fails, protest becomes inevitable.
In a democracy, protest is often the only language left once institutions stop listening, explains Ramesh Menon.
The Supreme Court is set to hear Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's challenge against the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh, which was dismissed due to alleged concealment of information in her election affidavit.
The court directed Asaram to surrender in view of the conviction. He is currently out on temporary bail, which was extended by seven days on Monday.
Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized the importance of delivering judgments without external influence to maintain public trust in the judiciary.
The Bombay High Court has approved the removal of mangroves for the Vadhvan Port Project in Palghar, Maharashtra, citing its public importance and economic significance. This clearance paves the way for accelerated execution of the Rs 76,220 crore project, which aims to position India among the top 10 container port nations globally.
