Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is suing Byju Raveendran in Indian courts to recover $235 million from the embattled educational technology (edtech) entrepreneur, escalating a global legal battle that has ensnared one of India's most high-profile startup founders.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a plea which flagged Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey's recent criticism of the apex court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and sought removal of derogatory videos from social media platforms.
The apex court bench, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, will assemble at 10.30 am to hear the two petitions.
The Bombay High Court has directed activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters, who are staging an agitation demanding reservation for the Maratha community, to vacate Azad Maidan in Mumbai by 3 pm or face action.
The Bombay High Court expressed its dismay over the Maharashtra government's failure to register an FIR against five policemen involved in the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, despite an explicit court order. The court, alleging a deliberate attempt to disregard its directives, threatened contempt proceedings against senior CID officers for non-compliance. The case pertains to Shinde's death while in police custody, accused of sexually assaulting two kindergarten girls in Badlapur. An inquiry report by a magistrate indicted the five policemen, suggesting a possible fake encounter. The court emphasized the importance of following the rule of law and stated that the government's inaction would send a detrimental message to society.
Commercial and prohibited speeches are not covered under fundamental rights, the Supreme Court on Monday said as it asked five social media influencers, including India's Got Latent host Samay Raina, to display their unconditional apology in their podcasts or shows for ridiculing persons with disabilities and rare genetic disorders.
'Modi's a great leader... But I don't understand why he's getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping...'
The Election Commission has written to heads of recognised political parties saying that it has created a fund in which fines for contempt of court can be deposited for failing to comply with the apex court's directions.
'Government cannot pick and choose as to against whom they want to take action and against whom they do not want to take action.'
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi government and civic bodies to address the 'extremely grim' stray dog menace by picking up strays and housing them in shelters for sterilization and immunization. The court also warned against obstructing authorities and ordered the creation of a helpline for reporting dog bite cases.
He also mentioned that despite repeated caution by his former Chief Secretary on the ground of contempt of court, his Cabinet took the decision for the ad hoc promotion of the government officials, which is a long-pending issue in the Supreme Court.
A lawyer has submitted an audio clip to the Delhi High Court, allegedly containing an admission by a senior Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) officer about attempts to frame a special judge in a corruption case. The lawyer, representing a court staff member who filed a petition seeking an independent investigation, claims the ACB lodged an FIR against the staff member to "settle score" with the judge who issued notices to the ACB's joint commissioner for alleged threats to staff. The audio clip allegedly features an ACB officer admitting to framing the judge due to adverse rulings and suggesting that the judge was targeted due to his questioning of the ACB's investigations.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on the contempt notice issued to yoga guru Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in the misleading advertisements case.
The Delhi high court recently observed the 'next Covid pandemic' was far from over as it asked for details on the Centre's preparedness for the collection of samples, centres and transport policy.
The Delhi high court on Thursday discharged S Gurumurthy, editor of a Chennai-based Tamil news magazine, in a 2018 contempt case for his tweet against a judge after accepting his apology and "deep remorse".
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved for prima facie violation of the undertaking given by it in the court about its products and also about statements claiming their medicinal efficacy. A bench of justices Hima Kohli and A Amanullah issued a notice to Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.
Contempt should be restricted to the disobedience of orders and rulings. Any failure to obey the court in a dispute that doesn't involve it should alone invite contempt proceedings, observes T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan.
In its verdict last month, the top court directed the SBI to furnish the details to the Election Commission (EC) by March 6.
In more than one way, it's a setback for the DMK and Chief Minister Stalin in political terms. The electoral fall-out, if any, will have to wait until the next summer, only when assembly elections are due in the state, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu police to file a case against state Forest Minister K Ponmudy, following his recent controversial remarks about Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The court warned the police that if they do not register an FIR against the DMK leader, it will initiate suo motu contempt proceedings.
The police in its findings submitted to HC said the news report was false and fabricated.
The bench also issued notice to Ramdev to show cause why contempt proceedings be not initiated against him.
The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the Rajasthan government over the alarming rise in student suicides in Kota. The court expressed its deep concern over the situation, questioning the state's efforts to address the crisis. The court also ordered an FIR to be filed in the case of a 22-year-old IIT Kharagpur student who died by suicide in his hostel room, citing a delay in reporting the incident to the police.
The Delhi high court has refused to accept the apology of TMC MP Saket Gokhale in a sealed cover over a plea of former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri and said he has "tarried and procrastinated" but not complied with its verdict.
The privileges committee of the Maharashtra legislature will issue a show cause notice to stand-up comic Kunal Kamra for his remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare will also receive a notice.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri appeared before the Delhi high court on Monday and tendered an unconditional apology in connection with a criminal contempt case over his alleged remarks against a judge of the court.
The court also directed YouTube and a Marathi news channel to forthwith remove the video of the press conference and also restrained them from uploading it in future.
Yoga guru Ramdev has pledged not to pass any further disparaging remarks against Hamdard's Rooh Afza, leading the Delhi High Court to close a case filed by Hamdard National Foundation India against Ramdev and his Patanjali Foods Ltd. The court ordered the removal of controversial online content and accepted Ramdev's assurance to not make any further disparaging statements. Ramdev had previously made controversial remarks about Rooh Afza, claiming that the money earned from its sales was used to build madrasas and mosques. The court deemed his statements as 'indefensible' and 'shook its conscience'.
'Day by day we expose how soulless we have become as a society. Every day is a disappointment.'
The Supreme Court on Thursday closed activist Tushar Gandhi's contempt plea against the Delhi police after taking note of submissions that a charge sheet in a case of hate speeches made at religious assemblies in the national capital in 2021 was filed in a court in New Delhi.
The Delhi High Court has said that a Sub-Divisional Magistrate prima facie committed contempt of court by sending a notice to the residence of a person desirous of marrying his partner under the Special Marriage Act (SMA), in violation of its order prohibiting any such dispatch.
RCA deputy president Mehmood Abdi has alleged that N Srinivasan committed contempt of court.
'Arundhati Roy is like a ballerina performing on a high wire, cool, supremely at ease but conscious of all the adoring eyes on her,' notes P Vijaya Kumar.
The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Monday the quantum of sentence against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, an accused in the bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in a contempt case where he has been found guilty. A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice S Ravindra Bhat on March 10 had reserved its order on the punishment in the contempt case against Mallya, saying the proceedings against him have hit a "dead wall". The top court had heard senior advocate and amicus curiae Jaideep Gupta on various aspects related to the contempt law and the punishment, and had granted one last opportunity to lawyer Ankur Saigal, counsel for Mallya, to file his written submissions on the sentencing aspect.
Yoga guru Ramdev on Friday gave an undertaking in the Delhi High Court for neither issuing any disparaging statement nor publishing on social media, posts similar to his "sharbat jihad" remark against Hamdard's Rooh Afza.
The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly has terminated the membership of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena after he was convicted and sentenced to three years in jail for pointing a pistol at a sub-divisional magistrate. Meena's membership was terminated effective from May 1, following legal opinion from the advocate general and senior legal experts. Meena had approached the Supreme Court seeking suspension of his sentence, but the top court dismissed his plea and directed him to surrender within two weeks. The Election Commission has been informed of the vacancy, and a by-election on the Anta seat would be held within six months.
The Supreme Court of India has censured BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his remarks against the judiciary, stating that his comments "tend to scandalize and lower the authority of the Supreme Court of India." The court dismissed a contempt petition against Dubey but issued a scathing order criticizing his remarks, which included accusations that the court was "taking the country towards anarchy" and that Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was "responsible for the civil wars taking place in the country." The court deemed Dubey's statements "highly irresponsible" and indicative of an attempt to "incite religious wars." The order highlighted the importance of maintaining public confidence in the judiciary and condemned attempts to undermine its authority.
A bench headed by the CJI took up the petitions and said, 'We will place this matter before a bench to which I (CJI) am not a part of because the comments (tweets) were made on the order, which I have passed.'
Amidst ongoing tensions with the ruling DMK government, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has invited Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar to inaugurate a meeting of state university Vice Chancellors in the Nilgiris district, sparking criticism from political parties, particularly the Left, who have urged a boycott. The meeting comes in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Tamil Nadu government regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellors, which has stripped the Governor of his previous authority as Chancellor. The Governor, however, maintains his right to convene the meeting, highlighting the ongoing power struggle between the Governor and the state government. The meeting is scheduled for April 25 and 26.
The Supreme Court has refused to hear a plea by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) challenging the temporary release of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The court noted that Singh's counsel objected to the maintainability of the PIL before the high court, which was disposed of on the ground that it was filed against a single person, Singh. The bench said it was not inclined to consider the present petition. Singh is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples.
