The Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on the constitutional validity of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which mandates prior sanction for probing government servants in corruption cases. The case will now be placed before the Chief Justice for forming a larger bench.
The Supreme Court of India has sought the government's response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenges the appointment process of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), arguing it's unconstitutional. The PIL, filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, claims the current process, solely through executive appointment by the Prime Minister, undermines the CAG's independence and violates constitutional principles. The court, while acknowledging the importance of institutional trust, questioned the extent to which it should intervene in the appointment process and whether this would constitute rewriting constitutional provisions. The PIL suggests the CAG's appointment should be similar to other independent bodies, with a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Chief Justice of India. The case has implications for the independence and transparency of India's audit system.
On Monday, Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, mentioned an interim application before a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala.
The Supreme Court Registry is learnt to have refused to accept the Centre's plea seeking modification of its 2012 verdict in the 2G spectrum case which had said the State was duty bound to adopt the auction route while transferring or alienating the country's natural resources.
The plea came up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan.
The ministry also submitted that the identification of scheduled castes is centred around a specific social stigma that is limited to the communities identified in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Delhi high court to decide within two weeks the plea pending before it challenging the appointment of senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi police commissioner.
The law officer said nothing remains in the matter after the privacy judgement.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as city police commissioner.
The bench in its order noted that the CBI report also dealt with its probe into the alleged violation by FIPB in the Aircel-Maxis deal.
The bench was informed by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation and others, that the Centre has filed an affidavit saying it wants to appoint another commission to examine the issue.
The Centre's Presidential Reference on allocation of natural resources is aimed at getting the apex court overrule its 2G case verdict, which had asked the government to allocate resources only through auction, the Supreme court was told on Tuesday by an non governmental-organisation.
A bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad sought response from the government, the national carrier and CBI on a petition filed by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, alleging that various decisions taken during the tenure of Patel were meant to benefit private airlines and caused huge loss to Air India.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said there must be a "debate" on the "serious" issue relating to the practice of political parties promising freebies and asked why cannot the Centre call for an all-party meeting on it.
Embattled Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas on Monday side-stepped questions about him continuing in office in the wake of a corruption case against him, saying he was still the CVC. "I am still the CVC. The matter is in court. So no comments," said Thomas. The Supreme Court is hearing a PIL by the NGO Centre for Public Interest represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, questioning the legality of the CVC's appointment by a three-member selection committee.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising justices R S Reddy and M R Shah said that voluntary contribution can always be made to the NDRF as there is no statutory bar under the Disaster Management Act.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to soft drink majors Pepsico and Coca Cola on a petition seeking that there should be a disclosure by the companies about the ingredients and chemical composition of the product.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the central government and Rakesh Asthana's stand on a public interest litigation challenging the appointment of the Gujarat-cadre IPS officer as Delhi police commissioner.
The Delhi high court was informed on Tuesday that a petition challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre Indian Police Service officer Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police Commissioner has also been filed before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up government agencies for not taking action on the basis of taped conversations of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with top politicians, businessmen and others which show various serious matters like cross-border transactions.
The Delhi High Court Thursday termed as "copy-paste" a petition filed before it challenging the appointment of IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police Commissioner and warned the petitioner that such activity shall not be repeated in the future.
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed new Central Bureau of Investigation Director Anil Kumar Sinha to take charge of the investigation and prosecution in the 2G scam cases, over three weeks after it had removed his predecessor from the probe following allegations of trying to protect some accused.
The apex court, however, dismissed a PIL filed by NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a court-monitored fresh probe in the Pandya murder case.
The petition was filed in 2003 by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation.
The solicitor general said that the PM CARES Fund is a 'voluntary fund'. "It is a public trust. It is a body where you can make voluntary contributions and no budgetary allocations to the NDRF or SDRF are being touched. What has to be spent will be spent," the law officer said.
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda said the issue raised by the accused needs to be heard before taking up other pleas challenging summoning of 13 witnesses including Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group chairman Anil Ambani and his wife Tina Ambani.
The Reserve Bank of India has submitted a list of big loan defaulters in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court with a submission that disclosing their names may have "adverse impact" for business and may "accentuate failure of business".
Observing that if people file an RTI query, they must know who the defaulters are, the bench asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) why the information on defaulters should be withheld
Under attack for allegedly meeting officials of companies accused in 2G scam, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Thursday said that he would recuse himself from the ongoing probe in Coal scam if the Supreme Court ordered so.
The BJP hailed the order as a "resounding blow to the nefarious designs" of Rahul and the Cong described it as a "body blow to transparency".
Most of the recommendations with regard to appointment of judges in high courts were pending with the collegium headed by the CJI, it said.
It also opposed the suggestion that the contributions be transferred to the National Disaster Response Fund.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notice to Union Health Minister J P Nadda on a petition seeking a CBI inquiry into various cases of alleged irregularities and corruption in AIIMS raised by then Chief Vigilance Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.
The Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court that charge sheet in the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal involving former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran will be filed shortly as the Attorney General disagreed with the views of its Director Ranjit Sinha to drop the prosecution.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said the issues raised in the plea need 'examination' and issued notice to the Centre, RBI, Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, PwC and the audit firms sharing its brand name.
The CBI has completed its probe against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and others in 2G scam and will approach the Centre for taking sanction for prosecution, the agency told the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on Monday said that averments made against Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha, arising out of entry list at his residence, are "serious" in nature and directed him to respond to the allegations in "black and white".
The Supreme Court has asked the CBI to place before it the "files and notings" which purportedly suggest that its Director Ranjit Sinha wants stopping of whole trial against Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) and three top executives of the Reliance ADAG, who are accused in the 2G spectrum scam case.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was on Friday at the centre of a controversy over reports that he and his family spent two nights on a luxury yacht owned by Essar group.
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the CBI to go ahead with its probe in the Aircel-Maxis deal without waiting for necessary sanction against an official "holding high position" in connection with irregularities in the case arising out of 2G scam.