The Supreme Court of India will commence hearings on two significant constitutional matters: the interpretation of legislative privileges of MLAs concerning freedom of speech and expression, and the power of state legislatures to impose additional sales tax levies. Both issues will be heard by seven-judge Constitution benches, with one case stemming from a 2003 plea by journalist N Ravi regarding breach of privilege.
The Allahabad high court has delivered a split verdict on the controversial practice of "bulldozer justice," involving the punitive demolition of properties linked to accused persons. Two judges, Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan, expressed differing views on whether a stay on demolitions can be issued, leading the matter to be referred to the Chief Justice for a third judge's opinion.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked an apex court-appointed committee to verify claims that around 24,000 families affected by the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence are yet to receive benefits under government rehabilitation and welfare schemes.
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to provide details on the disposal of appeals by tribunals concerning deletions from West Bengal's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The court emphasised the need to track the progress of these appeals, which were set up to address irregularities. It also clarified that grievances regarding the denial of PDS benefits due to voter deletion should be taken up with the Calcutta High Court.
Students at NALSAR University of Law have written to the university administration, opposing the proposal to invite the Chief Justice of India as the chief guest for their convocation. Their objection stems from the CJI-led Supreme Court bench's refusal to urgently list a plea concerning alleged police brutality during a 'Chalo Sansad' protest, which students feel contradicts the university's values.
The Supreme Court is deliberating whether a split in the Shiv Sena could originate in the legislature party and then extend to the broader organisation and primary membership, as it hears pleas from the Uddhav Thackeray faction challenging the Election Commission's recognition of the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
The Bombay High Court has strongly criticised the Maharashtra FDA for its "shoot first" approach, likening its drastic actions to using a sword to kill a mosquito. The court, hearing a petition from Cadila Pharmaceuticals, directed the FDA to grant companies a hearing before taking severe measures, warning of heavy costs for its arbitrary conduct.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has approached the Supreme Court to challenge an Allahabad High Court order that directed the CBI and ED to verify allegations of disproportionate assets against him. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on August 17. The Allahabad High Court had expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI's progress and ordered a fresh affidavit, also allowing the ED to proceed if illegality was found during its inquiry. The case stems from a plea by a BJP worker alleging disproportionate assets and dual citizenship.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's daughter, Anita B Pfaff, has approached the Supreme Court seeking directions for the return of her father's "ashes" from Tokyo's Renkoji temple. The apex court has issued a notice to the Centre, seeking its response on the plea. This follows a previous plea by Netaji's grand-nephew which was withdrawn after the court indicated that Bose's heir should be the one to petition.
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea against the Punjab and Haryana high court order acquitting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2002 murder case of a journalist.
The Supreme Court will hear petitions on August 17 seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, after deferring the original hearing due to the Solicitor General's UN engagement.
A retired Air Force officer has approached the Supreme Court, seeking urgent action against the organisers of the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march, alleging incitement to violence and continued inflammatory statements.
The Supreme Court is considering whether a typographical error in an arrest memo is sufficient grounds to invalidate an arrest and grant bail in a murder case. The case involves Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of her husband's murder, who was granted bail by the Meghalaya High Court due to a procedural error in her arrest document. The Solicitor General argued that the error was clerical and the gravity of the crime should outweigh such a technicality.
The Rajasthan high court has granted 20-day parole to self-styled "godman" Asaram, who is serving a life sentence in a 2013 case of sexually assaulting a minor, saying the state government failed to justify its decision to reject his parole application.
The Supreme Court has directed State Bar Councils to co-opt two women members, either former High Court judges or senior women advocates, to ensure greater gender representation. This move reinforces earlier directives for 30% women's representation and aims to dismantle the perception of Bar Councils as "men's clubs", promoting objectivity and transparency in their functioning.
Google has informed the Delhi High Court that it has withheld a "defamatory" YouTube video by social media influencer Dhruv Rathee in India. The video, which allegedly hurt religious sentiments by insulting Hindu deities, was withheld following an order from the Centre's Grievance Appellate Committee. The petitioner, Amita Sachdeva, seeks global blocking, but Google states the issue of global injunction is pending before a division bench.
The Allahabad High Court has barred four advocates from entering any court premises in Lucknow and ordered a confidential inquiry by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) into their background and activities following an alleged assault on a litigant and Delhi lawyers.
Convicting journalist Tarun Tejpal in a 2013 rape case, the Bombay high court on Thursday termed the trial court's verdict of acquittal as "perverse", and slammed it for falling prey to the notion that a complainant in such cases should be a "perfect victim" and behave in a certain way.
The Bombay High Court has ordered major social media platforms, including Meta, X Corp, and Google LLC, to immediately remove 'vile, abusive, obscene, and defamatory' deepfakes and AI-generated content targeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, emphasising the urgent need for online platforms to curb malicious digital content.
Supreme Court Justice V Mohana has recused herself from hearing the anticipatory bail plea of DMK leader V Senthil Balaji in a new corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). The plea, seeking pre-arrest bail, was filed after the Madras High Court dismissed Balaji's petition. The case involves a systematic cash-kickback scheme and overcharging at TASMAC retail shops.
The Supreme Court dismissed the Odisha government's plea to modify an order allowing the release of the animated film "Mahaprabhu Jagannath". The court emphasised that creativity, art, and culture should not be curtailed due to sensitivities regarding deity depictions, especially for children's animation.
Defending the law for regulating appointment procedures of the chief election commissioner and the deputies, the Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would be wrong to assume that the prime minister and the other ministers would act in "bad faith" and against "democracy" because they have a numerical majority in the selection procedure.
The Supreme Court has dismissed Ashish Mishra's application to relax his bail conditions in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, preventing him from attending family functions. The court also addressed concerns raised by victim farmers' advocate Prashant Bhushan regarding the trial's conduct and witness intimidation, directing such grievances to the trial court.
The Supreme Court has proposed establishing special courts for day-to-day trials in criminal cases stemming from the 2023 Manipur ethnic violence. The court also directed probe agencies to expedite investigations, ensure victims receive chargesheet copies, and asked for status reports on missing persons and ongoing cases.
The Supreme Court is reviewing a Public Interest Litigation challenging Jantar Mantar's suitability as a protest site in New Delhi, citing inconvenience to local residents and disruption of essential services. The court has issued notices to the Centre and other parties to address concerns about access and movement in the area.
The Supreme Court was informed that AIIMS experts have concluded self-styled godman Asaram does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock medical assistance, as he seeks interim bail on health grounds.
The Bombay High Court has set aside a 2011 Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) order that suspended a 61-year-old pilot's Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). The court ruled the suspension "illegal and unsustainable" because the DGCA failed to provide the pilot with a show-cause notice or a hearing, violating principles of natural justice. The pilot's ATPL has been restored, though the DGCA is permitted to conduct a fresh inquiry following due process.
The Supreme Court has granted Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee permission to travel abroad for three weeks for eye treatment, dismissing the West Bengal government's concerns about his return due to 16 pending cases.
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India has quashed the 2021 Office Memorandum allowing retrospective environmental clearances, reinforcing the importance of prior environmental approval for projects but held that the judgment will apply prospectively, thus saving projects that got retrospective ECs from demolition and other punitive measures.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea from the Muslim side regarding the non-compliance of its directions to provide an alternative site near the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, for Friday prayers. The Muslim side alleges the proposed site is unsuitable and too far, while the Solicitor General claims another location has been identified.
The Bombay High Court has ordered resident doctors in Maharashtra to immediately end their strike, which was protesting the registration of homoeopaths under the Maharashtra Medical Council. The court expressed grave concern over patient safety and warned of wage stoppage, leading the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to agree to call off the protest.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday a plea of the Muslim side alleging that the alternative site identified by the Madhya Pradesh government for offering namaaz was located too far from the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar.
The Supreme Court on Monday took note of setting up of a four-member SIT headed by IGP Kiran S to probe alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to also include a forensic auditor in the probe team.
The Supreme Court has ruled that courts must first decide on allegations of adultery made by a husband before granting interim maintenance to the wife, stating that if adultery is proven, the wife is not entitled to maintenance.
The Supreme Court has clarified that its order for immediate FIR registration in missing persons cases applies to every individual, regardless of age or gender, warning states and Union Territories of contempt proceedings for non-compliance.
The Supreme Court has directed the Reserve Bank of India to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within four weeks to deal with bank accounts linked to cyber frauds, including mule accounts. This directive is part of a broader effort to strengthen responses to cyber-enabled financial frauds, with the court also urging states and UTs to adopt and operationalise grievance redressal and money restoration modules.
The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to DMK leader and former minister V Senthil Balaji in a fresh corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), with conditions including cooperation with the investigation and depositing his passport.
The Allahabad High Court has temporarily restrained an Arya Samaj temple in Lucknow from solemnising marriages or issuing certificates, citing serious concerns over its alleged failure to verify the legal age of couples. The court's order came during a hearing of a protection petition, where it was revealed that a petitioner's age was misrepresented in the marriage certificate despite Aadhaar card evidence. The court emphasised legal liability for those involved in underage marriages and questioned the temple's adherence to foundational values.
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and four others accused of assaulting doctors at a municipal hospital in Thane, ordering a fast-tracked, time-bound trial and imposing strict conditions including staying outside Maharashtra until the chargesheet is filed.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has approached the Supreme Court to challenge Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to approve the merger of six of its MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The plea was mentioned before a bench for an urgent hearing.
