Page 3 - Supreme Court

SC halts Delhi govt-ordered CAG audit of power distribution companies

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Delhi government's CAG audit of power discoms ordered against the backdrop of a staggering Rs 38,500 crore accumulated over the years as Regulatory Assets (RA) to be recovered from consumers. A partial working day bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Shree Chandrashekhar took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for power regulator Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for private discoms. On Thursday, the Delhi government ordered a CAG audit of power discoms. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India was to undertake a "strict and intensive" audit of the circumstances under which discoms - BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution (TPDDL) - had continued without recovery of regulatory assets.

'Methyl isocyanate of law': Supreme Court sets aside AI-generated verdicts

The Supreme Court set aside an NCLT order over AI-generated fake precedents, directing zero tolerance for citing hallucinated judgments in courts

SC tears into AI-hallucinated judgments, sets aside NCLT insolvency order

The apex court quashed an NCLT insolvency order after finding reliance on non-existent AI-generated judgments, warning that even a single fake precedent can invalidate a judicial decision

US Supreme Court blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order: What the ruling means

The US Supreme Court has blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in a 6–3 ruling, saying the executive order violates the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. Trump’s execu

Govt says reports on E20 blending submissions before SC are incorrect

Ministry says reports misrepresented the Attorney General's submissions before the Supreme Court on ethanol allocation and stressed the national E20 programme was never described as an experiment

Plea in SC seeks national fire, life safety framework for public buildings

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and others to frame a national fire and life safety framework for high-risk public occupancy premises across the country. The plea said the framework should cover schools, coaching centres, hostels, hotels, guest houses, bed-and-breakfast establishments, restaurants, malls, cinema halls, hospitals and other commercial premises with high footfall. The petition, filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, also sought directions to all the states and Union territories to conduct within three-four months a special fire and life safety audit of high-risk public occupancy premises, prioritising coaching hubs, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, banquet halls and malls. Referring to some of the worst fire tragedies in India, including some recent ones in Delhi and Lucknow, the plea said one of the gravest reasons for such recurring incidents was the "absence of a uniform enforceable national minimum fire and ..

SC allows homebuyers to seek compensation for delay after taking possession

The Supreme Court has said that a homebuyer can seek adjudication of his claim for compensation for the delay in delivery of the flat even after getting its possession. The apex court set aside a 2016 order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which said that the appellant was not a consumer at the time of filing his complaint alleging a deficiency in service on account of the delay in handing over the possession of the flat, since he had already taken its possession without protest. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and V Mohana passed the order on a plea by a homebuyer, who became a member of a cooperative group housing society in Delhi in January 2003 and was allotted a flat, challenging the NCDRC's order. The top court observed that a claim for compensation for delayed possession necessarily arises from the period prior to the actual delivery of possession. "The subsequent receipt of possession cannot, by itself, extinguish the right of the allottee to

SC agrees to hear plea against surrender of 152 vacant medical seats in TN

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea seeking to restrain authorities from surrendering 152 vacant in-service super speciality medical seats in Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2025-2026 to the all India quota. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Centre and others, including the Tamil Nadu government, seeking their responses on the petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association. "A government doctor, if (he or she) acquires skills, will serve public health better than a private doctor," the bench observed while hearing the plea. The top court said in-service is a separate category for admission as such candidates are both working and studying. The bench posted the matter for hearing in July. The counsel appearing for the petitioner referred to the 152 vacant in-service super speciality medical seats in colleges within Tamil Nadu which were earmarked for the state for academic year 2025-2026. The petitioner has

SC flags 'deep-rooted nexus' between banks, ARCs, borrowers over loans

Flagging a deep-rooted nexus between banks, asset reconstruction companies and borrowers, the Supreme Court on Friday said that taxpayers' money being given as loans and then no effective efforts were taken to recover the amount was not acceptable. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana said it was only concerned about the misutilisation of public money, which should have been spent for the welfare of people. The top court issued notice to the Centre, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and others seeking their responses on a plea which alleged that a debt of Rs 1,537 crore owed to public sector banks was settled through two asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) for a mere Rs 73.50 crore. During the hearing, the bench raised concerns over the manner in which stressed loans were being settled. "This is a deep-rooted nexus between the borrowers, ARCs and banks," the bench said. The top court observed that it was aware of the limitation in entering into the arena of ...

Supreme Court declares right to walk on footpath a fundamental right

The Supreme Court on Friday batted for a regulatory body to effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, which ruled that the right to walk on a demarcated footpath is a fundamental right and has priority over movement by motorised vehicles, said the citizen is entitled to enforce restitutionary remedy in case of violation of his right to walk. "To enhance and effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths, it is necessary to establish a regulatory body. Working with perpetual seal and succession, such a regulator will develop and retain institutional memory so that it can act on the basis of the experience, data and information it has gathered and processed," the bench emphasised. It said institutional expertise was critical, and such a regulator will employ human resources with domain expertise and talent. "The regulator will maintain institutional integrity by taking independent and ...

SC agrees to hear Sebi plea against SAT relief to Sahara managers

Supreme Court to hear Sebi's challenge to SAT relief for Sahara executives in the OFCD case, with the matter slated for July

Supreme Court declines interim relief against CBSE's three-language policy

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to pass any interim order on a plea challenging the implementation of a CBSE policy mandating the study of three languages, including two native Indian languages, for Class 9 students from the 2026-27 academic session. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana tagged the plea filed by NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy with similar petitions pending on the issue. "We cannot pass a single-line order today. This matter was argued at length. There is no question of interim protection," the bench said as it ordered the tagging of the matter. During the brief hearing, the counsel appearing for the NGO submitted that they are not challenging the three-language policy per se but just the implementation part of it. CJI Kant then questioned the NGO's name, Friends Of People For Active Democracy, and asked in a lighter vein if that kind of nomenclature was meant to create fear in the mind of the court or the people. The counsel ..

Supreme Court ruling resets the role of India's economic regulators

In setting aside the CCI's order against Amazon, the Supreme Court has framed regulatory certainty, transparency and fairness as strategic assets for India's investment climate

SC seeks Centre, states' response on use of Aadhaar as proof of citizenship

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought response of the Centre and States on a plea alleging misuse of the Unique Identification Authority of India-issued Aadhaar cards as proof of citizenship, domicile and residential address, and seeking directions to restrict its use strictly for identity verification. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana issued notices to the Centre and all the states and UTs on a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and tagged it with the pending similar matters. The plea has sought directions to the Centre, states and the Election Commission to ensure that Aadhaar is used as a proof of identity and not as a proof of citizenship, domicile, address and date of birth. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, also sought directions that the use of Aadhaar as a proof of date of birth and residence in the application form for new voter registration be considered against Section 9 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, Section 23(4) of the RPA, 195

39% students worry about stable jobs, SC-appointed task force finds

The NTF cautioned that its student sample is preliminary and non-representative, but said employment worries and weak campus support point to deeper distress in HEIs

Consumer Protection: Sale or allotment of parking space by builder illegal

Maharashtra State Commission cited Supreme Court's ruling in Nahalchand Laloochand Pvt Ltd vs Panchali Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, where it had clarified that parking spaces could not be sold

Sebi challenges SAT relief to Sahara managers in ₹14,106 crore OFCD case

Supreme Court to hear regulator's plea on June 18; tribunal had upheld action against SICCL but spared four managers and company secretary

SC puts economic value on homemakers' work, raises accident payouts

The Supreme Court has set a new benchmark for valuing homemakers' unpaid work, raising compensation in a fatal accident case and introducing 'loss of domestic care'

SC dismisses Meenakshi Natarajan's plea over rejected RS nomination

The Supreme Court on Friday said once nomination of a candidate is rejected by the returning officer, the only remedy is to approach the Election Commission as it heard Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's plea challenging rejection of her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls. The court also asked Natarajan to show any judgement passed by the it where it has interfered in such cases. A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul S Chandurkar said, "However erroneous the decision may be, once a nomination is rejected, the remedy ordinarily lies elsewhere. Is there any judgment of this Court where we have interfered at that stage? Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Natarajan, submitted that a candidate is supposed to disclose a criminal case which provides for a minimum sentence of two years and, in the present matter, only summons were issued. He said the nomination paper for the Rajya Sabha poll in Madhya Pradesh was wrongly rejected by the returni

Supreme Court introduces compensation for homemaker accident deaths

Brings 'domestic care loss' into accident claims, says homemaker's labour has economic value