Bilkis Bano rape: SC defers hearing remission of convicts plea to July 11

From hearing a plea in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case to expressing displeasure over political statements related to 4% Muslims quota in Karnataka, here are some important cases that were heard today

The apex court on Tuesday heard some crucial cases, during which it deferred the hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the remission granted last year to all the 11 convicts in the case of gang rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 post-Godhra riots to July 11.

The Supreme court also voiced displeasure over political statements being made about the withdrawal of the four per cent quota for Muslims in poll-bound Karnataka after it was told that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was making public statements about the contentious issue at the hustings. 

Apart from these, the top court also heard following important cases

- SC said it has to be alive to the fact that the concept of marriage has "evolved" and must accept the basic proposition that marriage itself is entitled to constitutional protection as it is not just a matter of statutory recognition.

- The top court reserved its order on a plea by sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt seeking the recusal of Justice MR Shah from hearing his petition to submit additional evidence to support his appeal in the Gujarat High Court against conviction in a 1990 custodial death case.

- On May 15, the court will hear a plea against the Kerala High Court order refusing to stay the release of the controversial multilingual film "The Kerala Story".

- The court said live streaming of its proceedings has taken the court to the homes and hearts of common citizens and it is trying to use technology to ensure the live-streamed content is made available simultaneously in languages other than English so more people can follow.

Some of the important cases heard by the Delhi High Court:

- The court implored judges to have a "sensitive heart" and an "alert mind" when dealing with sexual assault cases so that the trial does not go in an unconnected direction and no further trauma or humiliation is caused to the victim.

- It asked United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi, in custody in a UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, to respond to police claim he was found with a mobile phone in jail.

- The High Court sought Centre's stand on a petition challenging the exclusion of "infertile couples" from the benefit of surrogacy.

- HC sought the Centre's stand on a public interest litigation seeking affixation of QR codes on all medicinal and food products to make them accessible to the visually impaired.

- In another news, it granted bail to businessman P Sarath Chandra Reddy on medical grounds in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam in Delhi.