Page 13 - Supreme Court

Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging pan-Indian SIR on Tuesday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to commence hearing pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to conduct pan-India Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls on Tuesday. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which is scheduled to commence hearing pleas challenging the poll panel's decision on the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, said any fresh matter needs to be mentioned for listing before Chief Justice of India B R Gavai. "We are only seized of Bihar SIR matters and any fresh petition with regard to other states needs to be mentioned for listing before the Chief Justice of India. "We don't know whether other matters will also be allocated to us. It all depends on the CJI," the bench told the counsel appearing for the West Bengal unit of Congress seeking urgent listing of a plea filed by the party. The West Bengal Congress and leaders of other political parties in the state have moved the apex court challenging the Election Commission

SC notice to Centre on plea to implement women's reservation in Parliament

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan asked the government to respond to the PIL seeking the implementation of the women's reservation law

Phalodi accident case: SC seeks response from NHAI, Road Transport ministry

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in a suo motu case in connection with an accident in Rajasthan's Phalodi area that claimed 15 lives. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi issued notice to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the ministry, seeking their replies in two weeks on the cause of the accident. It also asked them to conduct a survey of the area and file a report on the number of dhabas on the highway passing through Phalodi. The bench also sought a specific report on the condition of the highway and the norms followed by the road contractor for road maintenance in Phalodi. The top court recently took suo motu cognisance of the November 2 road accident in Phalodi, in which 10 women and four children died when a tempo traveller rammed into a stationary trailer truck. The incident occurred near Matoda village on the Bharat Mala Highway when

SC to hear plea for contempt proceedings against T'gana speaker on Nov 17

The Supreme Court will on November 17 hear a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the Telangana speaker for allegedly not complying with its direction to decide disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs who defected to the ruling Congress. On July 31, a top court bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai directed the assembly speaker to decide in three months the matter of the disqualification of the 10 Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLAs. On Monday, a lawyer mentioned the contempt petition for urgent hearing, saying the speaker had not acted within the three-month deadline. List it next Monday, CJI Gavai said. Expressing concern over the delay, the counsel said the respondents were dragging the proceedings till the end of the month for obvious reasons, an apparent reference to CJI Gavai's retirement on November 23. The Supreme Court will not close after the 24th of November, the CJI said. The counsel representing the petitioners also submitted that no proceedings had been conduc

Animal lovers protest against SC's order to relocate stray dogs in Delhi

For the second consecutive day, animal lovers held a protest outside the Jhandewalan Mandir in the national capital on Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of the Supreme Court order directing authorities to shift stray dogs from public areas to designated shelters. The Supreme Court, citing a rise in dog-bite cases in institutional zones such as schools, hospitals and railway stations, has instructed civic bodies and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to relocate stray dogs and cattle from these spaces and along highways. Dozens of protesters carrying placards and banners assembled peacefully near the temple, expressing concern over the welfare of street dogs. Animal caregiver Ritika Sharma, who participated in the demonstration, said that the decision was "deeply unfair" and ignored ground realities. "There aren't enough proper shelters or trained staff to care for so many animals. Moving them from their familiar places will only increase their suffering. They need ...

Justice not privilege of few but right of every citizen, says CJI Gavai

Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday, while emphasising that it is the duty of judges and lawyers to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society. Addressing the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal aid delivery mechanisms at the Supreme Court premises, Gavai said the true reward of the legal services movement does not lie in statistics or annual reports, but in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens who once felt invisible. "Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, and that our role, as judges, lawyers, and officers of the court, is to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society," Gavai said. The CJI noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence reaffirms the shared responsibility of the legislature, the executive, and the ...

SC doesn't interfere in policy matters of economic considerations: CJI

Judiciary has been a steady guardian of the rule of law, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday while emphasising that the apex court has ensured it does not interfere in the policy matters of economic considerations unless there is a violation of fundamental rights or other provisions of the Constitution. Speaking at the Sixth Full Meeting of the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts, he said in commercial and corporate matters, the apex court has been vigilant in ensuring transparency and integrity, rejecting attempts to misuse legal or corporate structures for fraudulent gain. "The Supreme Court has ensured that it does not interfere in the policy matters which have economic considerations involved unless there is a violation of fundamental rights or other provisions of the Constitution. "Similarly, the Court has reaffirmed that any interpretation of a commercial statute must be in consonance with the legislative intent while maintaining fairness and public

Pilot-in-command not to be blamed for Air India crash, observes SC

The Supreme Court observed that no fault could be attributed to the Air India pilot in the June Ahmedabad crash as it heard a plea for an independent, court-monitored probe into the tragedy

SC asks Centre to adopt blockchain tech for smooth property registrations

The apex court called India's property registration process "traumatic" and asked the Centre to use blockchain technology to modernise and secure land ownership records

No motor accident claim petition shall be dismissed as time-barred, says SC

The Supreme Court has issued an interim order preventing dismissal of motor accident compensation claims on the ground of being time-barred

Non-disclosure of conviction by candidate renders election void, says SC

The non-disclosure of conviction in a nomination form will lead to the disqualification of an elected candidate, the Supreme Court has said. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar passed the order on an appeal filed by a former councillor, Poonam, who was unseated from the post as she did not disclose her conviction in a case in the nomination form for the election. Poonam was unseated from the municipal councillor's post in Nagar Parishad, Bhikangaon, Madhya Pradesh. She was convicted in a cheque bounce case and sentenced to imprisonment for one year with a direction to pay compensation. Rejecting the petitioner's plea to save her from disqualification, the bench said, "Once it is found that there has been non-disclosure of a previous conviction by a candidate, it creates an impediment in the free exercise of electoral right by a voter." "A voter is thus deprived of making an informed and advised choice. It would be a case of suppression/non-disclosure by such a ...

'No one can blame him': SC tells father of pilot in Air India crash

A two-judge bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition filed by Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of Commander Sumeet Sabharwal, in a case about the Air India crash

SC orders removal of stray dogs from premises of schools, hospitals

The Supreme Court made it clear that the concerned local self-government institutions will be responsible for picking up stray dogs from such institutions or areas, and moving them to dog shelters

SC to hear on Nov 11 plea of DMK against EC's decision to conduct SIR in TN

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 11 the plea of DMK challenging the decision of the Election Commission to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was urged by lawyer Vivek Singh, appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), to accord an urgent hearing to the petition. List it on Tuesday, the CJI said. On November 3, R S Bharathi, organising secretary of the DMK, moved the top court against the SIR, calling the exercise "unconstitutional, arbitrary, and a threat to democratic rights". The petition, settled by senior advocate and MP N R Elango, was filed by lawyer Vivek Singh and has sought quashing of the EC's notification of October 27 for undertaking the exercise of SIR in the state. The plea termed the SIR as being violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 (right to equality, freedom of speech and right to life) and other provisions of the Constitut

Wellness expert moves SC to declare air pollution national health emergency

Health coach Luke Coutinho has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking urgent action on India's worsening air pollution, citing violations of citizens' right to life and health under Article 21

Vodafone Idea's AGR dues lifeline: Relief or risk for India's telecoms?

Earlier this week, the apex court allowed the Centre to re-examine Vi's entire AGR dues up to financial year 2016-17

Fix ticket prices or face empty cinema halls: Supreme Court to multiplexes

The top court also stayed a Karnataka High Court order that required multiplexes to keep detailed and auditable records of all movie tickets sold

Supreme Court to review ban on surrogacy for couples with one child

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine whether a law banning married couples facing secondary infertility from using surrogacy to have a second child amounts to a restriction by the State on the reproductive choices of citizens. An intending couple having any surviving child biologically or through adoption or through surrogacy earlier cannot avail surrogacy procedures for a second child. However, if the surviving child is mentally or physically challenged or suffers from life threatening disorder or fatal illness with no permanent cure, the couple can avail surrogacy for a second child after obtaining medical certificate from a district medical board and with the approval of the appropriate authority. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan took note of the submission by a lawyer appearing for a couple facing secondary infertility. During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna orally observed that the restriction imposed under the provision was "reasonable" in view of the grow

SC asks ED to trace, secure absconding Mahadev betting app accused

The Supreme Court has directed the Enforcement Directorate to trace and secure the absconding Mahadev betting app co-founder, who has fled from Dubai to an undisclosed location, saying the white-collar crime accused cannot be allowed to treat courts and probe agencies as "instruments to play around with". A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma took serious note of the accused Ravi Uppal evading the law enforcement agencies and said, "This shocks our conscience and the court has to do something about it." Uppal, who is evading law enforcement agencies in India, has reportedly fled Dubai, where he was under surveillance, to an undisclosed location forcing the UAE authorities to initiate steps for closure of his extradition proceedings. "For kingpins like him, the courts and investigating agencies are mere instruments to play around with. We have to do something about it," the bench said, asking the ED to trace and secure him. "We will dismiss his petition. Find out

SC clarifies order allowing AGR dues re-examination to apply only to Vi

Supreme Court clarifies that its order allowing the Centre to re-examine AGR dues up to FY17 is limited to Vodafone Idea, ending ambiguity on inclusion of other telecom firms