Page 204 - Supreme Court

Courtrooms paperless, says CJI announces free Wi-Fi facility at SC

The first five courtrooms of the Supreme Court have become WiFi-enabled, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud announced on Monday, in a significant step towards the digitisation of the top court. The court has made facility available to all lawyers, litigants, mediapersons, and other stakeholders visiting the premises. The step was taken as part of the e-initiatives and the facility can be availed by logging in to "SCI WiFi". "We have made courts 1 to 5 WiFi-enabled. The bar rooms are WiFi-enabled as well. All courtrooms will now be like that -- no books and papers -- which is not to say that we will not rely on books and papers at all," the CJI said at the outset of the day's proceedings in the refurbished courtroom. "Please give me the feedback whether everything is working well," Justice Chandrachud said. The top court reopened on Monday after the six-week summer vacation. For using the wi-fi facility, one has to enter his mobile number, get a one-time password (OTP) a

SC to hear pleas for independent probe into Atiq Ahmad's killing on July 14

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear on July 14 pleas, including the one filed by the sister of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf seeking constitution of a commission chaired by a retired apex court judge to inquire into their "custodial" and "extra judicial deaths". Two separate pleas pertaining to Ahmad came up for hearing before a bench of Justices S R Bhat and Aravind Kumar. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, told the bench that the state has filed a status report in terms of the apex court's April 28 order that was passed while hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has sought an independent probe into the killing of Ahmad and his brother. Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj on April 15. "At the moment, we are not looking into individual issues. W

Excise policy scam: SC dismisses ED's plea against bail to Sameer Mahendru

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea of the Enforcement Directorate challenging the six-week interim bail granted to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M Trivedi told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, that it is not going to interfere with the order of the Delhi High Court. Raju submitted that the Delhi High Court order is "shocking" and is based on wrong facts and cannot be treated as a precedent. The bench said, "Sorry, for six weeks bail, we are not going to interfere. The period is going to run itself out in the next 10-15 days". On June 12, the high court had granted six-week interim bail on medical grounds to Mahendru in the money laundering case. The high court had observed that the accused was suffering from life-threatening diseases warranting immediate medical attention and post-opera

SC asks Manipur govt to file updated status report on rehabilitation

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Manipur government to file an updated status report detailing the steps taken to ensure rehabilitation and improve the law and order situation in the ethnic violence-hit state. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra listed the batch of petitions on the issue for hearing on July 10. Asking Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, to file an updated status report, the bench said, "It should have details like rehabilitation camps, law and order and recovery of arms. In a brief hearing, the top law officer gave details of the deployment of security forces and the recent status of the law and order situation and said curfew in the state has now been reduced to five hours from 24 hours. According to Mehta, civil police, Indian reserve battalions and 114 companies of CAPFs are also deployed in the state. He said senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Kuki group

SC directs Delhi govt to furnish details of funds spent on advertisements

The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Delhi government for expressing its inability to contribute funds for construction of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project and directed it to furnish details of funds spent on advertisements in the last three financial years. The funds were meant for construction of the RRTS stretch that will connect the national capital with Rajasthan and Haryana. A bench comprising Justice S K Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia directed the AAP government to file an affidavit enumerating details of funds within two weeks. The direction came after the counsel for the Delhi government told the bench that there was paucity of funds and expressed inability to provide monetary assistance. "You want us to get into what funds you are spending where. All funds for advertisement shall be diverted for this project. You want this kind of order? You are asking for it," the court said. "The Delhi government has expressed its inability to contribute funds for

SC gets an update: Wifi, virtual meetings, LED screens in courtrooms

This system enables unhindered remote participation, increasing the accessibility and connectivity of courtrooms manifold

SC to reopen on July 3 after summer break, to take up important matters

The Supreme Court is all set to reopen on Monday after a 42-day summer break and will take up a batch of pleas related to the strife in Manipur and a petition by the sister of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf seeking constitution of a commission to inquire into their "extra judicial deaths". Several vacation benches in the summer break took up for hearing over 2,000 cases, including bail plea of social activist Teesta Setalvad, and disposed of over 700 cases, according to sources. In a special late-night hearing on Saturday, a rarity on holidays and during vacations, a top court bench of three judges headed by Justice Gavai protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the Gujarat High Court order rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. The three-judge bench heard the matter in a special sitting after a two-judge ...

LIVE: SC protects Setalvad from arrest, stays Gujarat HC order for a week

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SC protects Setalvad from arrest, stays Gujarat HC order for a week

The Supreme Court late Saturday night protected social activist Teesta Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the Gujarat High Court order rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. In a special late-night hearing, a bench of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta questioned the denial of time to Setalvad to appeal against the HC order, saying even an ordinary criminal is entitled to some form of interim relief. The three-judge bench heard the matter in a special sitting after a two-judge vacation bench differed on granting interim protection from arrest to Setalvad. "After having heard this Special Leave Petition for some time, we are unable to agree while deciding the prayer for interim relief. Therefore, it will be appropriate if, under the orders of the Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India, this petition is placed before the ...

3-judge SC bench starts hearing Setalvad's plea seeking interim protection

A three-judge Supreme Court bench commenced hearing late on Saturday night the plea by social activist Teesta Setalvad seeking interim protection from arrest in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riots cases. A bench of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta is hearing the matter in a special sitting after a two-judge vacation bench differed on granting interim protection to Setalvad. "After having heard this Special Leave Petition for some time, we are unable to agree while deciding the prayer for interim relief. Therefore, it will be appropriate if, under the orders of the Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India, this petition is placed before the appropriate larger Bench. "The Registrar (Judicial) is directed to place this order immediately before the Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India," the two-judge bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra said earlier in the evening. Setalvad approached the apex court

SC to decide if resolution professionals can be tried under Corruption Act

The Supreme Court has sought a response from the CBI on a plea against a Jharkhand High Court order that a resolution professional appointed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is a 'public servant' and can be tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act. A SC vacation bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued the notice to the CBI on a plea challenging the April 5 order of the high court. "Issue notice to the respondent on the Special Leave Petition," the plea said. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Sanjay Kumar Agarwal challenging the Jharkhand High Court order. "The present petition raises a substantial question of law that has far-reaching consequences in various proceedings pending before various courts in the territory of India: whether a resolution professional appointed under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, is a public servant as defined under the PC Act, and thus can be subject to proceedings and prosecution under the PC Act," the plea ..

Unthinkable: Biden on court's decision to strike down student relief plan

The US Supreme Court dealt a blow to Joe Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan on Friday

Biden offers alternative student debt plan to remove instant default threat

President Joe Biden is offering an alternative student debt plan designed to ease borrowers' threat of default if they fall behind on their payments, after the Supreme Court struck down his original initiative. Biden on Friday blamed Republican opposition for triggering the Supreme Court's ruling and slammed the decision as wrong. The president said he will work under the authority of the Higher Education Act to begin a new programme that would begin loan repayment but remove the immediate threat of default. He said the plan would take longer but provide relief to millions of borrowers. The president earlier had insisted that this fight is not over after the Supreme Court struck down his USD 400 billion student loan forgiveness plan. He blamed Republicans' opposition, aiming to direct the ire of millions of borrowers towards them rather than his own party in next year's elections.

Delhi govt moves to Supreme Court against Centre's services ordinance

The Delhi government on Friday moved the Supreme Court against the Centre's ordinance over control of services in the national capital, officials said. Earlier in the day, the AAP had announced that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will burn copies of the Centre's ordinance at the party office in central Delhi on July 3. The party had on June 11 organised a maha-rally against the ordinance. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of IAS and DANICS officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a circumvention of the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. The ordinance, which came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers. Transfer and postings of all officers of the Del

SC disposes of plea of slain Mukhtar Ansari's wife challenging HC order

The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of a plea filed by the wife of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's aide Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva, who was shot dead on Lucknow court premises earlier this month, challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court which had dismissed her petition to provide police protection to her husband. A vacation bench of Justices A S Oka and K V Viswanathan said nothing survives in the matter now. "You are seeking relief for whose benefit now? You are seeking relief for the benefit of a person who is no more," the bench said, adding, "Even if we set aside this order (of the high court), can we grant you the relief which was sought before the high court?" The apex court said the petitioner had sought relief from the high court for the benefit of her husband, who is now dead. "Now it is an admitted position that the petitioner's husband is no more. Therefore, no relief can be granted in this SLP (special leave petition). Accordingly, SLP is disposed of," the .

'Affirmative action' ends: US SC bans use of race in university admissions

Affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination, aims to reverse long-standing prejudices against underrepresented groups

Supreme Court to hear PIL for setting up of National Commission for Men

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 3 a PIL seeking framing of guidelines to deal with suicide by married men subjected to domestic violence and constitution of a 'National Commission for Men' to safeguard their interests. According to the apex court website, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta has listed the PIL for hearing on Monday. The plea filed by advocate Mahesh Kumar Tiwari has cited the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data published in 2021 on accidental deaths in India which said 1,64,033 people died by suicide across the country that year. Out of these, 81,063 were married men, while 28,680 were married women, the petition said. "Around 33.2 per cent men ended their lives because of family problems and 4.8 per cent due to marriage related issues in the year 2021. In this year total 1,18,979 men have committed suicides which are about (72 per cent) and total 45,026 women have committed suicides which are about 27 per cent," the plea sa

SC comes out with new procedure for urgent listing of cases before benches

The Supreme Court has come out with a fresh notification on the procedure to be adopted by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud for mentioning of cases for their urgent listing and hearing from July 3. The top court is set to reopen on July 3 after the summer vacation. Miscellaneous fresh matters which are verified on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday shall be automatically listed on the following Monday, the top court said in its circular issued on June 28 by the Registrars of judicial administration. The circular also said that the lawyers seeking listing of verified fresh matters prior to such allotted dates will now be needed to submit their mentioning pro formas by 3 PM, to get their cases heard the next day. For those seeking listing on the same day, the pro formas have to be submitted by 10:30 AM to the mentioning officer along with a letter of urgency, it said. The CJI will then take a call on the same during lunch hours or 'as the exigency may warrant', it said. For .

Nepal's Supreme Court issues order to govt to register same-sex marriage

Nepal's Supreme Court on Wednesday issued an interim order to the government to temporarily register same-sex marriage, a notice by the apex court said. A single bench of Justice Til Prasad Shrestha issued the order to the government to make necessary arrangements for registering the marriage of sexual and gender minority couples if they demand so, the directive said. Seven people, including activist Pinky Gurung on behalf of Blue Diamond Society (BDS), an LGBTI rights organisation, filed a writ to the Prime Minister and the Office of the Council of Ministers to legalise same-sex marriage. In the order, the apex court has also asked the opponents to furnish a written reply on the issue within 15 days. The petitioners said that they filed the writ as the Nepalese law has obstructed same-sex marriage despite a Supreme Court decision, which allowed such marriages 15 years ago. Citing that Clause 69 (1) of the National Civil Code 2017 mentions that each individual citizen has the free

Pak govt tells SC trial of those involved in May 9 attacks yet to begin

The Pakistan government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the trial of civilians allegedly involved in attacks on the army facilities has not yet started in the military courts. A six-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik was hearing the pleas challenging the trial of civilians under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 and the Official Secret Act, 1923. Attorney General Mansoor Awan told the bench during the hearing that the trial of civilians involved in the May 9 violence was yet to begin after the chief justice on Monday hoped the trial would not commence while the court was hearing the case. The development came as the military spokesman on Monday told the media that 102 civilians were in military custody for trial at 17 military courts which were already functional under the existing laws. No trial has started yet and that also takes time. The ..