Page 66 - Supreme Court

We are alleged of encroaching upon parliamentary, executive functions: SC

"As it is, we are alleged of encroaching upon the parliamentary and executive functions," Supreme Court's Justice B R Gavai said on Monday in an apparent reference to recent attacks on the judiciary while hearing a matter over West Bengal violence. Justice Gavai, who was heading a bench also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, made a similar observation in another matter. While one matter was over the recent violence in West Bengal during anti-Waqf law protests, the other plea sought a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to prohibit streaming of sexually explicit and pornographic content on OTT and social media platforms. While hearing the plea over online content, Justice Gavai said, "Who can control it? It is for the Union to frame a regulation in that regard." "As it is, we are now criticised that we are interfering with the executive's function, the legislative functions," Justice Gavai told advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain who was appearing in the matter. Aft

SC says probe against Allahbadia over, to hear passport plea on Apr 28

The Supreme Court on Monday observed the probe in relation to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia was complete and said it would on April 28 hear his plea for the return of his passport in a case of distasteful remarks in a YouTube show. On February 18, the top court protected Allahbadia from arrest in multiple FIRs filed over his comments during a YouTube show and directed him to deposit his passport with the investigating officer of Police Station Nodal Cyber Police, Thane. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would consider Allahbadia's plea on April 28. During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam and Maharashtra police, said in the Guwahati FIR, the statement of one co-accused would be recorded whereas investigation was complete in relation to the FIR in Mumbai but a chargesheet was yet to be filed. The bench recorded Mehta's statement and observed the investigation qua Allahbadia was complete. The top court on March 3 allowed Allahb

Waqf Act row: SC allows party to withdraw plea for probe into WB violence

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the petitioner to withdraw a plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the violence in West Bengal over the newly-amended Waqf (Amendment) Act. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Koiswar Singh allowed the petitioner in-person advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha to withdraw the petition while granting him the liberty to file a fresh plea. The top court pulled up Jha over the averments made in his writ petition saying they were without any proper verification aside from the necessary parties. "You seem to be in some kind of hurry," the bench said. Jha was observed to have relied on media reports and the court asked him to do a proper verification of his claims in the plea and file a fresh one. The Calcutta High Court recently ordered the deployment of central forces in violence-hit Murshidabad district. Several people were killed and hundreds rendered homeless in communal violence in parts of Murshidabad district, mainly Suti, Samserganj, Dhulian and

Child trafficking situation seems to have gone from bad to worse, says SC

While asking Delhi Police to take steps to arrest an accused behind a children trafficking racket in the capital, the Supreme Court on Monday said the "situation seems to have gone from bad to worse". A bench comprising justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan made the observations while interacting with a Delhi police inspector entrusted with the probe in a case over trafficking of several newborns in Dwarka area. "The situation seems to have gone from bad to worse," Justice Pardiwala said and directed the police station concerned to take all necessary steps to arrest gang leader Puja and three missing infants. Taking a dim view of the alleged involvement of parents in trafficking of infants, the bench said "You never know where these children will land up. In the case of a girl child, you know where she lands." The judge added, "Unfortunately, the parents of the infants seem to have sold off their own children." The bench posted case after four weeks and asked the police officer t

SC directs ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar to appear before Police on May 2

The Supreme Court on Monday directed former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, to appear before Delhi Police on May 2. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma also said no coercive steps will be taken against Khedkar till May 21, the next date of hearing. The top court noted that no concrete investigation into the matter had taken place and directed Delhi Police to conclude the probe expeditiously. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, submitted that Khedkar's custodial interrogation was required. The apex court, however, granted her interim protection. Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting information in her application for the 2022 UPSC civil services examination for availing reservation benefits. She has refuted all the allegations against her. While dismissing her anticipatory bail plea, the

A stickler for court discipline: Meet next CJI Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai

Well versed in constitutional and administrative law, Gavai is set to become the first Scheduled Caste CJI after KG Balakrishnan

Nishikant Dubey's remark sparks contempt debate: Can MPs be prosecuted?

Several opposition leaders are demanding contempt proceedings against Nishikant Dubey, saying his remarks have undermined the judiciary. But can a sitting MP be charged under the Act?

BJP disassociates from Dubey's SC criticism, says party respects courts

The BJP on Saturday disassociated itself with the sharp criticism of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna by its MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma, with party president J P Nadda rejecting the comments as their personal views. "The BJP has nothing to do with the comments of MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the chief justice. This is their personal comments, but the BJP neither agrees with them nor does it ever support such remarks. The BJP absolutely rejects them," Nadda said in a post on X. He said the BJP has always respected the judiciary and has accepted its suggestions and orders gladly because it believes as a party all the courts, including the apex court, are an inseparable part of our democracy. Nadda also said that he has directed both the leaders and others to not make such comments. Fourth-term BJP MP Dubey, one of the more vocal party members in the Lok Sabha, launched a broadside against the Supreme Court earlier, ..

How can you give direction to appointing authority? BJP leader slams SC

Earlier today, in a post on X in Hindi, Nishikant Dubey criticised the Supreme Court, stating, - If the Supreme Court makes the law, then the Parliament House should be closed down

SC to hear plea on Apr 23 for uniform compensation to hate crime victims

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on April 23 a plea seeking uniformity in granting compensation to the victims of hate crime and mob lynching. The apex court had in April 2023 sought responses from the Centre, states and Union Territories (UTs) on the petition filed by 'Indian Muslim for Progress and Reforms' (IMPAR). It had asked the Centre, states and UTs to apprise the court of the steps taken for formulating a scheme for providing relief to the families of victims of mob lynching, as directed by the top court in the 2018 verdict in Tehseen Poonawala case. According to the cause list of April 23 uploaded on the top court's website, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the matter. During the hearing before the top court in April 2023, the petitioner's counsel had said some states had framed schemes pursuant to the 2018 verdict but there was no uniformity, while many states still did not have any such scheme. The plea said the petitione

SC stays Nashik Dargah demolition, seeks HC report on plea non-listing

The Supreme Court has stayed in the interim the demolition notice of the Nashik civic body for razing the Hazrat Saatpeer Sayed Baba dargah and sought a report from the Bombay high court on non-listing of the shrine's plea. According to the sources, the structure was razed by civic body personnel hours before the court hearing. The civic body's action against the dargah at Kathe Galli in Nashik was reportedly carried out during the intervening night of April 15 and 16. The hearing in apex court took place on April 16 noon. A bench of Justices P S Narasimah and Joymala Bagchi had then noted the petition was filed before the high court on April 7 but not taken up for hearing. "In the meanwhile, there shall be a stay of notice dated April 1, 2025 issued by the respondent number 1 -Nashik Municipal Corporation as prayed for," the bench ordered and posted the matter on April 21. The court's "extraordinary measure" came after senior advocate Navin Pahwa, who was representing the dargah

SC rejects plea for CBI probe into death of Kerala's ADM Naveen Babu

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court order, which had declined to order a CBI investigation into his death

SC asks Centre, states to create swift response plan for road victims

The court went on to direct the NHAI to file an affidavit listing the steps to be taken in this regard within six months from today. The States, UTs shall be guided by the protocol forwarded by NHAI

Opposition welcomes Supreme Court's interim stay on key Waqf Act provisions

Opposition parties also welcomed the SC's interim order that waqf properties, including "waqf by user", will not be denotified until May 5

VP Dhankhar criticises SC deadline, questions FIR delay against judge

Vice-President objects to SC deadline for Presidential action under Article 201 and questions judicial delay in judge cash haul case

UK court defines 'woman' as biological; JK Rowling, others applaud

UK court rules 'woman' means biological female under law; JK Rowling, Martina Navratilova, and others hail decision amid fierce debate over trans rights

Courts must flag cash deals of ₹2 lakh or more to tax dept, says SC

Experts say that the judgment means anyone who has accepted such a cash payment will now think twice before filing a case in court

SC to examine plea for secular succession law over Shariat for Muslims

The court acknowledged petition filed by Naushad K K, a resident of Thrissur district in Kerala, who expressed his desire to be governed by the succession law rather than Shariat

Supreme Court bars Waqf Council appointments as Centre seeks time to reply

The Supreme Court bars Centre from making appointments to Waqf Council and boards after government seeks a week's time to file preliminary reply in the ongoing matter; next hearing on May 5

'Students should not suffer': SC allows 'untainted' Bengal teachers to stay

SC has allowed untainted West Bengal teachers to continue teaching until a new recruitment process is completed, but excludes non-teaching staff and imposes strict timeline for new hiring