SC directs Manipur govt to ensure peace in the violence-hit state

From granting extension to Sebi to complete probe in the Adani Hindenburg case, to directing Manipur govt to ensure peace and tranquility, here are important cases of the day

The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard some important cases during which the court granted the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) time till August 14 to complete its probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group and asked the market regulator to place on record an updated status report of the probe.

Some of the other important cases that were heard today are:

- Giving the lieutenant governor the power to nominate aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will mean he can destabilise an elected civic body, SC observed and wondered whether these nominations were of so much concern to the Centre. 

- The court directed the Manipur government to take steps to foster confidence and ensure peace and tranquillity in the ethnic violence-hit state, saying it can ensure that the political executive exercises its power and does not turn a blind eye to the situation.

- In a relief to Indian Youth Congress President B V Srinivas, the court granted him interim protection from arrest in a case lodged by an expelled woman leader of the party from Assam accusing him of causing mental agony.

- Supreme Court judge Sanjay Karol recused himself from hearing a plea filed by the Bihar government challenging a Patna High Court order granting a stay on the caste survey it was conducting.

- The apex court adjourned to July 14 the hearing on CBI's plea that challenged a Karnataka High Court order granting an interim stay on the probe into a disproportionate assets case against Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar.

- It refused to stay the Rajasthan High Court order acquitting four men, who were handed down the death penalty by a trial court in the 2008 Jaipur serial blast case.

- The court stayed an order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) asking ITC to pay Rs 2 crore to a model as compensation for a faulty haircut at a hotel owned by the conglomerate.

- It dismissed a plea challenging the Delhi High Court order that restrained the manufacture and sale of sweet beverage concentrate 'Sharbat Dil Afza' during the pendency of a lawsuit by Hamdard Dawakhana which sells 'Rooh Afza' for alleged trademark infringement.

Here are some of the important cases heard by the Delhi High Court:

- An additional judge of HC was administered the oath of office, taking the strength of judges in the court to 48. 

- The court issued a summons to a Hindi daily and its reporters on a plea by BJP MP Gautam Gambhir seeking directions to the media house to withdraw the alleged defamatory publications in which "false and slanderous" statements were made against him. 

- The Delhi High Court asked the city police commissioner to take steps to ensure that officers who have carried out the investigation are present in court whenever a related case is taken up for hearing.

- It expressed displeasure over civic authorities cutting the carcasses of cattle into pieces before disposing them off and demanded that it be told how the process could be called scientific.

- The court asked Twitter to disclose basic subscriber information, including e-mails, IP addresses, and phone numbers, of some of its users who are allegedly sharing clips of Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film "Jawan". 

- The high court sought the stand of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on bail pleas by two persons arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to undertake terrorist acts in the country.