Meet the Chief Justice who delivered a stinging rebuke to the government last week.
Justice Lahoti was appointed as the 35th chief justice of India on June 1, 2004. He retired on November 1, 2005.
Justice Lahoti, 63, who succeeds Justice S Rajendra Babu, has a tenure of nearly 18 months.
Justice Lahoti succeeds Justice S Rajendra Babu, who retires on June 1.
A day after his allegations that three former Chief Justices of India made 'improper compromises' to keep on an improper judge stirred a national storm, Justice Markandey Katju posed six questions to one of the Chief Justices, Justice R C Lahoti.
Special NIA court judge AK Lahoti, conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been transferred to Nashik just days before the court was likely to reserve the matter for judgement. The transfer order, issued by the registrar general of the Bombay High Court, will come into effect on June 9. The order directs the judge to finish judgments in all cases where hearing has concluded and to dispose of part-heard cases before handing over charge. In the last hearing on Saturday, judge Lahoti directed the prosecution and defense to wrap up the remaining arguments by April 15 and was expected to reserve the matter for judgement the following day, a defense lawyer said.
The 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, spanning nearly 17 years, was marked by changes in investigating agencies and five different judges, contributing to significant delays, according to victims and accused.
An organisation that helped the families of victims in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has expressed displeasure over the acquittal of seven accused and sought to know if they were not involved in the incident, then who were responsible for it.
The Bombay High Court has issued notices to those acquitted in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, following an appeal by victims' families, raising questions about the investigation and seeking convictions.
"You (appellants) have to indicate whether they were witnesses or not. Give us details. This is not an open gate for everyone," the HC said and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
Former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit hailed a special court's order acquitting them in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Thakur said the acquittal was a win for "bhagwa" (saffron) and that God will punish those who tried to insult it. Purohit said he was implicated and will continue to serve the nation.
Unfortunately for the prosecution, the chassis number that the investigation was relying on to implicate Pragya failed as the court said in its judgment that the chassis number of the two-wheeler had been wiped out and therefore it could not be connected to Pragya.
Family members of victims of the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast have challenged the acquittal of the accused, including Pragya Singh Thakur and Prasad Purohit, in the Bombay High Court, citing faulty investigation and the nature of conspiracy.
Former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal was not considered for the post of National Human Rights Commission chief because of "adverse media and other reports" about him, the Home Ministry has said.
The apex court has upheld a Haryana legislation disqualifying a gram panchayat member from becoming a sarpanch if he or she had more than two living children.
Nearly 17 years after a blast in Malegaon town of north Maharashtra claimed six lives, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all the seven accused, including former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, noting there was 'no reliable and cogent evidence' against them.
The government, however, amended the tax laws with retrospective effect to undo the Supreme Court judgement and claim taxes.
A special court in India has reserved its verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, which killed six people and injured over 100. The trial began nearly 17 years after the bombing in the town of Malegaon, located in Maharashtra. The prosecution concluded its final arguments on Saturday, marking the end of the hearings. Seven individuals, including Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The verdict is expected to be delivered on May 8th.
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, currently chairman of Press Council of India, on Monday stirred a controversy by alleging that three ex-Chief Justices of India had compromised in giving extension to an additional judge of Madras high court at the instance of the United Progressive Alliance government in the wake of pressure from one of its allies, apparently Dravida Munnetra Kazahagham.
Justice Y K Sabharwal sworn in as Chief Justice of India
The prosecution has proved the entire chain that connected the accused with each other for achieving the goal of executing the bomb blast and perform terrorist acts, the written statement, filed by the intervenor for the victims, said.
Justice Lahoti also hoped the recommendations of the Shetty Commission will soon be implemented.
The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will constitute a fresh bench to hear the plea of home buyers seeking delivery of their homes booked with the Amprapali group. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala was urged by a counsel for home buyers to set up a fresh bench as the matters pertaining to the Amrapali group were being heard by a bench headed by the then CJI U U Lalit, who demitted office on November 8. "I will constitute a bench," the CJI said. The plea was mentioned by lawyer M L Lahoty, appearing for home buyers.
There were mixed reactions from parties to Markandey Katju's charge that three ex-chief justices of India had compromised in giving extension and elevation to an additional judge of Madras high court at UPA government's instance, with some including All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam demanding a probe while others questioned the timing of his disclosure.
In a good news for the hassled home buyers of Amrapali Group, the Supreme Court on Friday was informed that 11,858 flats will be delivered in 2 to 3 months of which 5, 428 units will be handed over the possession in October. A bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi was informed by court receiver senior advocate R Venkataramani that in the upcoming festive season next month 5,428 flats which have been completed by the NBCC will be given to the home buyers with electricity and water connection. "We are facing some issues in providing electricity and water connections to the other 6,430 completed flats and once the connections are provided and they receive completion certificates, these units will be handed over to the home buyers in the next two to three months", he said.
Intruders have allegedly looted the house of Ramniwas Lahoti, the elder brother of Chief Justice of India Justice R C Lahoti, in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday.
The apex court-appointed forensic auditors had told the bench that Amrapali Group had entered into "sham agreements" with Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd (RSMPL) which promotes the brand of Dhoni, to "illegally divert" home buyers' money and a total amount of Rs 42.22 crore was paid to RSMPL during 2009-2015. Dhoni had moved to the Delhi high court which, on October 16, 2019, had appointed its former judge Veena Birbal as sole arbitrator to arbitrate the commercial dispute between the cricketer and the real estate firm.
Reforms needed in law to render social justice: Ex-CJI
The Supreme Court directed the chief secretaries of the states and the Union government to file their written submissions within six weeks.
The Bench will hear questions pertaining to freedom of press arising from the arrest warrants issued last year by the Tamil Nadu assembly speaker against the editor and senior journalists of The Hindu newspaper.
'The judiciary cannot trespass on the powers of Parliament and Parliament in turn cannot trespass on the territory of the judiciary,' says former Chief Justice of India V N Khare.
It declared as null and void over 100 varsities established under this act.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat government sought the relaxation for two hours from 10:00 pm till midnight during the Navratras on the use of laudspeaker for the garba dance, for which the state is famous.
Centre has told the Supreme Court that it will soon make public Bihar governor Buta's reports which led to the dissolution of the assembly in the state.
Seven months after it challenged the bail granted to Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi in the Radhakrishnan assault case, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday withdrew its appeal in the Supreme Court.
The petition contends that certain provisions of the RPA will prevent prohibition of crime-tainted people from becoming MPs and MLAs.
The Supreme Court has said that the practice of listing religious groups as 'minority communities' should be discouraged and the list be gradually be done away with as it promotes divisive tendencies to weaken the nation.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging the legality of the power purchase agreement between Maharashtra State Electricity Board and the Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Corporation.
