Page 5 - Supreme Court

Judicial officers can have higher retirement age than State employees: SC

The Supreme Court said judicial officers are a distinct class and directed States to reconsider proposals to raise the retirement age of District Judges independently

SC allows Asaram to engage care taker of his choice, denies interim bail

The Supreme Court on Thursday denied interim bail as of now to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving life sentence in a 2013 case of sexually assaulting a minor, but allowed him to engage a trained caretaker of his choice for round-the-clock assistance. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale kept the plea filed by Asaram, seeking interim bail on health grounds, pending while granting him liberty to mention his case if his health deteriorates. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that Asaram has suppressed from the court that his counsel moved an application for parole. The counsel for Asaram said the parole was filed much earlier and that it was not granted on health grounds. The Rajasthan High Court had earlier granted 20-day parole to Asaram, saying the state government failed to justify its decision to reject his parole application. The HC had granted relief to the 85-year-old Asaram, lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, taking note of the durat

General insurance shares up after Supreme Court's Motor TP directions

Shares of general insurers advanced after the Supreme Court directed the insurance regulator to consider longer Motor Third Party insurance tenures and measures to improve insurance coverage.

SC urges authorities to engage with protesting youth, avoid violence

The Supreme Court said authorities should counsel and listen to agitating students to prevent violence while hearing pleas arising from protests over repeated examination paper leaks.

No fuel without insurance? Why the Supreme Court wants this rule

The Supreme Court has proposed stricter measures to tackle the growing number of uninsured vehicles on Indian roads. From automatic e-challans using technology to a possible pilot

RBI to issue cyber fraud SOP after refining draft over next four weeks

Deputy Governor Swaminathan J says the RBI has submitted a draft standard operating procedure to the Supreme Court and will refine it before issuing it to regulated entities.

News outlets can use audio-video clips of proceedings for reporting: SC

The Supreme Court has clarified that its recent interim order restricting the sharing and uploading of audio and video clips of court hearings does not prevent news organisations from reporting on judicial proceedings. The clarification came after the top court noted that "some confusion persists" over its July 24 interim order, which barred posting and uploading of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms without prior permission of the court administration. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the restriction is confined to the use of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings in news reports and should not be interpreted as a blanket ban on reportage by media organisations. "It appears, however, that some confusion persists in respect of paragraph 11 of the earlier order, which this court deems necessary to clarify. The said paragraph makes it clear that the order is not to be construed as imposing a blanket ...

SC gives states 6 weeks to file replies on consumers' 'right to know' plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted six weeks time to several states and Union Territories to file their responses on a plea which sought to declare that consumers have a "right to know" about the quality, purity and certification of products, besides the details of distributors and sellers. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition which said "right to know" was crucial for consumers to make informed choices and to protect themselves from unfair or restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation. In July last year, the apex court had agreed to hear the plea and sought responses from the Centre, various states and UTs and others. During the hearing on Wednesday, petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay told the bench that so far, he has received responses from only few states, including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Assam and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. "We grant six weeks time to the respondents who have not filed responses to

SC says youngsters need to be pacified, law enforcement must show restraint

The Supreme Court on Wednesday underscored the need for law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint during protests and said youngsters must be pacified, even if some "misguided elements" indulge in stone-pelting, as it agreed to hear a plea seeking action against organisers of the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march for allegedly inciting violence. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana tagged the plea, filed by a retired Air Force officer, with a similar petition. Advocate Rizwan Ahmed, appearing for petitioner Maneesh Kumar Solanki, said, "Fifteen days have passed... What about the accountability of the organisers? They are going from channel to channel giving provocative statements and refusing to douse the fire". Referring to a recent law and order incident in Rajasthan, the lawyer argued that governments should not "bend backwards" to accommodate protesters. "One young man has died. If the government bends backwards in a matter ...

No insurance, no fuel: Inside SC's plan to cover 165 mn uninsured vehicles

The court has proposed linking fuel purchases, number-plate cameras and police enforcement to insurance databases as 56 per cent of vehicles in India remain uninsured

SC grants interim bail to businessman Anwar Dhebar in CSMCL corruption case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to businessman Anwar Dhebar in a case involving alleged corruption and an illegal commission racket linked to the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana directed Dhebar to remain outside Chhattisgarh as a bail condition and to appear in court during the trial. The top court also directed the businessman to provide details of his address where he would be staying after grant of interim bail. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Dhebar, while senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh High Court on May 13 had rejected Dhebar's bail plea, saying the allegations indicated a "deep-rooted and systematic corruption network" within the state-run corporation. The HC held that economic offences involving public funds must be treated with greater seriousness. The high court had observed that eco

SC allows OMCs to procure additional 1.49 billion litres of ethanol

Suppliers without long-term offtake agreements will be treated on a par with other bidders under the interim arrangement accepted by the Supreme Court

Undertaken comprehensive overhaul to prevent Neet paper leaks: Centre to SC

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to eliminate paper leaks and systemic failures. In a compliance affidavit filed before a bench headed by Justice P S Narasimha, the Ministry of Education said the reforms are aimed at creating a robust and institutionalised system that preserves institutional memory, strengthens examination security and prevents future incidents of paper leaks or other malpractices. The affidavit was filed in response to the apex court's May 29 direction asking the Union government to explain how future NEET examinations would be conducted and how regulatory authorities would build and retain institutional memory to improve examination processes over successive years. The government said that while the Ministry of Education oversees the National Testing Agency, NEET is conducted by the NTA on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the

SC asks RBI to frame uniform protocol for banks dealing with cyber fraud

The apex court also directed the Centre and states to strengthen measures against digital arrest scams and asked authorities to improve victim compensation and fund recovery

Justice delayed: India needs comprehensive justice system reforms

Raising the Supreme Court's strength is a welcome step, but filling vacancies and reforming lower courts remain key to tackling India's mounting judicial backlog

'No third-party insurance, no fuel': SC asks Centre to launch pilot project

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took serious note of a large number of vehicles plying without third-party insurance cover and directed the Centre to evolve a pilot project by which fuel for vehicles can be refused at petrol pumps until valid insurance is obtained. The top court took note of the number of road accidents on national highways and also the effect of long queues at toll plazas, and directed the Centre to implement pilot projects on certain corridors, substituting the process of stopping at toll plazas with automatic detection of vehicles passing through toll points. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra, which flagged the lack of compliance of provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act requiring all vehicles to have a valid insurance policy covering third parties, said it is shocking to learn that nearly 56 per cent of vehicles plying on Indian roads remain uninsured according to the Report of the Standing Committee on Finance ...

SC moots 20-point action plan for Rajasthan rivers, seeks lasting solution

Top court proposes a special task force, zero liquid discharge and stricter regulation to tackle industrial pollution in Rajasthan's Jojari, Luni and Bandi rivers.

SC issues directions to tackle digital fraud, asks RBI to circulate SOP

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Reserve Bank of India to prepare and circulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) for dealing with bank accounts linked to cyber frauds, including mule accounts. Issuing a slew of directions aimed at strengthening the response to cyber-enabled financial frauds, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed all states, Union Territories (UTs) and law enforcement agencies to ensure the expeditious adoption and operationalisation of the grievance redressal and money restoration modules developed for victims of such frauds. The bench was hearing a suo motu matter 'In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents'. The bench also directed the RBI to provide copies of the SOP to the Registrars General of all high courts. It also asked states and UTs to undertake appropriate public awareness measures to ensure that citizens are informed about these mechanisms. The Registrars General of al

6 Neet-UG candidates move SC over alleged discrepancies in OMR sheets

Six NEET-UG candidates approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday alleging discrepancies between the answers they had marked in their OMR sheets during the examination and the copies of those sheets made available by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The plea was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, seeking an early hearing before the commencement of the counselling process. The lawyer told a bench comprising Chief Justice Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that the case pertains to six students who secured more than 600 and 650 marks but claim that the OMR sheets uploaded by the NTA differ from the answers they had actually marked during the examination. He also told the court that the students had emailed the NTA and also visited its office, but received no response. The bench then agreed to list the matter for hearing. The NEET-UG 2026 exam, originally held on May 3, was cancelled following a paper leak and was re-conducted on June 21 by the NTA.

SC asks JioStar to approach Delhi HC in Trai tariff framework dispute

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked JioStar India Pvt Ltd to approach the Delhi High Court with its plea that it did not want to amend its pending petitions there challenging parts of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's regulatory framework on television channel pricing. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi to move the high court with its plea and disposed of the transfer petition filed by JioStar India Pvt Ltd. The broadcaster had moved the top court through law firm Karanjawala and Co. The bench was hearing two pleas concerning the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) regulatory regime, including tariff orders, maximum retail price (MRP) caps and discount structures governing cable and DTH distribution. Rohatgi, appearing for JioStar, argued that the TRAI's regulations and tariff orders were "intrinsically linked and interconnected" even though they stem from different sources of