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The Supreme Court has said fidelity to the rule of law requires the court to remember that the process itself can become the punishment if this responsibility is not exercised with care as it quashed the charges of caste-based violence against a whistleblower in the Madhya Pradesh VYAPAM examination scam. Anand Rai had challenged the Madhya Pradesh High Court order upholding the framing of charges in a case of caste-based atrocities arising from alleged violence and abuse against an MP, MLA and government officials during a rally in 2022. A bench of justices Sajay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh which quashed the charges under SC/ST Act against Rai said the court must consciously distinguish between a genuine case that warrants a trial and one that rests only on suspicion or assumption or for that matter without any basis. "To allow a matter to proceed despite the absence of a prima facie case is to expose a person to the strain, stigma, and uncertainty of criminal proceedings without ..
The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Wednesday to file a brief report on the "procedural protocol" followed so far, after it was informed that the investigation into the June 12, 2025, Air India plane crash by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) is at its fag end. Air India's Boeing 787-8 flight AI171, en route to London's Gatwick airport, was operated by pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder. The crash took place after the plane took off from Gujarat's Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was also among the victims. On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the court representing the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), that the AAIB probe is in final stages and some parts it need to be carried out in foreign countries. The top law
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition that had alleged the absence of a mechanism to make people aware of their obligation about the tax deducted at source (TDS) while purchasing property valued at more than Rs 50 lakh. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the plea that had claimed that honest purchasers acting in good faith were later exposed to penalty and interest, despite having no intention to default. "Dismissed," the bench ordered. The petitioner, who appeared in the court in person, told the bench that the plea relates to the issue concerning the enforcement of a provision of the Income Tax Act in property transactions exceeding Rs 50 lakh. "Under the present framework, the entire TDS obligation or liability is placed solely on the buyer on the implicit assumption that every property purchaser, regardless of the background and expertise, possesses a working knowledge of the income-tax law," the petitioner said. He claimed tha
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider listing another plea filed by four people seeking a direction against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a series of alleged hate speeches targeting Muslims in the state. On Tuesday, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant had agreed to list for hearing a separate plea of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI leader Annie Raja seeking action against the chief minister over a viral video allegedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of the Muslim community. On Wednesday, the bench was urged to list the fresh plea along with the one filed by Left leaders. "We will see," the CJI said. The fresh petition was filed by former professor Hiren Gohain, former DGP of Assam Harekrishna Deka, senior journalist Paresh Chandra Malakar and senior advocate Santanu Borthakur. The plea alleged that the chief minister has repeatedly made statements that incite discrimination, social and economic boycott and ..
The Supreme Court has slashed the compensation from Rs 2 crore to Rs 25 lakh, awarded to a woman for a "faulty haircut" at a luxury hotel salon. A bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan, in a judgement delivered on February 6, held that while "deficiency in service" was established, compensation in consumer disputes must be based on "material evidence" and not the "mere asking" or "whims and fancies" of the complainant. "The damages cannot be awarded merely on presumptions or whims and fancies of the complainant. To make out a case for award of damages, especially when the claim is to the tune of crores of rupees, some trustworthy and reliable evidence has to be led," Justice Bindal, who authored the 34-page judgment, said. The verdict said it was not a case where the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission was considering a small issue where compensation could be awarded by applying a thumb rule. "Claim of compensation was for crores of rupees, for which some
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file its response to the pleas seeking a direction to lay down criteria for exclusion of creamy layer of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from availing benefits of reservation in admissions and public employment. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria was hearing the petitions filed by O P Shukla and the Samta Andolan Samiti seeking enforcement of the landmark judgement of August 1, 2024 on reservation. It asked the Centre to file its response on the pleas and said that they will be taken up after some time. The creamy layer principle was laid down in the famous Mandal Commission judgement and under the principle, the affluent people among OBCs were barred from taking quota benefits in admissions and jobs. In a landmark verdict, a seven-judge constitution bench headed by the then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, by a majority of 6:1, held that states are constitutionally empowe
The Supreme Court on Tuesday highlighted the practical difficulties faced by investigators in the digital age and said giving a prior notice before a search and seizure could effectively end an investigation before it begins. The top court was hearing a PIL challenging the scope of search and seizure powers under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act on the ground that it has the potential of misuse by the authorities. Section 132 of the Income Tax Act empowers IT officials to conduct a search and seizure when they have "reason to believe" that a person has undisclosed income, assets, or documents. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria heard submissions by senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for PIL petitioner Vishwaprasad Alva, for some time and later deferred it for consideration after two weeks. During the hearing, Justice Bagchi highlighted the practical challenges of issuing prior notice in search and seizure cases, particular
The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was in a "perfectly good" condition and was getting the best of the treatment from AIIMS, Jodhpur while in custody. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale was informed by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, that no progress has been made as of now regarding the review of Wangchuk's detention. At the outset, Justice Kumar asked Nataraj whether any progress had been made at the court's request to review Wangchuk's detention in view of his deteriorating health. "What happened? Any progress? Has it been done?" Justice Kumar asked Nataraj. The ASG replied, "I will submit... Nothing has been done as of now. He is getting the best of treatment." A counsel for Wangchuk submitted that it was high time to reconsider his detention as he continued to be unwell. Justice Varale said that was what the court said on the last occasion when it made the suggestion. "There
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi High Court to accord an out-of-turn hearing to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar's plea challenging his conviction in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape survivor's father, and said it should be decided within three months. While refusing to entertain Sengar's plea challenging a January 19 order of the high court, a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said the appeal, if any, filed by the victim's family should also be heard by the high court along with Sengar's petition. The bench was hearing Sengar's plea challenging the high court's order that had refused to suspend his 10-year jail term in the case. During the hearing, the CJI expressed disapproval over the victim's counsel giving statements in the media about the case. "We are not sitting in an ivory tower. We know a media trial is going on outside," Justice Kant said, adding he would not tolerate any "parallel trial"