Page 6 - Supreme Court

SC split verdict on validity of Section 17A of Prevention of Corruption Act

The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict on the constitutional validity of a 2018 provision of the anti-graft law which mandates prior sanction before initiating a probe against a government servant in a corruption case. While Justice BV Nagarathna said Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act is unconstitutional and needs to be struck down, Justice KV Viswanathan held the provision as constitutional while stressing on the need to protect honest officers. Requirement of prior sanction is contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Act, forecloses inquiry and protects corrupt, Justice Nagarathna said. Justice Viswanathan said striking down section 17A will be akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water and the cure will be worse than the disease. The case will now be placed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for forming a larger bench to hear the matter again for a final decision. Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, introduced in Ju

Amalgamation shares taxable if they yield real, immediate gains: SC

The court clarified that such substitution is not a tax-neutral event merely because it occurs by operation of law

SC issues notice to Centre on plea to grant RMP status to AYUSH doctors

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sought a response from the ministries while issuing notices

SC asks EC to respond to TMC MPs' pleas on Bengal voter roll revision

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Election Commission on fresh interim pleas of Trinamool Congress MPs alleging arbitrariness and procedural irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of applications filed by lawmakers Derek O Brien and Dola Sen in their pending petitions challenging the procedural actions taken in the ongoing SIR in the state. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Derek O Brien, said the EC's instructions on the SIR are being issued through social media platforms like WhatsApp and made booth-level officers (BLOs) act without any formal orders. Sibal also said the poll panel has introduced a 'logical discrepancy' category of voters, who may be issued notice for a quasi-judicial hearing on their eligibility over errors or anomalies in the voter details. The counsel representing the poll panel sought two weeks to f

Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan's maker moves SC against Madras HC order

The producer of the Tamil film Jana Nayagan, starring actor Vijay, approached the Supreme Court on Monday, challenging an interim order of the Madras High Court that stayed a single-judge direction to grant the CBFC clearance to the movie. On January 9, the Madras High Court stayed a single judge's order directing the CBFC to immediately grant a censor certificate to Jana Nayagan, leaving the fate of actor-turned-politician Vijay's film, which has drawn attention for its political overtones, in limbo. KVN Productions LLP filed an appeal against the order passed by a division bench of the high court last Friday, which put on hold the single bench's directive to the board to issue the film's certificate forthwith. Vijay recently launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Jana Nayagan, which is widely publicised as Vijay's final film before his full-fledged entry into politics, was slated for a Pongal release on January 9. However, the film ran into last-minute ...

300 stray dogs killed in Telangana, police register case against 9

The villagers said the stray dog population had become a nuisance, especially during the sarpanch election period

I-Pac raids row: ED moves SC against interference, Bengal govt files caveat

The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe and search operation at the I-PAC office and premises of its director Pratik Jain in connection with the coal pilferage scam. The West Bengal government has also filed a caveat in the top court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against political consultancy firm I-PAC. A caveat is filed by a litigant in high courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard. The ED has also alleged that the chief minister entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices from the premises of I-PAC and obstructed and interfered with the investigation in the case. The probe agency further claimed in its plea that the chief minister

Rabies vaccine sales hit 5-year high in 2025 amid rise in dog bite cases

According to data from market research firm Pharmarack, the combined number of ARV and immunoglobulin vaccines sold in 2025 reached 8,510,000 units - the highest in five years

SC flags delay in criminal justice, pulls up 23-year-long trial stay

HCs told to dispose of matters where criminal proceedings for grave offences frozen because of interim relief

Lot of videos of dogs attacking elderly, kids: SC to animal rights group

The Supreme Court said that it does not want the proceedings to become a contest between animal cruelty claims and stray dog attacks

Higher ethical standards apply to lawyers contesting bar polls: SC

The standards of ethical values are higher for lawyers, the Supreme Court on Friday said while refusing to allow a plea of a Telangana lawyer who has been barred from contesting the upcoming state bar council elections on account of pending criminal complaints. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi prima facie observed that the he is not the person who should be allowed to contest the (Telangana State Bar Council) elections. The top court was hearing a plea of Rapolu Bhaskar, a prominent Telangana High Court advocate, assailing provisions of disqualification of an advocate in state Bar Council. Referring to the provisions, a lawyer, representing Bhaskar, said he was neither convicted nor punished in any matter. The standard of ethical values are higher for lawyers, the CJI said, adding lawyers often approach courts when any tainted person is contesting general elections. Referring to the recent poor public perception about ba

Only Supreme Court can rein in ED: Kapil Sibal after raids on I-PAC

A day after the ED conducted searches at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday said federalism is at ED's mercy and asserted that only the Supreme Court can rein in the probe agency. Sibal's remarks came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action in West Bengal ignited high drama, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unexpectedly storming into the sites during raids, alleging that the central agency was trying to seize the TMC's sensitive data ahead of the high-stakes state polls. The ED, which maintained that the searches were part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam, accused Banerjee of obstructing a lawful investigation and claimed that she and the state police forcibly removed "key evidence" during the raids. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Only Supreme Court can rein in ED. Every opposition state, every significant opposition leade

Asian stocks slip, dollar firms ahead of US jobs data and ruling on tariffs

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.3 per cent in early trading, just below the record high it hit earlier in the week

Datanomics: Low rate of conviction under UAPA, but rise in arrests

UAPA sees thousands of arrests but few convictions, with nearly 90% of cases pending, raising concerns over prolonged detention and due process

Supreme Court bars tax on industrial machinery not meant for public roads

In its judgment, the court held that taxation under this entry cannot be extended to specialised equipment whose design and primary function are confined to industrial premises

Enforcement, not rule-making, is the real financial sector reform

In the financial sector, replacing existing regulations with new ones often adds costs without improving outcome

Arbitration begins with notice, not court filing, says Supreme Court

Emphasising the settled position of law, the court observed that the start of arbitral proceedings is a statutory event and does not depend on the initiation of any court process

'Umar Khalid not my guru, never spoke to him at JNU': Sharjeel Imam

The hearing comes days after Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid were denied bail by the Supreme Court in the 2020 Delhi riots case

'Dogs attack when they sense fear': SC raises alarm over stray dog attacks

The Supreme Court flagged rising stray dog attacks, saying dogs can sense fear and attack, adding that even pet dogs may behave the same and asked authorities to act on safety

SC defers hearing to Jan 13 on pleas challenging EC's SIR of voter list

The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred to January 13 the final hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission's decision to undertake the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in several states, including Bihar. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which had fixed the pleas for hearing during the day, said it will resume the proceedings on Tuesday. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the poll panel, was to resume advancing his arguments in the case. On January 6, the Election Commission had told the bench that it has the power and competence to undertake Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, besides there is a constitutional duty to ensure that no foreigners are registered as voters. The pleas challenge the EC's decision to undertake the SIR exercise in several states, including Bihar, have raised significant constitutional questions on the scope of the poll panel's powers, citizenship and the right to vote.