Page 67 - Supreme Court

'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

Election rules row: SC gives EC 3 weeks to reply to Jairam Ramesh plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted three more weeks to the Election Commission to respond to the pleas of Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and others against the recent amendments to the 1961 election rules. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had issued a notice to the Centre and the poll panel on January 15 on Ramesh's plea and sought a response. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the poll panel, sought three more weeks to file the reply. The bench allowed Singh's prayer and set the July 21 week for hearing. Aside from Ramesh, two similar PILs filed by Shyam Lal Pal and activist Anjali Bhardwaj are pending. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi represented Ramesh. The petitioners have said the amendments to the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules were made "very cleverly" and barred any access to CCTV footage claiming it would reveal the identity of the voter. Singhvi previously said voting choices were never rev

Waqf Act in Supreme Court: What are the three key concerns of the bench?

The bench did not issue any formal order but suggested that certain provisions might be put on hold

SC orders development of swift response protocols for accident victims

Observing that road accidents are on the rise, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed States and Union Territories to develop swift response protocols so that victims get help immediately. A bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to convene meetings of departments concerned of States and UTs to implement working hours of drivers. "Road accidents in our country are on the rise. The reasons may be different. There are cases where victims of road accidents do not get immediate help. There are cases where the victims may not be injured but they get trapped in vehicles. "We are of the view that the state governments and UTs must work on having swift response protocols as in every state at grassroots level," the bench said. The top court granted six months to states and UTs to develop swift response protocols. The order came on an application filed by advocate Kishan Chand Jain, who urged that a protocol should be in place

Couples marrying against parents' wishes can't claim police protection: HC

The Allahabad High Court has observed that couples who marry of their own will against the wishes of their parents cannot claim police protection as a matter of right unless there is a real threat perception to their life and liberty. The court gave the ruling while deciding an application filed by a couple seeking protection. It said the court can provide security to a couple in a deserving case but in the absence of any threat perception, such a couple must "learn to support each other and face the society". Justice Saurabh Srivastava made this observation while hearing a writ petition filed by Shreya Kesarwani and her husband seeking police protection and a direction for the private respondents not to interfere in their peaceful marital life. The court after going through the averments made in their petition, disposed of their writ petition, noting that there was no serious threat perception to the petitioners. Disposing of the writ petition, the court observed, "There is no ..

Waqf hearing: When we sit on bench, we lose our religion, says CJI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took strong note of an analogy drawn by the Centre in support of the inclusion of non-Muslims in waqf boards and the argument that by that logic, a bench of Hindu judges should not be hearing pleas related to waqf. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan was questioning the provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 that allow for the nomination of non-Muslim members to the Central Waqf Council and state waqf boards. "Are you suggesting that minorities, including Muslims, should also be included in boards managing Hindu religious institutions? Please state that openly," the CJI said. Representing the Centre in the matter, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the provisions, emphasising that the inclusion of non-Muslim members is limited and does not affect the predominantly Muslim composition of these bodies. The law officer also said objections to non-Muslim participation coul

Let's befriend every language: SC rejects plea to remove Urdu sign board

The plea had challenged the Bombay High Court's decision, which also ruled that the use of Urdu is not prohibited under any law in India

Finalised cases can't be reopened or justice system will face chaos: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said finality of a litigation is a core facet of a sound judicial system and a case that has concluded cannot be reopened, otherwise there will be "chaos in the administration of justice". A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed a writ petition filed by former employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation Limited, seeking pensionary benefits despite the issue having attained finality in a separate round of litigation in 2016. "It is crystal clear that the present writ petition is thoroughly misconceived and is liable to be dismissed. However, before parting with the record, we would like to emphasize and reiterate the principle of finality of an adjudication process. Finality of a lis is a core facet of a sound judicial system. Litigation which had concluded or had reached finality cannot be reopened," the bench said. It added that a litigant aggrieved by a decision rendered by this court in a

Dharavi: Review of survey documents of 70,000 tenements set to kick start

The survey is being conducted to determine the eligibility of the residents and businesses of Dharavi for rehabilitation, considering the redevelopment of the area

SC says no to making rules on cryptocurrencies: 'Can't lay down the law'

The petitioners wanted the court to tell the central government to create rules for cryptocurrencies since there is no law to control them right now

Waqf Amendment Act: How Article 26 emerged as a key legal flashpoint in SC

Article 26 of the Constitution took centre stage as the Supreme Court began hearing petitions challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, with Kapil Sibal leading arguments in court

SC slams TS govt for tree felling in Kancha Gachibowli, halts deforestation

The court contended that the state government should have obtained prior permission if it intended to carry out any construction on the land

Waqf Act hearing highlights: No interim order as of now, hearing to continue tomorrow

Waqf Amendment Act 2025 Supreme Court hearing highlights: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 was passed in both houses of Parliament after amendments proposed by Opposition members were rejected

SC flags issue with undoing 'waqf by user'; says old mosques lack deeds

Supreme Court begins hearing on Waqf Act pleas, says undoing 'waqf by user' problematic as many old masjids have no sale deeds; asks Centre to clarify removal of key provision

Justice BR Gavai to take oath as 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14

Justice Gavai is currently the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court after CJI Khanna. He will serve as the 52nd Chief Justice of India until his retirement on November 23, 2025

SC to hear pleas on CEC, ECs' appointment under 2023 law on May 14

The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed May 14 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (EC) under the 2023 law. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan fixed the date after advocate Prashant Bhushan urged the bench to accord urgent hearing in the matter. Bhushan, appearing for a petitioner NGO challenging the appointment process, said the issue was covered by the Constitution bench verdict of 2023. Justice Kant told Bhushan that the court will take up the matter on May 14 by cancelling a special bench matter on the said date. Bhushan said though the matter is listed in the business of the day of the bench, they are urging the court to take it on top of the board. Justice Kant said the bench will be taking several part-heard matters involving land acquisition on Wednesday. On March 19, the top court had fixed April 16 for hearing a batch of pleas challenging the appointment of

Supreme Court backs use of Urdu on Maharashtra Municipal Council signboard

Emphasising the cultural significance of Urdu, the top court remarked that the language, despite being born in India, had wrongly come to be associated with a particular religion

Waqf Amendment Act in SC today: 73 petitions filed, 7 states defend law

The Supreme Court will hear 73 petitions today challenging the Waqf Amendment Act, as seven states defend its constitutionality and petitioners raise concerns over religious autonomy

Six BJP-ruled states back Waqf law in SC, cite support for 2025 amendment

In a significant development, six BJP-ruled states including Madhya Pradesh and Assam have approached the Supreme Court to support the constitutionality of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan is likely to hear at 2 pm a batch of petitions, including the one of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, against the constitutional validity of the new Waqf law. The six BJP-ruled states -- Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Assam -- have filed separate pleas highlighting the potential administrative and legal ramifications if the Waqf (Amendment) Act is struck down or altered. Haryana, which has filed the intervention in the lead petition, emphasised the urgent need for reform in the management of Waqf property. The state government pointed to persistent issues such as incomplete property surveys, lack of proper accounting, long-pending cases in Waqf tribunals and ...

SC upholds NCLT order to begin insolvency against ex-DHFL promoters

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna dismissed the Wadhawans' appeal against the NCLT order