Page 6 - Supreme Court

Supreme Court asks Sebi to close case against Sandesaras or face action

The Supreme Court told market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday to close proceedings against Sterling Biotech Limited (SBL) and its promoters, Chetan and Nitin Sandesara, or else it will be compelled to take a serious view of the matter. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar told the SEBI's counsel that its order of November last year was very clear that all proceedings against the Sandesara brothers will be quashed if they deposit Rs 5,100 crore in the apex court registry. "We have said all proceedings, including that of SEBI, need to be quashed upon deposit of the money. If you are doing it, then it is alright, or we will be compelled to pass a detailed order on the issue," the bench told the counsel. The SEBI's counsel said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is deliberating with the market regulator and sought a week's time to apprise the court of the developments. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing in the court for the Sandesa

SC expresses concern over intimidation of judicial officers in West Bengal

Supreme Court orders central forces and probe after judicial officers were allegedly confined during electoral roll revision in West Bengal, raising concerns over rule of law

SC cancels bail of Satinder Singh Bhasin in Grand Venice Mall 'scam' case

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the bail granted to businessman Satinder Singh Bhasin in connection with a multi-crore rupee alleged Grand Venice Mall scam in Greater Noida. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and N K Singh directed Bhasin to surrender before the jail authorities within a week. "The petitioner has not complied with the conditions of bail imposed upon him vide order dated November 6, 2019. Resultantly, the bail granted to the petitioner is cancelled. The petitioner to surrender within one week from the date of this judgment," the bench said. The top court directed that Bhasin may apply for regular bail afresh after a period of twelve months, subject to fully complying with the orders passed in the insolvency proceedings. Insolvency proceedings were invoked against Bhasin's companies under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. "It is directed that the passport of the petitioner is not to be released by the Trial Court without the leave of this Court

SC slams Bengal govt over gherao of judicial officials, calls it calculated

The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious note of seven judicial officials engaged in SIR exercise being taken "hostage" in West Bengal's Malda district, terming it deplorable and seeking responses from the state home secretary, DGP and other officials for their "inaction". A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi permitted the Election Commission to seek either CBI or NIA probe into the unfortunate incident. It said the incident appears to be a "calculated" and "motivated move to demoralise judicial officers" and to stop the ongoing electoral process. Observing that the law and order machinery in the state has "broken down", the CJI came down hard on state officials for their delayed action in the issue. Seven judicial officials, including three women, were taken hostage by the anti-social elements at Malda district, the CJI said, adding that he himself had to monitor the situation till late night on Wednesday. The top court referred

SC to hear Anil Ambani's plea against 'fraud' tag by banks next week

Supreme Court to hear Anil Ambani's plea against fraud classification by banks over alleged ₹31,580 crore irregularities linked to ADAG entities

SC dismisses plea seeking details on Air India plane crash investigation

What is your "deep-rooted agenda", an irate Supreme Court asked a petitioner on Wednesday while dismissing his plea related to the preliminary investigation report on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last June. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also refused to accept the petitioner's contention that authorities be directed to treat his plea as a representation. The petitioner had challenged a February 25 order of the Delhi High Court that rejected a PIL seeking that information on the "complete sequence of events" leading to the crash be included in the preliminary investigation report. "What is your deep-rooted agenda? As if we don't understand the motive. The people who lost their lives, their family members are not filing (petitions) but you are filing," an anguished CJI told the counsel appearing for the petitioner. On June 12 last year, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed

Vedanta tells SC its revised bid for bankrupt JAL tops Adani Group's offer

In a petition contesting the lenders' choice to approve Adani's bid, Vedanta argued that its updated proposal offered nearly ₹3,400 crore more in overall value

Bengal govt to clear DA arrears for 2016-19 in single instalment by Mar 31

The West Bengal government will pay the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears to serving employees, pensioners and family pensioners in a single instalment instead of the two tranches announced earlier, an official said on Saturday. The decision follows a Supreme Court order in February directing the state government to clear the DA arrears, after which the administration had announced that payments would begin in March. In a partial modification of its March 13 order, the state government has now decided to release the entire arrears for the period from January 2016 to December 2019 by March 31, the official said.

SC issues contempt notice to ASI chief over heritage sites of Delhi

Taking strong exception to the deliberate violation of its order, the Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice to the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India for failure to submit a response on the conservation status of 173 notified heritage sites in the national capital. A bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh directed the Director General of ASI to be personally present before it on the next date of hearing. "The court takes strong exception to the deliberate violation of the order of this court. Accordingly, notice is issued to the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India to showcause as to why the court may not initiate proceedings for contempt against him. He shall be personally present before the court on the next date of listing along with his show-cause," the bench said. The top court noted that the Department of Archaeology, Delhi government, has identified 19 monuments and inspected them, and with regard to the majority of

Supreme Court upholds state's right to withdraw power duty exemptions

Supreme Court overturns Bombay High Court rulings granting electricity duty relief to industries, affirming State's authority to modify fiscal exemptions

NHAI can't deny recompense citing financial burden: Supreme Court

Supreme Court refuses to limit 2019 Tarsem Singh ruling, saying constitutional guarantee of just compensation cannot be diluted due to financial burden

SC bins plea against MHA circular on Vande Mataram, terms it 'vague'

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea against a home ministry circular on singing of national song Vande Mataram at official events, saying that a directive was not mandatory. A bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi termed the plea filed by one Muhammed Sayeed Noori as "premature" and based on "vague apprehension of discrimination". Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for Noori, said they respect every religion in the country, but if people are compelled to sing the song irrespective of their religion and faith, some may find it a compulsion to participate in the "social demonstration of loyalty". Justice Bagchi asked if the circular specified any penal consequences for not singing the national song or if any person had been removed from the congregation for not singing it. "Penalty is there in case of disruption," Hegde said, "While there may be no legal sanction, there is always a huge burden for ..

SC grants pension to women SSC officers of armed forces: Details here

The court's one-time relief ensures long-term financial security for officers who were denied permanent commission

Compensation, interest can't hinge on financial burden in land cases: SC

Stating that the constitutional guarantee of just compensation cannot be diluted, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said solatium and interest in a land acquisition matter cannot be contingent on the magnitude of the financial burden. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan made the observation while disposing of the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) plea seeking review of the apex court's February 4, 2025 verdict -- that the 2019 decision of the top court allowing grant of compensation and interest to farmers whose land was acquired under the NHAI Act would apply retrospectively. The bench said interest payable to the landowners will be according to the land Acquisition Act, which is nine per cent, and not the NHAI Act, which has a five per cent cap. The court said NHAI sought a review the decision on the grounds that financial liability from solatium and interest to those whose land was acquired by NHAI was not Rs 100 crore as was claimed but around Rs

Committee of Creditors not beyond judicial oversight, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said CoC's commercial decisions are not immune from scrutiny where illegality or jurisdictional lapses are established

SC flags systemic bias in armed forces, grants relief to women officers

The Supreme Court found systemic bias in denial of Permanent Commission to women officers and granted pensionary relief and safeguards across Army, Navy and Air Force

Harish Rana, first Indian to be allowed passive euthanasia, dies in AIIMS

Harish Rana, the first person in India to be allowed passive euthanasia, passed away on Tuesday at AIIMS-Delhi after more than 13 years in coma, sources said. The 31-year-old, who has been in a coma since 2013, was shifted from his Ghaziabad home to the palliative care unit at Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on March 14. Three days before that, the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment on March 11 allowed passive euthanasia for Harish, who was a BTech student at the Panjab University who fell from a fourth-floor balcony in 2013 and suffered severe head injuries. He had been in a coma since, with artificial nutrition support and occasional oxygen support. His nutritional support was gradually withdrawn after he was admitted to hospital. The apex court had directed AIIMS-Delhi to ensure that life support is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained. A specialised medical team headed by Dr Seema Mishra,

SC grants pension benefits to women SSC officers denied permanent commission

The Supreme Court ruled that women SSC officers denied Permanent Commission in the Armed Forces were victims of systemic discrimination and are now entitled to full pension and related benefits

Women SSC officers in armed forces entitled to full pension benefits: SC

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who were denied Permanent Commission due to arbitrary assessment, are entitled to full pensionary benefits. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh held that the officers would be "deemed" to have completed the minimum qualifying service of 20 years required for a pension, even if they were released from service earlier. The judgment came on a batch of petitions, including those filed by Wing Commander Sucheta Edan and others, challenging the denial of Permanent Commission (PC) based on policy changes in 2019 and previous Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) rulings. Reading the operative parts of the judgment, the CJI said the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) for women officers were often graded "casually" under the assumption that they would not be eligible for career progression or PC. "The A

Only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists eligible for SC status: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said that Scheduled Caste status is limited to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and is lost upon conversion to religions not listed under the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950