Page 36 - Supreme Court

Crime victims, their heirs can file appeal against acquittal of accused: SC

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has held that victims of crime, including their legal heirs, can file an appeal against acquittal of the accused. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan said the right of a victim of a crime must be placed on a par with the right of an accused who has suffered a conviction. "We find the victim has every right to prefer an appeal as against a conviction for a lesser offence or for imposing inadequate compensation or even in the case of an acquittal ...as stated in the proviso to Sec 372 of CrPC," the bench said. The top court in its August 22 judgment said the right of victims of crime to file appeal in a higher court against acquittal of the accused, or award of lenient punishment "cannot be circumscribed". Expanding the ambit of "victims of crime" for the purpose of filing an appeal, the apex court said their legal heirs could continue prosecution of such appeals in case the appellant-victim dies during the pendency of .

SC judgment on house demolitions reaffirmed citizens' rights: CJI Gavai

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has said he was glad that the Supreme Court's ruling against the demolition of houses of accused persons without following due procedure of law upheld the rights of citizens. He was part of the SC bench that last year slammed instant bulldozer justice' and laid down pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties, saying the executive could become a judge and declare an accused as guilty and demolish his house. Speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Goa High Court Bar Association in Panaji on Saturday, the CJI also explained the reasoning behind his landmark judgment on the creamy layer in the reserved category. Pointing out to the speeches by earlier speakers during the felicitation, which referred to his historic judgments, CJI Gavai said, I am really happy that we could do something as a custodian of the Constitution for protecting the rights of citizens whose houses were demolished without following the procedures of law. He said

Bihar SIR case: SC allows excluded voters to submit claims with Aadhaar

'Surprised' at limited role of parties in helping voters whose names were deleted

RWAs call SC order on stray dog feeding points impractical, hard to follow

The Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the national capital on Friday expressed concern over the Supreme Court's directive to set up designated feeding points for stray dogs in every locality, calling the move "impractical and difficult to implement". The apex court on Friday modified its August 11 order that prohibited the release of captured stray dogs from shelters in Delhi-NCR. A special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath clarified that the dogs can now be sterilised, vaccinated and released back into the same area. However, the order will not apply to dogs infected with rabies or those displaying aggressive behaviour. The top court also ruled that feeding of stray dogs will not be permitted on streets, as it directed the municipal authorities of Delhi-NCR to create dedicated feeding points for the purpose. The RWAs claimed that such feeding points may create disturbances in the residential colonies. "Residents will strongly object to setting up of feeding spots near the

All stray dogs should be released after being vaccinated, sterilised: SC

This rule is part of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which are established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, for managing the population of stray animals

SC modifies stray dog order, SC on Bihar SIR, OpenAI coming to India, Ex-Sri Lankan pres arrested

The Supreme Court on Friday modified its August 11 order saying that stray dogs must be released back to their localities after sterilisation and immunisation.

Cong hails SC directive on Bihar's SIR, says ECI exposed, discredited

Welcoming the Supreme Court directive on the Bihar SIR issue, the Congress on Friday said democracy has survived a "brutal assault" from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and claimed that the poll body stands "totally exposed and discredited". The opposition party said the Supreme Court has laid down guardrails to make the revision more inclusive by including political parties in the process, and alleged that so far, the ECI's approach has been "obstructionist and contrary to the interests of the voters". The Congress' assertion came after the Supreme Court directed the ECI to allow excluded voters to submit claims through online mode besides making physical submissions in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi allowed claim forms to be submitted along with Aadhaar card number and any one of the 11 acceptable documents in the SIR. Expressing surprise over political parties not comi

Supreme Court revises order on stray dogs: Sterilise, vaccinate, and release

The Supreme Court has modified its earlier directive on stray dogs. They will now be sterilised and vaccinated, then released back to their localities. Aggressive and rabid dogs,

EC must accept Aadhaar as one of 11 documents in Bihar's SIR: Supreme Court

The apex court is hearing petitions challenging the June 24 directive of the Election Commission for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar

SC to hear plea against unverified public statements in Kerala nurse case

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea for directions to restrain persons, organisations and others from making "unverified public statements" about the case of Indian nurse and murder accused Nimisha Priya who is on death row in Yemen. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the petitioner to serve a copy of the plea to the office of Attorney General R Venkataramani. The bench issued notice on the plea and posted the matter for August 25. Petitioner K A Paul, who appeared in person, said he had received a "shocking letter" from Priya and he was in Yemen for past several days. "Her mother is taking care, why are you worried?" the bench asked Paul. The petitioner said the letter was signed by Priya and her mother. "Both sides respect me as a peacemaker. Since 1992, I am going to Yemen. Problem there is the war. Problem there is that she was caught and she was a victim," he said. The petitioner said he had spoken to the victim's family, the Houthis leader

SC orders status quo till Aug 25 in Sambhal mosque row, issues notice

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered status quo till August 25 in the Sambhal mosque row and issued notice to the Hindu petitioners. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar passed the orders. The top court was hearing an appeal filed by Masjid committee challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court which dismissed its plea against the survey ordered by a Sambhal court in the Shahi Jama Masjid and Harihar Temple dispute, upholding the civil court's direction for the survey. The high court said the order to appoint a court commissioner and the suit were maintainable. The mosque committee had moved the high court against the November 19 last year order of the civil judge directing the Mughal-era mosque' survey which took place the same day. A second survey carried out on November 24 last year, the committee claimed, was illegal as the civil court never ordered it.

SC bars Assam police from coercive action against journalist Varadarajan

The Supreme Court on Friday restrained Assam Police from taking any coercive action against senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan and other journalists, including consulting editor, working with web portal "The Wire" in connection with an FIR lodged against them over a news article. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for the journalists, said that Assam police was circumventing the earlier orders passed by the court. She said Vardarajan and other journalists, including a consulting, editor have been summoned Friday for recording statements in an old FIR lodged in May and there is apprehension that they may be arrested. The bench, while protecting the journalists, said everyone is expected to follow the law and asked the journalists to join the investigation and file a status report on the next date of hearing. On August 12, the top court had protected Vardarajan and restrained the Assam police fr

SC declines urgent hearing on plea against mandatory waqf listing on UMEED

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to urgently list for hearing an interim plea challenging mandatory registration of all waqfs, including waqf-by-users under the UMEED portal. The Centre had on June 6 launched the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995 (UMEED) Central Portal to create a digital inventory after geo-tagging all Waqf properties. As per the mandate of the UMEED portal, details of all registered Waqf properties across India are to be mandatorily uploaded within six months. On May 22, a bench headed by Chief Justice B Gavai had reserved interim orders on three key issues in the waqf case. 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 Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. On Friday, a lawyer told the bench that the Centre has the portal which calls for mandatory registration of all waqfs, including waqfs by users. The lawyer said that requirements are such

Dogs to be released in same area after sterlisation: SC modifies order

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been directed to create designated feeding areas for stray dogs in each municipal ward

Bihar SIR: ECI files affidavit in SC, says list of dropped voters published

The list also contained the reasons for their non-inclusion, including death, shifting of ordinary residence or duplicate entries, ECI told Supreme Court

SC declines urgent hearing on plea against MCD order to round up stray dogs

The Supreme Court, on August 11, ordered the authorities in Delhi-NCR to start removing stray dogs from all localities 'at the earliest' and relocate them to shelters

SC declines urgent plea against MCD notification on picking of stray dogs

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused urgent listing of a plea challenging a notification issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi with regard to picking up of stray dogs. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi declined to accord urgent hearing after a lawyer mentioned that an application has been filed in this regard. The application submitted that MCD issued the notification despite orders having been reserved by the apex court. The whole problem of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR is because of "inaction" of local authorities, the top court had said on August 14 while reserving its order on the interim prayer seeking a stay on the August 11 directions passed by the apex court. A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria had reserved its order in the matter. A two-judge bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had on August 11 directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to start picking up stray dogs from all localities "at the earliest" and

States will be at whims of governor if nod to Bills withheld: Supreme Court

The court was hearing the maintainability of the reference made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 143

SC stays proceedings against TN minister in disproportionate assets case

The Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings before a special court against DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister I Periyasamy and his family members in a Rs 2.1 crore disproportionate assets case. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih on August 19 also issued notice in the matter. "There shall be stay of proceedings in..pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate cum Special Judge for Prevention of Corruption Act Cases, Dindigul," the bench said. The top court passed the order on Periyasamy's appeal challenging the Madras High Court verdict of April, 28, which directed the special court to frame charges against him and his family members. The high court passed the order on pleas filed by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), challenging an order discharging Periyasamy and his family members from the case. The high court, however, rejected that order and directed the special court to conduct a day-to-day trial and complete it within six months. Periyasamy

SC asks if harmony between governor, state govt meets Constitution's vision

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked whether the country has lived up to the expectations of the Constitution framers that there will be harmony between the governor and the state government, besides the consultation on various issues between the two power centres. The observation of a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai came when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, referring to the Constituent Assembly debates on appointment and powers of the governor. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar, was told by Mehta that unlike criticism made in different quarters, the post of governor is not for political asylum seekers but has certain powers and responsibility under the Constitution. The solicitor general, who continued his submissions on the Presidential Reference which raised constitutional questions on whether the court can impose timelines for governors and the president to deal wit