Page 2 - Supreme Court

Exit India if you can't abide by Constitution: SC to WhatsApp parent Meta

The court was hearing Meta's plea against a Competition Commission of India order that imposed a penalty of ₹213.14 crore over WhatsApp's privacy policy

SC to pass interim order on Feb 9 in WhatsApp, Meta privacy policy case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Meta Platforms Inc and WhatsApp while hearing their appeals against a Competition Commission of India order imposing a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore over the privacy policy, saying tech giants cannot "play with the right to privacy of citizens in the name of data sharing". A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said that it will pass an interim order on February 9. The top court ordered that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology be made a party to the petitions. It was hearing appeals filed by Meta and WhatsApp against a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) judgment that upheld the CCI's findings of abuse of dominance, while granting limited relief on advertising-related data sharing. "You can't play with the right of privacy of this country in the name of data sharing. We will not allow you to share a single word of the data, either you give an ...

SC grants protection from arrest to shaadi.com founder in fraud case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal and two others protection from arrest for two weeks in a case related to alleged fraud by a user of the matrimonial platform. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria set aside a Telangana High Court order refusing to quash the proceedings against Mittal and sent the matter back to the high court for fresh consideration. The apex court also asked Mittal to approach the high court for interim bail. The case stems from a Hyderabad woman's allegation that she was defrauded of Rs 11 lakh by a man who used a fake profile on shaadi.com and that the platform failed to properly verify user details. "Since the quashing petition has not been decided on merits, we set aside the impugned order and remit the matter to the high court to consideration on merits. Accordingly the criminal cases are restored to their original file. The same shall be dealt with by the high court on its merits. This court has not ...

Supreme Court allows joint insolvency plea against linked realty companies

The Supreme Court has allowed a single insolvency plea against multiple real estate firms where entities are closely linked in a project's execution and operations

SC directs Centre to set up tribunal for Pennaiyar river water dispute

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal for adjudicating a dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing the water of the Pennaiyar River, and issue an appropriate notification in the matter within a month. The direction came from a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and N V Anjaria. "We find no reason to refrain from directing the Central government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and to constitute a water disputes tribunal for the adjudication of the inter-se water dispute between the parties herein within a period of one month from today," Justice Nath said while pronouncing the order. The Tamil Nadu government moved the top court in 2018 through its original suit filed against Karnataka over work being done on check dams and diversions on the river. It said the water in an interstate river was considered a national asset and no state can claim exclusive rights over it. The Tamil Nadu government had said the 1892

New school fee law won't apply in 2025-26 academic year: Delhi govt to SC

The Delhi government on Monday told the Supreme Court that a new law which regulates fees in private schools in the national capital will not be implemented in the academic year 2025-26. The statement was made before a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe which was hearing a batch of pleas concerning the implementation of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi government, told the bench that the law will not be enforced in the current academic year. "In view of the clarification of S V Raju... that the legal regime will not be implemented with effect from 2025-26, no further orders are required," the bench said. The bench left all the issues open for being raised before the Delhi High Court which is hearing a batch of pleas challenging the 2025 Act and its subsequent rules. The top court was hearing pleas, including those challenging a January 8 order of the h

SC refuses to entertain PIL on process to record caste data for 2027 census

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL questioning the procedure to be adopted to record, classify and verify the caste data of citizens in the 2027 general census. The top court, however, asked the Centre and the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India to consider the suggestions made by PIL petitioner Aakash Goel, an academician, on the issue. Goel, represented by senior advocate Mukta Gupta, said a transparent questionnaire, to be used for recording, classifying and verifying the caste details of the citizens, has to be placed in public domain. The senior advocate alleged that the Directorate of Census Operations has not disclosed the criteria for recording the caste identity of citizens "notwithstanding the acknowledgement that caste enumeration has extended beyond the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes this time". The bench told the PIL petitioner there is "no pre-determined data" to identify the caste data. "The census exercise is ..

Private school fee law to apply from 2026-27 session, Delhi govt tells SC

The Delhi government informed the Supreme Court that the law to regulate private school fees will come into force from the 2026-27 session, after the court flagged issues with applying it mid-year

Pune Porsche crash: SC grants bail to three accused in May 2024 accident

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to three accused in the 2024 Pune Porsche accident case that claimed two lives, while observing that parents are to be blamed for such incidents involving juveniles. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that parents are not able to control their children. "Substance abuse is another thing but giving them (children) car keys and funds to have a gala time is unacceptable," the court observed. On January 23, the top court sought a response from the Maharashtra government on a plea filed by accused Amar Santish Gaikwad seeking bail in the case. Gaikwad represented by advocate Sana Raees Khan was alleged to be a middleman, who gave Rs 3 lakh to the assistant of a doctor in a hospital to replace a blood sample of the juvenile accused. On May 19, 2024, a Porsche allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy under the influence of alcohol, fatally knocked down two IT professionals in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area. On January 7, the top

Menstrual health integral part of right to life and dignity, says SC

Court orders nationwide rollout of free menstrual hygiene facilities in schools, making the Union government's policy binding on all government and private institutions

Menstrual hygiene is a fundamental right under Article 21, rules SC

The Supreme Court has ruled that access to menstrual hygiene products and facilities is part of the right to life under Article 21, saying lack of access harms the dignity of girl children

Trade union leaders responsible for stalling industrial growth: CJI

Supreme Court says trade union leaders have stalled industrial growth, cautions that fixing minimum wages for domestic workers could worsen unemployment and hardship

Supreme Court flags lack of reciprocity as foreign cos seek data from India

Supreme Court flags asymmetry in global judicial cooperation as Pfizer challenges Madras High Court order refusing to enforce US letters rogatory

Stray dogs case: SC reserves order on pleas against earlier rulings

The Supreme Court also directed the Animal Welfare Board of India to process applications from NGOs seeking permission to set up animal shelters or animal birth control facilities

SC stays implementation of new UGC norms; 2012 regulations to continue

The Supreme Court observed that there is complete vagueness in Regulation 3 (C) (which defines caste-based discrimination), and it can be misused

SC refuses to issue directions for welfare measures of domestic helps

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a comprehensive legal framework and enforcement of minimum wages for domestic workers, saying it cannot issue a writ asking the Centre and states to consider amending existing laws. The top court also observed that trade unionism has been largely responsible for stopping the industrial growth in the country. "How many industrial units in the country have been closed thanks to trade unions? Let us know the realities. All traditional industries in the country, all because of these 'jhanda' unions have been closed, all throughout the country. They don't want to work. These trade union leaders are largely responsible for stopping industrial growth in the country," Chief Justice Surya Kant said. "Of course exploitation is there, but there are means to address exploitation. People should have been made more aware of their individual rights, people should have been made more skilled, there were several other reforms which ...

SC rejects Tata Sponge Iron petition against Odisha entry tax law

Supreme Court rejects Tata Sponge Iron's challenge to Odisha Entry Tax Act, upholds High Court ruling and denies refund claim

Supreme Court raps states over poor stray dog control as bite cases surge

The Supreme Court pulled up states over poor stray dog control, flagging low sterilisation, lack of shelters and rising dog bite cases, while questioning weak data and delayed action

Mamata demands SC monitored probe into Ajit Pawar's death in plane crash

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar in a place crash, alleging that "all other agencies" have been "completely compromised" Stressing that the truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, Banerjee said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible. "We trust only the Supreme Court. All other agencies have been completely compromised," she told reporters here before leaving for Singur. Pawar (66), the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, and four others were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning.

SC to hear PIL alleging rights violations in probe of Ahmedabad plane crash

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL of an NGO alleging that the official probe into the June 12 Air India plane crash violated citizens' fundamental rights to life, equality and access to truthful information. Air India's Boeing 787-8 flight AI171 en route to London's Gatwick airport was operated by pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder. The crash took place after the flight took off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board. On Wednesday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was told by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for PIL petitioner NGO 'Safety Matters Foundation', that so far, neither the Centre nor the the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) have filed their replies to the petition. "The entire pilots association are saying there is a problem in the Boeing 787 aircraft which needs to be grounded," Bhushan submitted. "SIR (hearing on pleas