He did not give any specific reason for withdrawing from hearing the case.
The petition has sought laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director.
The centre had opposed the plea, saying Asthana had an outstanding career and had supervised over 40 high-profile cases like coal scam, AugustaWestland scam, blackmoney and money laundering cases.
The case based on "random materials" like loose sheets, papers, e-mail print outs is "merit less" as they are "inadmissible materials" having "no evidentiary value under the law, the court said.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file its response on a PIL seeking the initiation of removal process of former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan from the post of National Human Rights Commission chairman for his alleged "misbehaviour" and purchase of benami properties.
The Supreme Court on Thursday termed as a "serious issue" a plea seeking initiation of removal process of former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan from the post of National Human Rights Commission chairman for his alleged "misbehaviour" and purchase of benami properties.
'Work will now be basically file movements from one desk to another as both the government and the agency would not like to antagonise the court.'
He has also sought stay of the Centre's order asking him to proceed on leave and giving the interim charge of his post to Joint Director M Nageswara Rao, a 1986 batch Odisha-cadre IPS officer.
The search committee will forward the names to the selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee, Lok Sabha Speaker, the leader of the largest opposition party and an eminent jurist.
The alleged meetings of former Director of CBI Ranjit Kumar Sinha with the accused in coalgate and 2G cases were'inappropriate', said SC.
While recusing himself from hearing the matter, Justice Ramana said Rao is from his home state and he had attended the wedding ceremony of Rao's daughter.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred the issue of legalising euthanasia in the country to a five-judge Constitution bench, saying there has been "inconsistent" opinion in its previous verdicts on withdrawing medical support to terminally ill patients.
A petition has sought laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director.
The contempt petition refers to the February 1 tweets by Bhushan in which he had allegedly said that the government appeared to have misled the apex court and perhaps submitted fabricated minutes of meeting of the high-powered selection committee headed by the prime minister.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre on a petition filed by an NGO questioning the entire selection process for appointment of chairperson and members of the Lokpal and seeking its stay.
The court had earlier barred publication of photos of leaders in government advertisements except those of the President, PM and the CJI.
Attorney General K K Venugopal told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that the fight between the two officers impacted the image of the CBI.
A day after the Supreme Court issued notice to CBI director Ranjit Sinha for allegedly protecting some accused in 2G case, another bench on Tuesday sought explanation from the top cop on similar allegations in the coal scam.
'The most fundamental flaw with the electoral bond scheme is that it is designed to make anonymous donations.' 'It makes it easy for black money holders as well as corrupt corporates to donate money to the ruling party and ask for a quid pro quo without anybody getting any idea about it.'
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to interpret Leader of Opposition provision for the purpose of appointment of Lokpal in which LoP is a selection committee member and asked the Centre to make its stand clear within two weeks, saying the legislation cannot be put in "cold storage".
The 'essence' of every government action must be in the interest of the institution, the SC said.
The CBI chief's advocate said there was no basis for the Central Vigilance Commission to pass such an order recommending to send him on leave.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ordered that the confidential CVC report be given to Verma in a sealed cover and asked him to respond to it by Monday, also in a sealed cover. It will take up the matter on Tuesday.
Last week, Gandhi claimed that he had evidence of "personal corruption" of the prime minister but he was being prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha because it would cause an earthquake.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to go into a plea seeking probe by an special investigation team into alleged recovery of documents by the IT department in connection with raids on two business houses in New Delhi.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra reserved its verdict on a plea seeking recognition of 'living will' made by a terminally-ill patient for passive euthanasia.
The top court said former Supreme Court judge A K Patnaik will oversee the CVC inquiry.
The petition has alleged that the Centre took a series of steps in a "completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner to ensure that Asthana was given the charge of CBI director".
The bench laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam sought response from CBI on the petition filed by Civil society members including former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian and ex-Naval chief Admiral L Ramdas seeking probe by the agency in the alleged 'collusion between RIL and the political establishment'.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to provide "full co-operation" to Central Bureau of Investigation in its probe in coal block allocations scam by providing it with all necessary information and files without any delay.
While the Centre said that the amendment bill is pending in Parliament to include the leader of largest opposition party, a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said that Parliament, by not amending the law, cannot frustrate the mandate for appointment of Lokpal.
Best tribute to Aruna Shanbaug would be to take some legislative action on ending the mental trauma of those who can't live outside of a hospital again.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted six weeks time to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) to respond to the final CAG report which found alleged irregularities including in payments made to the contractors on drilling of D6 wells at the Krishna-Godavari basin.
The Supreme Court on Friday said it will await the government's stand in its endeavour to examine a plea to legalise passive euthanasia by means of withdrawal of life support system to terminally-ill patients.
'Passive euthanasia is actually more important in the sense that the need to administer it arises every day in some hospital or the other. And it can be administered without a living will,' Vipul Mudgal, director of the NGO Common Cause -- which had filed a plea to declare 'right to die with dignity' as a Fundamental Right flowing from Article 21 or the Right to Life, -- tells Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt.
'I was at a very senior position in the CBI and what happens is, hints are dropped for you to act upon. But then it depends upon your conscience, to do it or otherwise.' 'I know the rank and file of the CBI, they will bounce back; it is the leadership which has failed.'
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