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Supreme Court
There is a need to get out of the mindset that only the national capital needs to have greenery and other states are lesser mortals, the Supreme Court said on Monday while hearing a matter related to the Delhi Ridge. The Ridge is an extension of the Aravalli Hill range in Delhi and is a rocky, hilly and forested area. For administrative reasons, it has been divided into four zones -- south, south-central, central and north -- which make up an area of around 7,784 hectares. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi observed there was a need to have a holistic approach on the issue of green cover. "We need to get out of this mindset that only Delhi, being the national capital, needs to have greenery and the others are lesser mortals," the bench observed. Senior advocate K Parameshwar, assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the matter, pointed to the November 11 verdict of the apex court which directed the Centre to give ...
The Supreme Court on Monday appointed former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit as the sole mediator to amicably resolve the dispute over the execution of a money decree of Rs 500 crore passed by the UAE court in favour of Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) and against Hyderabad-based industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad. RAKIA is seeking to enforce a UAE civil judgment for AED 267,941,374 (approximately Rs 543 crore principal and Rs 643 crore with interest). The case stems from the 'Vanpic Project', a failed 2008 joint venture to develop ports and an airport in Andhra Pradesh. RAKIA alleges that Prasad, in collusion with former RAKIA CEO Khater Massaad, misappropriated USD 120 million intended for the project. On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was informed by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for Prasad, that the industrialist has deposited Rs 125 crore as cash security as directed earlier. The senior lawyer also said
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with a plea alleging risk of contamination of land and groundwater due to possible leakage of mercury from incinerated waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy. The top court, however, asked the 'Bhopal Gas Peedith Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti' to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court which has been monitoring the rehabilitation and related issues for over three decades. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the victims' association, and said the high court would deal with the plea expeditiously. In December 1984, more than 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, claiming over 15,000 lives and exposing millions to toxic gas. The petitioner organisation alleged that the disposal of waste from the former Union Carbide Corporation plant site could lead to mercury leaching from the ..
The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear next week a suo motu case concerning victims of digital arrest. Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers, court officials or personnel from government agencies to intimidate victims through audio and video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money. On February 9, the top court described the siphoning of more than Rs 54,000 crore by digital frauds as absolute "robbery or dacoity" and asked the Centre to draft a standard operating procedure (SoP) in consultation with stakeholders like the RBI, banks and the Department of Telecommunications to deal with such cases. On Monday, Attorney General R Venkataramani mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The top law officer said he would place a status report in the matter during the day. Contending that things are moving, he urged the bench to take up