Page 11 - Supreme Court

CJI BR Gavai recommends Justice Surya Kant as next Chief Justice of India

Once President Droupadi Murmu formally approves Kant's appointment, he will take over as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24, and serve until February 9, 2027

SC allows Centre to reassess Vodafone Idea's AGR dues, cites policy grounds

The Supreme Court said the Centre can review Vodafone Idea's AGR dues, calling it a policy decision; the move gives relief to the debt-hit telecom firm and protects 200 million consumers

Inclined to entrust CBI with probe of nationwide digital arrest cases: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said it is inclined to entrust to the CBI the probe into digital arrest cases after taking into consideration the magnitude and pan-India spread of such crimes, and sought details of FIRs registered in different states and union territories. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to all the States and UTs on digital arrest cases and posted the suo motu cases registered by it on a complaint of an elderly women defrauded by fraudsters on November 3. The top court noted the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, that cyber crime and digital arrest cases are originating from off-shore locations like Myanmar and Thailand and directed the probe agency to come up with a plan to probe these cases. We will monitor the progress of the CBI investigation, issue whatever directions are necessary, it said. The bench asked the CBI to respond whether it needs more resources, including cyber experts who are not in

2020 riots: SC to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam on Monday

The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in the UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria is likely to hear the matter. The top court on September 22 had issued notice to the Delhi Police and sought its response. The activists have moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court order passed on September 2. The high court denied bail to nine people, including Khalid and Imam, saying "conspiratorial" violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens could not be allowed. Besides Khalid and Imam, those who faced bail rejection are Fatima, Haider, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed. The bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was rejected by a different high court bench on September 2. The high court said the Constitution affor

Florida truck crash sparks SC battle over immigrant driver licences

The case has reignited a national debate about road safety, immigration laws, and who should be allowed to operate large commercial vehicles on American highways

Govt begins process to appoint new CJI as Justice BR Gavai nears retirement

Traditionally, the outgoing CJI receives the request for recommendation about a month before demitting office upon reaching the age of 65

Courts are custodians of democracy, not just law interpreters: CJI Gavai

Observing that public trust is the judiciary's "most valuable asset", Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Thursday said that courts have an active and indispensable role to play in the system of constitutional governance and in fulfilling the mandate of the Constitution. The CJI noted that perhaps the most enduring role of courts in constitutional governance is to sustain public faith in the rule of law, adding that decisions delivered by courts, even if unpopular, must reflect fairness and moral courage. Justice Gavai, who is presently on a four-day official visit to Bhutan, delivered the keynote address at an event organised by the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law at the Royal Institute of Management, Thimphu. Speaking on the theme of "courts and constitutional governance", he touched upon many aspects, including the active role of courts. "I will not burden you with more case examples, but I wish to emphasise a larger point: that the courts of any nation have an active

Govt initiates process to appoint new CJI; Justice Surya Kant next in line

The government on Thursday initiated the process to appoint the next chief justice of India as incumbent B R Gavai demits office on November 23, sources said. The letter asking Justice Gavai to name his successor is set to be delivered either this evening or on Friday, people aware of the procedure to appoint Supreme Court and high court judges told PTI. According to the memorandum of procedure, a set of documents which guide the appointment, transfer and elevation of SC and HC judges states that appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office. The Union law minister would, "at the appropriate time", seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of his successor. Conventionally, the letter is sent a month before the incumbent CJI retires on attaining the age of 65 years. Justice Surya Kant is the seniormost judge after the CJI and is next in line to

SC to hear contempt plea on Oct 27 against lawyer who threw shoe at CJI

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on October 27 a petition seeking contempt action against advocate Rakesh Kishore, who hurled a shoe towards Chief Justice of India B R Gavai during court proceedings earlier this month. According to the cause list of October 27 uploaded on the apex court's website, the plea filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) will come up for hearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi. On October 6, in a shocking security breach, 71-year-old Kishore hurled a shoe towards the CJI in his courtroom, which prompted the Bar Council of India to suspend his licence with immediate effect. The CJI, who remained unfazed during and after the unprecedented incident, asked the court officials and security personnel present to "just ignore" it and let off the errant lawyer with a warning. The incident sparked widespread condemnation from different sections of the society, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking to the CJI and calling

Provisions of SC/ST Act can't be used to curtail bank's mortgage rights: HC

The Delhi High Court has said that the provisions of the SC/ST Act relating to wrongful occupation or dispossession of land belonging to people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes cannot be used to prevent a bank from exercising its lawful mortgage rights. Justice Sachin Datta made the prima facie observation while staying the proceedings initiated by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes against Axis Bank, its Managing Director (MD) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Prima facie, in the context of the facts of the present case, Sections 3(1)(f) and (g) of the Atrocities Act are not attracted inasmuch the same cannot be invoked to preclude/ prevent the exercise of mortgage right/security interest of the petitioner," the judge said in an order passed on October 16. The Commission had ordered Axis Bank's MD and CEO to appear in person after a representation was made by a person alleging violation under Sections 3(1)(f) and (g) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled

Temporary lull in business not cessation, deductions allowed: Supreme Court

Apex court says firms remain 'in business' for tax purposes even during temporary inactivity if efforts to continue operations are evident

SC chose right to burn crackers over right to live, breathe: Amitabh Kant

Kant's remarks came a day after India celebrated Diwali, and the national capital witnessed the bursting of crackers in full frenzy, and it woke up to a thick layer of toxic air

Delhi's air turns toxic | 36 of 38 zones in red: What went wrong with 'Green Diwali'? | Delhi aqi

A morning after the lights, Delhi wakes up to suffocating smog and hazardous air. Despite Supreme Court-regulated “green crackers,” the city’s air quality plummets

SC refers to larger bench on parity between AYUSH, allopathic doctors

The Supreme Court has referred to a larger bench the question whether doctors practising indigenous medical systems such as Ayurveda, Unani, homeopathy can be treated on par with "allopathic" doctors for determining service conditions, retirement age, and pay scales. On May 13, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order on the pleas seeking answer to whether there can be a different age of superannuation for doctors practising modern medicine from the practitioners of AYUSH in government hospitals and clinics. In an order delivered on October 17, the bench said "there is divergence of opinion" on whether doctors of the two systems can be treated equally for service benefits and hence, the issue required an authoritative pronouncement. The term 'allopathy' was coined by the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, who used it to disparage the mainstream medicine system prevailing then. The court noted that earlier decisions had taken .

SC terms pendency of 882K execution pleas 'highly disappointing, alarming'

The Supreme Court has termed as "highly disappointing" and "alarming" the pendency of over 8.82 lakh execution petitions before different courts across the country. Execution petitions are the pleas filed by a decree holder seeking enforcement of court orders passed in a civil dispute. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Pankaj Mithal made the remarks while reviewing the compliance of its March 6 order that had directed all high courts to instruct civil courts within their jurisdiction to decide execution petitions within six months. The court had also made it clear that presiding officers would be held liable for any delay in presiding with its directive. "The statistics which we have received are highly disappointing. The figures of the pendency of the execution petitions across the country are alarming. As on date, 8,82,578 execution petitions are pending across the country," the bench said. The bench said in the last six months from March 6, a total of 3,38,685 execution ...

From firecrackers to green crackers: How rules changed festive supply chain

India's fireworks economy has undergone a significant transformation over the years, shaped by stringent pollution regulations and local bans

Risdiplam generic drug case: SC rejects Roche plea against Natco pharma

The Supreme Court upheld Delhi HC's interim order allowing Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell a generic version of Roche's spinal muscular atrophy drug Risdiplam

Auto dealers move Supreme Court over ₹2,500 crore compensation cess

While the industry body has reiterated its support for the reform, it said the move was aimed at ensuring fairness for thousands of MSME auto dealers impacted by the transition

Await Presidential Reference before challenging Guv's referral: SC to TN

The Supreme Court on Friday told the Tamil Nadu government to await the outcome of the Presidential Reference to decide its plea challenging Governor R N Ravi's decision to refer the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to the President instead of granting his assent. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran said the matter will be heard after the Constitution bench judgement on the issue. "You will have to wait for the outcome of the Presidential Reference.You will have to wait hardly for four weeks.The reference has to be decided before November 21 (Gavai's retirement)," the bench said. The apex court on September 11 reserved its judgement on the presidential reference, which asked if a Constitutional court can impose timelines for governors and President to assent to bills passed by state legislatures. During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, submitted that the Governor cannot refer the bill to the President after

SC’s big decision on firecrackers | Green crackers allowed in Delhi-NCR what the court said

In a big festive relief ahead of Diwali, the Supreme Court has eased its ban on firecrackers, but with a green twist. Watch the video to find out what the apex court said.