Page 31 - Supreme Court

Retired judges reluctant to join tribunals due to poor facilities, says SC

The Supreme Court said retired judges hesitate to accept tribunal posts due to inadequate housing, transport and dignity, and asked the Centre to upgrade infrastructure

SC raps Maha poll panel, directs completion of local body polls by Jan 2026

Pulling up the Maharashtra State Election Commission for non-compliance of its order, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state local body polls, stalled since 2022, to be completed by January 31, 2026 without further extension. The bench was irked over the failure of the state election commission (SEC) to comply with its order mandating a timely conclusion of the stalled local body elections. Elections of all local bodies, including Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and all municipalities shall be conducted by January 31, 2026. No further extension shall be granted to the state and the State Election Commission. In case any other logistic assistance required, application can be filed promptly before October 31, 2025. No prayer will be entertained thereafter, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said. The bench was informed that the delimitation for municipalities was underway and the SEC had sought an extension on grounds including insufficient EVMs ...

SC to decide validity of religious conversion laws, give states 4 weeks

The court was hearing a plea filed by an NGO called Citizens for Peace and Justice, which challenged religious conversion laws enacted by various states

Jairam Ramesh questions speedy closure of Vantara case after SIT clean chit

A day after the Supreme Court closed a case against zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre Vantara following an SIT clean chit, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said if only all cases were dealt with and settled so expeditiously and categorically. The Congress general secretary and former environment minister said that when it chooses to, the Indian judicial system, which is defined by long delays, moves with the greatest of speed. "On August 25, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the affairs of Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre established by the Reliance Foundation in Jamnagar. The SIT, comprising four distinguished members, was directed to submit its report by September 12, 2025," he said. The SIT submitted its report in a "sealed cover", and on September 15, 2025, the Supreme Court accepted its recommendations and closed the case, which had been triggered by a public interest litigation filed on

Indian real estate sector expects wave of reforms after SC judgment

Supreme Court directs reforms in IBC and Rera, declares housing a fundamental right; developers welcome move, seek multi-stakeholder approach for systemic real estate reforms

Will scrap SIR if illegality found in methodology, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has said Bihar's voter roll revision will be invalidated if illegalities are found in the Election Commission's process, with its ruling to apply nationwide

Explained | SC's interim order on Waqf Act: What’s stayed & what’s not

The Supreme Court of India has issued an interim order on the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. While it refused to put the entire Act on hold, the court stayed some provisions that sparked

Supreme Court gives clean chit to Reliance's Vantara animal acquisitions

Accepting the report of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that it had appointed to look into allegations of misuse of laws governing the acquisition of animals from India and abroad

Vantara gets clean chit in SIT report: 'In strict compliance with laws'

SIT headed by ex-Supreme Court judge Justice J Chelameswar finds facility in regulatory compliance; states allegations of mistreatment of animals, including elephants, are unsubstantiated

SC to rule on Sep 23 in suo motu matter over environmental conditions in HP

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would pass on September 23 its order in a suo motu matter concerning issues relating to ecology and environmental conditions prevailing in Himachal Pradesh. "List on September 23 for order. We will give you a brief order after summarising everything so that you can get specific instructions," a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the lawyers appearing for Himachal Pradesh. During the hearing, Himachal Pradesh's advocate general and additional advocate general informed the bench about a report filed by the state in the matter. Senior advocate K Parmeshwar, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the report filed by the state covered many aspects, including tree cover. On July 28, a different bench of the apex court had said the state might "vanish in thin air" if the situation did not change. Observing the situation in the state had deteriorated, the top court had said climate change was having a "visib

SC to give order on Sept 26 over lack of working CCTVs in police stations

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would pass order on September 26 in a suo motu matter concerning lack of functional CCTVs in police stations. "The issue is of oversight," a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed while hearing the matter. On September 4, the apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report which stated there were 11 deaths in police custody in Rajasthan in the past eight months. It had noted that as per the report, seven of these incidents happened in Udaipur division itself. The apex court had in 2018 ordered installation of CCTV cameras in police stations to check human rights abuses. In December 2020, the top court had directed the Centre to install CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of investigating agencies, including the CBI, the ED and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). It had said that states and Union Territories should ensure that CCTV cameras were installed at each and every police station, at all e

Supreme Court stays Waqf Act rule on govt officer deciding encroachment

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was passed by Parliament in early April and notified on April 8. The Supreme Court has today stayed provisions on Collector's powers and the five-year practice rule

Dream homes in limbo: SC pushes Centre for revival fund to protect buyers

If you're a homebuyer stuck in a delayed project, the SC's observations may pave the way for faster resolutions

Waqf Amendment: SC to pronounce interim order on three key issues on Monday

The Supreme Court is slated to pronounce on Monday its interim orders on three key issues, including the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed", which cropped up during the hearing of pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai on May 22 reserved the interim orders on these issues after hearing both sides in the waqf case. According to the cause list of September 15 uploaded on the apex court website, the court will deliver its order in the matter. One of the issues relate to the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed" prescribed in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Before reserving the interim order, the bench heard arguments by advocates appearing for those challenging the amended waqf law, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, on three consecutive days. The bench previously identified the three issu

Dispose of bail pleas within two months: SC tells HCs, district courts

The Court noted that while heavy case loads remain a challenge, matters affecting liberty must be given priority

Supreme Court to give interim order on Waqf Act issues on September 15

These include the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed."

SC asks Centre to consider expanding SWAMIH to finance insolvent projects

The apex court said that liquidation of viable projects must be avoided and that the state cannot remain a "silent spectator" when the livelihoods of millions are at stake

SIT submits sealed report to SC on Vantara wildlife case in Gujarat

SIT had spent three days at Vantara and engaged multiple other investigative agencies, including senior officials from multiple state forest departments, to assist in the inquiry

From judiciary to executive: Nepal's new PM Sushila Karki scripts history

When she completed her Masters in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University 50 years ago, Sushila Karki may not have thought she would go on to create a record in Nepal's politics. The first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Karki, 73, is now set to take oath as the first woman prime minister on Friday. Jurist Karki emerged as a popular choice to lead an interim government during deliberations between the Gen Z group, which led violent protests in Nepal leading to the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Tuesday, President Ramchandra Paudel and the Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel. Karki was appointed as the 24th Chief Justice of Nepal in July 2016 becoming the first and the only woman as of date to occupy the post. She remained in the post for around 11 months. She has made a reputation of a bold and fair justice with zero tolerance to corruption, remarked Dinesh Tripathi, Senior Advocate. As a bold and determined justice, she has stood strong against ...

SC approves ₹5,000 crore payout from Sebi-Sahara fund to depositors

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the disbursal of Rs 5,000 crore of over Rs 24,000 crore deposited by Sahara Group with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India to repay dues of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi allowed an application filed by the Centre seeking allocation of the amount lying in the SEBI-SAHARA refund account for payment to the depositors. The top court also extended the date from December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2026 for disbursal of Rs 5,000 crore to the depositors allocated in 2023. The bench said the order was in line with the March 29, 2023 order where a similar application of the Centre was allowed for allocation of Rs 5,000 crore to repay dues of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. The amount of Rs 5,000 crore was directed to be transferred from the SEBI-Sahara Refund Account to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, which was as