Page 5 - High Court

Lack of toilets in courts: SC anguished over non-filing of reports by HCs

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its anguish over 20 high courts not filing compliance reports following its verdict on ensuring toilet facilities in all courts and tribunals in the country and gave them eight weeks to do so. It was the last opportunity, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said. Failure to file the reports in the next eight weeks will have consequences, the bench noted sternly. In January 15, the court ruled that access to proper sanitation is recognised as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Issuing a slew of directions, it asked high courts, state governments and UTs to ensure availability of separate toilet facilities for men, women, persons with disabilities and transgender persons in all court premises and tribunals. It also asked for a status report within four months. On Wednesday, the bench noted that only the high courts of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Calcutta, Delhi and Patna had filed affidavits giving details o

Gujarat HC imposes ₹1.4 cr cost on 7 unscrupulous petitioners over PIL

The Gujarat High Court has imposed a collective cost of Rs 1.4 crore on a group of seven unscrupulous litigants for filing a PIL seeking to cancel the development permission granted to a builder out of personal vendetta without disclosing their credentials. The division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray dismissed the writ petition with exemplary cost of Rs 20,00,000, which is to be paid by each of the (seven) petitioners. The amount will go to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, which shall be utilised for the benefit of orphan children, it said in its order uploaded on its website on Monday. During the hearing of the matter last Friday, the court orally observed that there is no place for such unscrupulous litigants who have not disclosed their credentials in the writ petition. Who are these people, nobody knows. What business they are doing, what their occupation is, nothing. They are all independent persons, so (a cost of) Rs 20 lakh each, the cour

K'taka HC orders govt to make public disclosure of RCB stampede report

The court has also directed the state government to furnish the reports to the other parties involved in the case, the RCB franchise, Karnataka State Cricket Association

Karnataka HC seeks govt reply on plea against compulsory Kannada in schools

The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to file its objections within three weeks in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the mandatory imposition of Kannada language instruction in CBSE and CISCE-affiliated schools across the state. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi passed the order while hearing a PIL filed in 2023 by Somashekar C and others, a group of parents whose children study in various non-state board schools. The petition questions the constitutional validity of multiple legislative provisions, including the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, the Kannada Language Learning Rules, 2017, and the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Issue of No Objection Certificate and Control) Rules, 2022. These enactments, the petitioners contend, make it compulsory for all schools to teach Kannada irrespective of their affiliation. During the hearing, the court was informed that despite the matte

Karnataka HC stays BJP's defamation case over ads against CM Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka HC stays trial in BJP's defamation case against CM Siddaramaiah over Congress ads that called previous Bommai government a '40% commission sarkar' and alleged ₹1,500 crore corruption

Telangana to amend law to provide 42% quota for BCs in local body polls

Telangana cabinet on Thursday decided to issue an ordinance facilitating 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local body polls by amending an Act that was passed by the State Assembly in 2018, Revenue Minister P Srinivasa Reddy said. In a media briefing after the cabinet meeting here, he said the state government is committed to implement the reservation for BCs as promised by the Congress party earlier. "In order to implement the 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes in local body elections, an ordinance will be issued to amend an Act passed by the Assembly in 2018," Reddy said. On June 25, the Telangana High Court directed the state government to hold elections for local bodies within three months. The minister further said Telangana Advocate General was invited for the cabinet meeting and sought his legal opinion on the issue of ordinance. Reddy said the State Assembly had already passed a bill providing 42 per cent reservation to BCs, and it was sent to the Ce

Punjab HC defers hearing of Bikram Singh Majithia's plea until July 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday deferred till July 29 hearing on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia's plea against his arrest and subsequent remand in a disproportionate assets case. As the matter came up for hearing, Majithia's counsels sought three weeks to file an amended plea following which the court granted time and fixed the next date of hearing. Majithia had earlier filed a plea against his arrest and subsequent remand in the disproportionate assets case registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB). The state government's counsel Ferry Sofat said Majithia's advocates sought three weeks time to file an amended petition. The Punjab VB on June 25 arrested Majithia in the DA case allegedly involving laundering of Rs 540 crore of "drug money". Majithia on July 1 moved the HC against the DA case, calling it "political witch-hunting and vendetta" for being a vocal critic of the current dispensation. The former minister was sent to judicial custody by

Kerala HC orders conditional arrest of cargo ship in ₹9,531 cr damage case

The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered the conditional arrest of a cargo ship anchored at Vizhinjam Port in connection with a Rs 9,531 crore compensation case filed by the State of Kerala over a major shipwreck and environmental damage. The vessel, MSC AKITETA II (IMO 9220847), was ordered to be detained after the state accused the owners and managers of another ship which appears to be of the same company, MSC ELSA III (IMO 9123221), of causing severe pollution off the Kerala coast. The MSC ELSA III had capsized and sunk off Kerala coast on May 25, allegedly releasing oil and cargo that harmed the marine environment, damaged the coastline and affected the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. Kerala's Environment Department, which brought the case, said the sunken vessel had 643 cargo containers and that the damage caused was enormous. The state is seeking Rs 9,531 crore in total including compensation for environmental harm, clean-up efforts and economic losses to local fishing

SC Collegium steps up vetting of HC judges amid cash row; 371 vacant posts

The SC Collegium conducted detailed 30-minute interviews with candidates from the district judiciary and Bar over two days to assess suitability for 371 vacant High Court judge posts

Ministries using takedown orders to circumvent 69A: X to Karnataka HC

X moves amended plea in K'taka HC against Sahyog portal

SC denies plea challenging Bodh Gaya Temple Act; asks petitioner to move HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging the vires of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, and asked the petitioner to approach the concerned high court. The Mahabodhi temple complex in Bihar's Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the four holy areas related to the life of Lord Gautam Buddha. Bodh Gaya is a place where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. A plea challenging the vires of the 1949 Act came up for hearing before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran. The bench asked the petitioner's counsel about the prayer sought in the plea. "I (petitioner) have prayed that the Bodh Gaya Temple Act should be annulled as ultra vires," the counsel said. The bench said the petitioner should approach the concerned high court. "Why don't you do it before the high court?" the bench asked. "We are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. However, liberty is given to the ..

Karnataka HC quashes case against Bommai for remarks against Waqf board

Basavaraj Bommai was accused of promoting enmity between religious groups after he accused Waqf authorities of land encroachment

Wife's WhatsApp chats can be used as evidence in divorce: MP High Court

Citing right to fair trial, Madhya Pradesh High Court allows husband's use of wife's WhatsApp chats in divorce, even though chats were accessed without her consent

Cash discovery row: Govt wants to control judges' appointments, says Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday alleged that the real motive of the government in moving towards bringing an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma for alleged corruption is to take control of appointment of judges by doing away with the Collegium system and bringing in the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). Sibal, who is also a senior advocate, also accused the government of having a selective approach in handling the cases of Justice Varma and Justice Shekhar Yadav, against whom Opposition MPs have submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha for moving an impeachment motion for making allegedly "communal" remarks last year. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has underlined the government's resolve to take all political parties on board in moving the impeachment motion against Justice Varma. A fire incident at Varma's residence in the national capital in March, when he was a judge at the Delhi High Court, had led to the discovery of several burnt sacks of cash at th

Bike taxi drivers in Bengaluru plead for relief as Karnataka ban begins

Workers urge lawmakers to regulate rather than shut down the sector as Karnataka's High Court decision enforces ban, hitting gig workers dependent on the service

Rapido halts bike taxi services in Karnataka after high court order

In place of a bike taxi, users now see a "bike parcel" service

K'taka HC refuses to stay order suspending bike, taxi services from June 16

The appeal filed challenging the order issued by the single-judge bench to cancel bike taxis was heard by a two-judge bench of Acting Chief Justice Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar

Rajasthan HC refuses IHCL plea on land use dues to Jai Mahal Palace Hotel

The court had also ordered an annual increase in the amount to be paid to Jai Mahal Palace Hotel if arbitration is delayed beyond May 2029

Karnataka HC orders interim release of RCB marketing head, 3 others

Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered interim release of RCB Marketing head Nikhil Sosale and there others arrested in connection with the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people. Others who got relief from the High Court are Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant N P Mavinakere of the event organising company DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, who were also arrested on June 6. The Court asked the arrested persons to surrender their passport. The stampede that occurred outside the Chinnaswamy stadium claimed the lives of 11 people during an event organised to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win. The case came up for hearing before Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who had reserved the verdict on interim plea by Sosale after hearing arguments on June 11. Sosale and other petitioners are presently in judicial custody. On June 9, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) produced Sosale and other three arrested individuals before a local magistrate court,

BCCI, RCB 'invited whole world': Karnataka govt to HC on Bengaluru stampede

Karnataka government told the high court that RCB and BCCI invited massive crowds via social media without seeking permission, leading to the stampede that killed 11