A heated exchange occurred in the Supreme Court between senior advocate S Muralidhar and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta over Mehta's use of the term "Naxalites" during a hearing on the national song Vande Mataram. Muralidhar strongly objected to the remark, demanding its withdrawal, while Mehta defended his statement, referring to an ideology rather than individuals. The bench intervened, emphasising decorum and constitutional issues.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta elaborated on the origins of Hindu law, stating it emanates from the 'Smritis' and highlighting the two prominent schools of thought, Mitakshara and Dayabhaga. He emphasised the dynamic interpretation possible within Hindu legal texts and the foresight of ancient scholars in formulating concepts like prohibited relationships.
Eighteen months after his appointment as Solicitor General of India, senior advocate Rohinton Nariman has resigned from the post amid speculation that the decision came over his differences with the law ministry.
His second term as solicitor general was renewed recently.
The Supreme Court has indicated that individuals with a conscientious objection should not face criminal consequences for declining to sing Vande Mataram, while asking the Centre to consider a 1986 judgment protecting similar rights concerning the national anthem.
Solicitor General of India Mohan Parasaran has asked the Centre to re-impose the President's Rule in the state, and the dissolution of the Andhra Pradesh assembly to avoid a constitutional crisis. Parasaran has said that there was no need of summoning both Houses of Parliament to endorse the President's Rule in Andhra.
The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that authorities in Muscat are examining claims that the family of Indian merchant navy captain Ashish Kumar received ransom calls following his disappearance after a drone or missile attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Top Indian American lawyer Neal Kumar Katyal will now serve as the United States government's top legal counsel, with Solicitor General Elena Kagan vacating the post following her nomination to the Supreme Court.Kagan informed the Supreme Court in a letter that she has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the vacancy in the apex court, and the development leaves her principal deputy Katyal to serve as the Acting Solicitor General.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that an appeal would be filed against an Allahabad High Court decision that quashed the detention of Delhi University student Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act. The High Court had also awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation to Chaudhary and criticised the "despotic" conduct of the Gautam Buddha Nagar DM. The Supreme Court also expressed displeasure over a Greater Noida executive magistrate's notice to another student for protest participation.
Senior advocate Rohinton Nariman is all set to be appointed as the new Solicitor General of India, the second senior most law officer of the country, in place of Gopal Subramanium, who quit recently.
In a statement, the UNAU Tribal Women's Forum, Delhi-NCR, said the mothers of the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi community of Manipur, represented by the group, are "deeply hurt and appalled" by the remarks made by the solicitor general in the Supreme Court on August 1.
Senior Supreme Court advocate Ranjit Kumar, considered an expert on constitutional laws, was appointed as the solicitor general on Saturday. The law ministry issued a notification appointing Kumar, who has defended Gujarat in a number of cases, as the next solicitor general of India.
The Supreme Court has directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expeditiously complete its probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The court also mandated the SIT to submit a sealed status report and consider suggestions from litigants for improving transparency and investigation quality.
The Supreme Court has listed for hearing on August 31 an appeal of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, challenging the August 6 order of the Calcutta high court denying him pre-arrest bail in the Salboni land-grabbing case.
Upset since appointment of Rohinton Nariman as the solicitor general of India last July from outside the hierarchy, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran has turned down the government's offer to renew his contract.
Lt Governor Najib Jung had sought Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran's as to whether the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the assembly without sending the legislative proposal to the Central government is in consonance with the transaction of Business of the GNCT of Delhi Rules, 1993, and also as to whether the proposal involves any constitutional infraction.
The Aam Aadmi Party government's plans to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill in a public venue next week faced fresh hurdles with Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran insisting that Lt Governor's prior approval is necessary while key ally Congress toughened its opposition.
The apex court was hearing a plea by a former woman judicial officer who resigned following an inquiry into her allegations of sexual harassment against a Madhya Pradesh high court judge.
Special Secretary (Internal Secretary) U K Bansal met Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium on Tuesday night and discussed with him about the options available before Indian investigators to question Headley under the plea bargain agreement between him and the American government.
The Supreme Court has taken a serious view of allegations of harassment against a minor girl who participated in the July Cockroach Janta Party protests. The court emphasised that nobody should be allowed to intimidate a victim or her family from pursuing criminal proceedings and directed the Solicitor General to ensure action on the girl's FIR, seeking reports from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments.
The Supreme Court has raised concerns regarding Bengaluru's Premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme, questioning its impact on urban infrastructure. The court cited Gurugram's infrastructure collapse during rains as a cautionary tale, contrasting it with Greater Noida's planned development. The scheme allows property owners to purchase additional construction rights, but petitioners argue it strains existing infrastructure and could regularise illegal constructions.
The Supreme Court has urged the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider exempting Class 6 students from its three-language policy for the current academic year. The policy, which mandates the study of three languages including two native Indian languages, is challenged by petitioners who question CBSE's jurisdiction over classes 6-8. The court emphasized finding a solution that avoids student pressure and suggested a potential deferral for Class 6.
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.
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 has issued an interim directive prohibiting the unauthorised posting, reposting, or uploading of audio-video recordings of court proceedings on social media and other digital platforms. This measure comes in response to concerns over the misuse of live-streamed court videos.
Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi has sought to intervene in a Delhi High Court case regarding the collapse of a hostel building in Satya Niketan, which resulted in seven deaths. The court acknowledged her experience despite opposition from the Centre, Delhi government, and MCD, who were given three days to respond to her plea. The High Court had previously ordered an inquiry into the September 6 collapse, highlighting concerns about housing safety and regulatory measures.
The Supreme Court has stayed the reinstatement of IAS officer Rinku Dhugga, who was compulsorily retired by the Centre following a controversy involving the Thyagaraj Stadium. The Centre challenged the Delhi High Court's decision to set aside her compulsory retirement, which was initially ordered after allegations of misusing the stadium for dog walking and unauthorised absence.
With the United States promising to give India access to 26/11 accused David Headley, Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam on Saturday left for Washington to discuss legal modalities for it.
The Supreme Court will hear a plea from the Meghalaya government challenging the bail granted to Sonam Raghuvanshi, accused of murdering her husband during their honeymoon. The case hinges on a legal question regarding a typographical error in the arrest memo and whether it justifies bail in a murder case.
The Supreme Court has noted that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya identified 105 instances of unauthorised currency removal from the counting room. While no discrepancies were found in valuable articles like silver bricks, eight accused have been identified, and a chargesheet is expected soon. The investigation involved examining CCTV footage, financial records, and witness statements.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the Centre's key counsel in defending the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, said on Monday the Supreme Court verdict upholding the government's August 5, 2019, decision will go down in history as the one that corrected a "Himalayan constitutional blunder" of gigantic proportions.
The Gujarat University on Thursday told the high court in Ahmedabad the Right to Information Act cannot be used for satisfying someone's "childish curiosity" as it defended its petition seeking quashing of an order under the transparency law to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi on Thursday approached the Delhi high court seeking to be made a party in a matter concerning the hostel building collapse in Satya Niketan that left seven people dead, saying she wanted to bring forth "critical public domain disclosures" and the "nexus" in the operation of PG hostels.
RIL is also fighting a case with Reliance Natural Resources Ltd in the Supreme Court on supply of 28 mmsmcd at the NTPC price to the Anil Ambani-owned company. Though Subramanium has said this case has no bearing on NTPC, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas' plea in the Supreme Court may have implications on price and utilisation of gas sales from RIL's D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
The Delhi high court on Monday granted three weeks to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others to respond to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate challenging a trial court order that refused to take cognisance of its chargesheet against them in the National Herald-linked money laundering case.
The Supreme Court has extended its order staying the arrest of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the Salboni land-grabbing case. The West Bengal government alleged Roy was not cooperating with the probe, while Roy's counsel argued he has a right to silence and the case is politically motivated. The court will review a sealed cover report from the police before further proceedings.
The West Bengal government has appointed Rajdeep Majumder as the state's new additional advocate general, while N G Khaitan will take over as the advocate on record, original side, at the Calcutta High Court.
Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra has challenged the National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) decision to form a five-member bench to hear his personal insolvency case, arguing that the tribunal lacks the power to constitute such a bench. This comes after a split verdict and a subsequent stay on an order allowing him to settle claims.
The Supreme Court has asked the CBSE to consider deferring the implementation of its three-language policy for Class 6 students, which mandates two native Indian languages, until the academic session starting 2027. The CBSE stated it would consider the suggestion. The policy, aligned with NEP-2020, makes two native Indian languages compulsory for Class 6 and Class 9, with provisions for foreign languages as additional options and no board exams for the third language in Class 10.
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.
