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Bihar elections, man hurls shoe at CJI Gavai, SC on Wangchuk NSA detention, France PM resigns & more

The Election Commission of India announced the dates for the Bihar Assembly elections, which will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results on November 14.

George Bush to Manmohan Singh: When shoes were hurled at prominent figures

Following the shoe-throwing attempt at CJI BR Gavai, here's a look at other similar incidents involving public figures

Man hurls shoe at CJI Gavai in Supreme Court over 'ask your deity' remark

A man dressed as a lawyer reportedly went near the dais and attempted to remove his shoe and throw it at the judge

Indian legal system guided by rule of law, not bulldozer rule: CJI Gavai

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Friday said the Indian legal system is governed by rule of law and not by "rule of the bulldozer". Delivering the inaugural Sir Maurice Rault Memorial Lecture 2025 in Mauritius on 'Rule of Law in the Largest Democracy', he referred to his own verdict deprecating 'bulldozer justice'. Sir Maurice Rault, a noted jurist, was the Chief Justice of Mauritius from 1978 to 1982. Highlighting the principle of rule of law and its expansive interpretation by the Supreme Court of India, Justice Gavai, who is on a three-day official visit to the island nation, said, "The judgment sent a clear message that the Indian legal system is governed by the rule of law, not by the rule of the bulldozer." In the judgement in the 'bulldozer justice' case, the apex court held that demolition of houses of accused in response to alleged offenses bypasses legal processes, violates the rule of law and infringes upon the fundamental right to shelter under Article 21. "It was .

CJI Gavai's mother says she won't attend RSS centenary program on Oct 5

Kamal Gavai, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai's mother, on Wednesday said she would not attend a centenary program of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here on October 5. She decided not to attend the programme as chief guest in view of the controversy the news generated and the accusations and slander she faced, she said in an open letter. Some people invited her to the October 5 programme; and as she harbours good wishes for everyone, she welcomes everyone, Kamal Gavai (84) said. "(But) As soon as the news of the programme was published, many people started criticizing and levelling allegations at not only me but late Dadasaheb Gavai (her husband, former Bihar Governor R S Gavai). We have lived our lives as per (Dr B R) Ambedkar's ideology, while Dadasaheb Gavai dedicated his life to the Ambedkarite movement. Sharing our ideology on the platform of different ideology is also important, which needs courage," she wrote in the letter. Her husband deliberately attended ...

Kovind to attend RSS Vijayadashami event; a look at past chief guests

The Sangh is currently holding its centenary celebrations across the country and as a part of those celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended an event in New Delhi on Wednesday

Conflict, when approached constructively, can be chance for growth: CJI

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said mediation and open communication offer a path to transform discord into dialogue, turning tension into collaboration and restoring harmony between parties. Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day National Mediation Conference in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, he said the practice of mediation continued in different societies for ages and it got the recognition through the framing of The Mediation Act, 2023. "I would like to say that it is not the mere existence of a quarrel or disagreement that disturbs our peace, but the refusal to listen, empathise, and make a genuine effort to resolve it. Conflict, when approached constructively, can become an opportunity for growth and understanding," he said. Justice Gavai said the Act ensures justice that is participatory, equitable, and accessible, while also helping reduce the ever-growing pendency of cases before courts. Governor Haribabu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Justice

Administrative tribunals bridge executive, judiciary: CJI BR Gavai

The Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, commented on the functioning of the administrative tribunal in India during the 10th All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal on Saturday.During the conference, Chief Justice BR Gavai discussed the functioning of Indian tribunals, highlighting that administrative tribunals occupy a unique position between the executive and the judiciary. He noted that, in contrast to courts, many members of these tribunals come from an administrative background, while a significant number also have judicial experience."...The administrative tribunals are unlike courts in that they occupy a unique space between the executive and the judiciary. Many of the members come from the administrative services, while others come from the judiciary..." said CJI BR Gavai.However, Gavai emphasised that even though diversity is a strength of tribunals, he notes that members with an administrative background require training in legal reasoning and are generally

SC reserves verdict, asks if it can act when governor withholds assent

Calling itself the custodian of the Constitution, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked if it could sit idle if a constitutional functionary like Governor failed to discharge duties as it reserved the verdict on the presidential reference on grant of assent to bills. In the marathon hearings spanning 10 days, a Constitution bench of headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai heard legal luminaries including Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Gopal Subramanium, Arvind Datar and others on the presidential reference which centered around Article 200 and 201 and the key issue whether constitutional court can impose timelines for governors and President to assent to bills. On the last day, the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, interjected Mehta when he referred to the separation of powers as one of the basic structures of the Constitution and said the court shoul

Human dignity is the soul of the Constitution, says CJI BR Gavai

At the 11th Dr L M Singhvi Memorial Lecture, CJI BR Gavai called human dignity the principle uniting all fundamental rights and guiding judicial interpretation in India

SC regains full strength as CJI Gavai administers oath to two new judges

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Friday administered oath to Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi. The two were elevated to the Supreme Court on August 27. With their elevation, the apex court is set to regain its full working strength of 34 judges, including the CJI. Justice Pancholi will be in line to become the CJI in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi's retirement on October 2, 2031. He is scheduled to assume the CJI's office on October 3, 2031, and retire on May 27, 2033. On August 25, the apex court collegium recommended to the Centre the names of Justices Aradhe and Pancholi for elevation as top court judges. Collegium member and Supreme Court's Justice B V Nagarathna, however, registered a strong dissent to the apex court collegium's recommendation to elevate Justice Pancholi to the top court, saying his appointment would be "counter-productive" to the judiciary. Justice Nagarathna, the only wom

SC judgment on house demolitions reaffirmed citizens' rights: CJI Gavai

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has said he was glad that the Supreme Court's ruling against the demolition of houses of accused persons without following due procedure of law upheld the rights of citizens. He was part of the SC bench that last year slammed instant bulldozer justice' and laid down pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties, saying the executive could become a judge and declare an accused as guilty and demolish his house. Speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Goa High Court Bar Association in Panaji on Saturday, the CJI also explained the reasoning behind his landmark judgment on the creamy layer in the reserved category. Pointing out to the speeches by earlier speakers during the felicitation, which referred to his historic judgments, CJI Gavai said, I am really happy that we could do something as a custodian of the Constitution for protecting the rights of citizens whose houses were demolished without following the procedures of law. He said

SC starts hearing on Presidential Reference on timeline for assent to bills

The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced hearing on the Presidential Reference, which raised constitutional questions on whether the court can impose timelines for Governors and the President to deal with bills passed by state assemblies. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai allowed state governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to question the maintainability of the Presidential Reference. "We will hear preliminary objections for half an hour. Thereafter, we will start hearing submissions from the Attorney General," CJI Gavai said at the outset. The bench -- also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar -- said that after hearing preliminary objections, the court will hear arguments on the Presidential Reference itself, starting with the submission of Attorney General R Venkataramani. Senior advocate KK Venugopal, appearing for Kerala government, opposed the Presidential Reference and said the issue is covered by a series

CJI not a mere post office, must uphold judicial transparency: SC

Defending the Chief Justice of India's authority to act on any judicial misconduct, the Supreme Court on Thursday said he couldn't be "merely a post office" but had the moral responsibility to ensure the judiciary functioned in a transparent, efficient and constitutionally appropriate manner. "We have no hesitation to say that the CJI is not a mere post office between the committee and the President/the Prime Minister that the report is to be forwarded without any remarks/recommendation. The CJI is clearly an important person, if not the most, in the larger scheme of maintaining institutional interest and credibility to ascertain whether a Judge has indulged in misconduct," the top court said. The observations came while deciding the plea of Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma, against whom an SC-appointed expert panel filed a damning report over the discovery of burnt wads of cash from his official residence during his judgeship in Delhi. "As per the procedure, after receivin

CJI Gavai bars senior lawyers from listing cases for urgent hearing

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Wednesday said that from August 11, no senior advocate will be permitted to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court so that juniors get an opportunity to do it. CJI Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14, had reverted to the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing and hearing by lawyers and discontinued the practice adopted by his predecessor Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Justice Khanna discontinued the practice of oral submissions for urgent listing and hearing of cases by lawyers and asked them to either send emails or written letters instead. "There is a great demand that no matters should be mentioned by senior counsel(s)," CJI Gavai said. He asked the court staff to put out a notice that no senior lawyer will be permitted to mention cases for urgent listing and hearing in his court from Monday. "From Monday, no senior counsel, I mean designated senior counsel, will be allowed to mention matters. Let juniors get a

SC questions Justice Varma's conduct in cash row, reserves order on plea

The Supreme Court told Justice Yashwant Varma on Wednesday that his conduct did not inspire confidence and asked why he chose to move the apex court after an in-house committee found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery row. The top court was hearing Justice Varma's plea seeking invalidation of a report by an in-house inquiry panel which found him guilty of misconduct in the cash discovery matter. The in-house inquiry panel report indicted Justice Varma over the discovery of a huge cache of burnt cash from his official residence during his tenure as a Delhi High Court judge. The plea does not reveal Justice Varma's identity and is titled, "XXX v. The Union of India". Posing sharp questions to the judge, the top court asked Justice Varma why he appeared before the in-house inquiry committee and did not challenge it then and there. It told Justice Varma that he should have come earlier to the apex court against the in-house inquiry panel's report. A bench of Justices Dipan

Justice Yashwant Varma moves SC against in-house panel probe in cash row

Justice Yashwant Varma moves SC against in-house panel report that indicted him after unaccounted cash was found at his Delhi home following a fire; calls probe unconstitutional

Ambedkar wanted judiciary to be free from executive interference: CJI Gavai

Dr B R Ambedkar spoke about the supremacy of the Constitution and believed that judiciary should be free from interference from the executive, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai said here on Tuesday. He was speaking after being felicitated by the Maharashtra legislature upon his elevation to the top judicial post. Ambedkar had said that we all believe in the supremacy of the Constitution which will keep the country united during peace and war, Gavai said in his address to the legislature. The Constitution gives rights to the three wings -- Executive, Legislature and Judiciary -- and according to Ambedkar, judiciary has to work as a watchdog and custodian of citizens' rights, the chief justice said. Ambedkar also said that judiciary should be free from executive interference, he added. The CJI also quoted Ambedkar as stating that the Constitution cannot be static, it has to be organic and keep evolving. Earlier, both houses of the Maharashtra legislature congratulate

Ex-CJIs endorse constitutionality of simultaneous poll but flag issues

Former chief justices of India, who have conveyed their views to a parliamentary committee on the bill proposing simultaneous polls, have endorsed the constitutionality of the one nation, one election concept but have raised concerns over its various aspects, including the power given to the Election Commission, and offered suggestions. Former CJI D Y Chandrachud, in his opinion submitted to the Joint Committee of Parliament, has dismissed the opposition's criticism that the synchronisation of Lok Sabha and state assembly polls violates the Constitution's basic structure, saying the Constitution never mandated holding national and state elections separately. However, he has joined another ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi in questioning the sweeping powers granted to the Election Commission in the proposed constitutional amendment law without laying down any guidelines for the exercise of the discretion, according to the opinion submitted to the parliamentary panel. Chandrachud and another former

CJI Gavai vows full transparency in collegium, no compromise on merit

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai on Friday assured to infuse "complete transparency" in the collegium system of appointment of judges, wherein merit will never be compromised and all sections of society will get representation. The CJI, who was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India last month, was speaking at the Bombay High Court in an event organised by the Bombay Bar Association to honour his elevation to the highest judicial position in the country. CJI Gavai said since his predecessor Justice Sanjeev Khanna was the CJI, the collegium has tried to infuse more transparency in matters of appointments. He added that SC Justice Dipankar Datta previously at an event in Nagpur last week spoke about interference in the working of the collegium. "I assure everyone, we will adopt a procedure of complete transparency. Merit will never be compromised. We will have representatives from all sections of society. Names of all recommended will be followed up," the CJI said. He ...