The Supreme Court on Monday said nobody except the accused, victims' representatives and their lawyers shall be present in the court conducting the trial in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence cases in which Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish is among those facing prosecution.
The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for delaying legal action against Isha Foundation, a yoga and meditation center founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, over alleged environmental violations. The court criticized the TNPCB for taking two years to challenge a Madras High Court ruling that quashed a showcause notice against the foundation. The court also emphasized the importance of environmental compliance for the yoga center, noting that it must meet all necessary parameters. The case highlights ongoing legal challenges and environmental concerns related to the Isha Foundation's activities.
The Supreme Court of India has directed the President to consider the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in the 1995 assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The court gave the President two weeks to decide on the plea. Rajoana was sentenced to death in July 2007 for his role in the bombing that killed Beant Singh and 16 others. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) filed a mercy petition on his behalf in 2012.
The Supreme Court of India will examine the age limits for surrogate mothers and other provisions of the Surrogacy Regulation Act and Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act on February 11. The court has asked the government to file its written submissions on the matter. The laws set age limits for intended parents and surrogate mothers, restricting commercial surrogacy and emphasizing altruistic surrogacy. The court is also considering alternative mechanisms for compensating surrogate mothers and has proposed a designated authority for disbursing payments instead of intended couples.
A three-member panel led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has been formed to probe the discovery of "four to five semi-burnt sacks" of Indian currency notes found after a fire at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The incident, which occurred on March 14, has triggered an in-house inquiry, with the findings determining the judge's fate. The panel, consisting of Chief Justices Sheel Nagu (Punjab and Haryana), G S Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh), and Karnataka High Court judge Anu Sivaraman, will conduct a "deeper probe" into the allegations. Justice Varma has denied any knowledge of the cash being stored in the storeroom. The inquiry follows the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya's report that recommended a deeper investigation. The top court's 2014 guidelines for in-house procedures for probing allegations against judges will be followed during the inquiry. The panel's findings could lead to either the removal of the judge, if the misconduct is deemed serious, or a reprimand. The inquiry will also determine if the fire was indeed a short-circuit as initially reported.
'If we stay silent now, we betray the very foundation of justice in this country.'
The Tamil Nadu government has argued in the Supreme Court that Governor R N Ravi's repeated withholding of assent to bills passed by the state legislative assembly would lead to the failure of the democratic system in India. The top court has questioned the delay by the Governor in granting assent to several bills passed by the state assembly and asked why governors should wait for parties to move the court with their grievances. The court has also said that the Governor cannot refer bills passed by the legislature and re-adopted by it for presidential assent.
The fresh application has been filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist, in Jammu and Kashmir seeking restoration of statehood.
The Delhi government is embroiled in multiple litigations with the Lieutenant Governor in the Supreme Court including its plea challenging the Centre's law establishing pre-eminence of the LG over the elected dispensation in controlling services in the national capital.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Gujarat government, and did not pass any interim status quo order in the meantime as sought by the counsel of the Muslim parties.
Chief Justice of India-designate Sanjiv Khanna on Friday lauded CJI D Y Chandrachud for his "monumental" contribution, saying he worked on a mission to improve the apex court and pursued his goal of making it "a sanctuary of inclusivity", which was accessible to all.
A seven-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma said there is no error apparent on the face of the record.
The Supreme Court of India is set to rule on the case of a pastor whose body has been lying in a mortuary for 15 days due to a dispute over his burial site in a Chhattisgarh village. The court expressed concern over the delay and urged for an amicable settlement, while the Chhattisgarh government insisted on the designated burial area for Christian tribals being 20-30 kilometers away from the family's village. The court will deliver its verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
The Supreme Court on Monday held as maintainable the PIL filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped while seven of her family members were killed during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, against the state government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the error committed by the trial judge had been perpetuated by the high court.
In an affidavit filed in the top court, the SLA has given details of the steps taken by it against Patanjali and Divya Pharmacy.
Justices N Kotiswar Singh and R Mahadevan were on Tuesday elevated as judges of the Supreme Court.
Expressing displeasure over Asokan's comments a day before the top court was slated to hear the matter, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah sought his response on an application filed by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that the offence of abetment of suicide should not be invoked mechanically against individuals, emphasizing that the provision should not be used to soothe the feelings of grieving families. The court stressed that the conduct of the accused and the deceased, their interactions, and conversations preceding the death should be examined practically and not divorced from real-life contexts. The judgment came after a plea challenging an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court that refused to discharge a man from charges under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to a suicide case. The Supreme Court emphasized that to prove abetment of suicide, there must be evidence of active instigation or acts facilitating the suicide. In this case, the court found that the appellant's actions, including seeking repayment of a loan, did not constitute instigation to suicide.
The Anjuman Intezamia Committee Thursday filed a counter-affidavit before the Allahabad HC in the matter seeking a survey of the Wazukhana (or ablution area) by the ASI.
The practice of mentioning caste or religion of litigants in court cases must be shunned, the Supreme Court has said while directing its registry and all other courts to stop it immediately.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked their counsel to place the apology published in newspapers on record within two days.
A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan asked the LG's office to not hold elections for the post of chairman of the Standing Committee till it hears the plea of Mayor Shelly Oberoi against the September 27 Standing Committee polls.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has been part of several landmark Supreme Court judgements such as scrapping the electoral bonds scheme and upholding abrogation of Article 370, will be sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday.
Under the title of "legal enforcement", states and Union Territories were directed to appoint officers solely responsible for discharging the functions of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers at the district level.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to provide information about the numbers and names reiterated by the apex court Collegium for appointment as judges in higher judiciary with reasons why they were not considered so far and at what level they were pending.
The Supreme Court of India expressed deep concern over the rising drug abuse problem in the country, highlighting the impact on youth and the need for urgent intervention. The court emphasized the need for rehabilitation rather than demonization of drug users and called for open discussions to address the issue. The judgment came while granting bail to a man accused in a heroin smuggling case. The court cited a 2019 report that indicated a significant number of people in India use opioids, cannabis, and other substances, with alarming trends in opioid dependence.
The sources in the government said the notification announcing the name of the next CEC could be issued "in the next few hours".
The Supreme Court of India has ordered the Union government to grant a permanent commission to a woman officer in the Army Dental Corps who was denied benefits given to similarly placed officers. The court ruled that the woman officer was wrongly excluded from consideration and that the principle of "what is sauce for the goose ought to be sauce for the gander" applies in this case. The court directed the government to implement the order within four weeks and to extend all consequential benefits, including seniority, promotion, and monetary benefits, to the officer.
The review pleas filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara and others contended that the matter related to the scheme falls in the exclusive domain of legislative and executive policy.
The Supreme Court on Monday said it may not be possible to direct the trial court to conduct day-to-day hearing in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, in which Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra's son Ashish is among those facing prosecution, as it may affect other cases pending there.
'There were deep discussions within the Sangh Parivar before this decision was made.' 'They were convinced, and only then did the Modi government proceed with the caste census.'
The Supreme Court on Monday held as nullity the May 13, 2022, judgment of another bench of the apex court, which had directed the Gujarat government to consider the remission applications of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and murder of seven of her family members, saying it was obtained by "playing fraud on court".
The Supreme Court on Friday set up a five-member independent SIT to probe the allegations of animal fat used in preparing Tirupati laddus to "assuage the feelings of crores of people" while making clear that the court cannot be used as a "political battleground".
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SV N Bhatti sought Tankha's response in four weeks on the plea of Chouhan and BJP state president VD Sharma and former minister Bhupendra Singh who have challenged the October 25 order of the Madhya Pradesh high court refusing to quash the defamation case.
The Gujarat government has said the apex court's observation in the January 8 judgment, holding the state guilty of "usurpation of power" and "abuse of discretion" for complying with an order of another top court bench, was an "error apparent on the face of the record" primarily on three grounds.
The Bangladesh Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that declared 'Joy Bangla' as the country's national slogan, effectively reversing the decision. The government, which had moved to suspend the High Court's ruling, argued that the national slogan is a matter of policy and not subject to judicial interference. This decision comes amid political turmoil in the country, with the recent change of government and a focus on revising national symbols and holidays.
The hotly debated 1998 JMM bribery case judgment, which protected former Union minister Shibu Soren from prosecution, was overturned by a seven-judge bench on Monday, ironically following a petition by his MLA daughter-in-law Sita Soren.
The Centre said the data analytics of results of NEET-UG 2024 show the marks distribution follows the bell-shaped curve that is witnessed in any large-scale examination indicating no abnormality.
Seeking prompt removal of identifiable references of the deceased from all social media platforms, the IT ministry warned that failure to comply with the apex court's order may result in legal consequences and further regulatory action.