Page 7 - Supreme Court

Mob burning police station doesn't justify UAPA: SC on Haldwani violence

Supreme Court questioned whether setting a police station on fire during the 2024 Haldwani violence was sufficient to invoke the anti-terror law, and refused to cancel the accused's bail

SC upholds NCLAT order setting aside ₹301 cr penalty on Grasim Industries

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an NCLAT order that set aside a Rs 301.6 crore penalty imposed on Grasim Industries by the Competition Commission of India and directed the fair trade regulator to hear the Aditya Birla Group firm again over its alleged dominance in the viscose staple fibre market. A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran dismissed the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) appeal challenging the May 5 NCLAT order. The tribunal had observed that the CCI did not provide a chance to Grasim Industries to present its arguments after it differed from the findings of the Director General (DG), the regulator's probe unit. The CCI had imposed the penalty on Grasim Industries in March 2020 for allegedly abusing its dominant position with respect to the supply of viscose staple fibre (VSF) to spinners in India. Grasim challenged the order before the NCLAT, which is also an appellate authority over the CCI, which asked the regulator to hear the matter

SC asks Centre to appoint nodal officer for Russia-Ukraine war victims' kin

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to appoint a nodal officer in the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate with the families of those who have died, gone missing, or suffered injuries while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed the MEA to facilitate DNA matching of family members with the mortal remains. It asked the MEA to assist affected families in filing compensation claims before the Russian Embassy here and to provide all relevant information and updates in vernacular languages. The bench also directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and state legal services to extend assistance to the families in securing the mortal remains of their relatives and pursuing compensation claims. The directions came while hearing a petition filed by family members of those who allegedly died or went missing after being recruited to fight in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine

RTI activists move SC against blanket ban on sharing court hearing clips

Applicants argue the July 24 order is overly broad and call for targeted action against manipulated content instead of blanket restrictions on official recordings

Pellet guns can't be banned while rules permit their use: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said pellet guns cannot be banned while existing rules permit their use in exceptional cases, but allegations of misuse can be examined individually

SC draws firmer line on environmental compliance and approvals

The latest judgment can be seen as seeking a balancing act between a May 2025 judgment of a two-judge Bench and its recall in November

Supreme Court pulls up UP, GDA over 19-year delay in Ansal housing project

Top court directs Uttar Pradesh government and GDA to decide pending approvals within two weeks, saying nearly 1,600 homebuyers have waited 19 years

Rahul Gandhi bats for SC-monitored panel to probe action against students

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said students deserve justice and asserted that an independent Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee must be constituted to probe the "brutalities" against them. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also shared on X a video clip of police lathi-charging students. "Students deserve justice. An independent SC-monitored high powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students," Gandhi said on X, referring to the crackdown on agitators by security forces during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led protest march to Parliament and on student demonstrators in other parts of the country. Gandhi also on Wednesday demanded the sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into what he claimed was a "brutal attack" on protesting students and the use of pellet guns on them. The former Congress president alleged that by ordering the "brutalities" on students, Shah was culpable and

SC asks Centre to preserve RAF ammunition log used in Neet protest case

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of RAF deployed at Jantar Mantar during students' protest against NEET paper leak. The top court questioned one of the prayers sought in a plea filed by former Central Information Commissioner and retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad and two victims seeking a complete ban on use of metallic pellet guns to deal with law and order situations. It referred to the advisory of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and said police are empowered to use pellet guns in exceptional situations. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to those who suffered pellet injuries during the NEET paper leak protest here. The bench, however, said it was ready to examine the use of pellet guns in the July 20 protests called by Cockroach Janta Par

SC closes case against ex-PM Manmohan Singh in coal block allocation case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday closed a criminal case against former prime minister Manmohan Singh in a coal block allocation case while setting aside a summoning order passed against him. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana accepted the CBI's closure report giving a clean chit to the former PM and others. The top court said there was no reason for the trial court judge to turn down closure reports of CBI and take cognisance. "Due to unfortunate demise of the appellant, this appeal could be disposed of as infructuous. But with a view to consider the aspect of ld. spl. judge taking cognisance and summoning the appellant, we have gone through both closure reports filed by CBI. "Having regard to the relevant parameters consistently laid down by this court on acceptance of reports of investigating agency, we are satisfied that there was no reason for ld. judge to turn down closure reports of CBI and take cognisance. We allow the appeal

Supreme Court bars executive route for post-facto environmental clearances

Top court quashes the 2021 office memorandum but upholds the 2017 notification, saying any future relaxation must come only through a statutory notification

SC grants bail to two UAPA accused after 12 yrs, cites Article 21 violation

Top court says prolonged incarceration without any realistic prospect of an early trial conclusion violates the fundamental right to personal liberty

IBC moratorium shields only corporate debtor, not promoters, directors: SC

Top court says insolvency moratorium cannot be used by promoters, directors or guarantors to stall consumer and other legal proceedings against them

SC quashes 2021 OM granting Centre, others power to grant retrospective ECs

The Supreme Court quashed the 2021 Office Memorandum allowing retrospective environmental clearances, while protecting projects that had already secured such approvals

CJP warns of fresh protest; says SC interim order undermine govt assurances

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday warned of launching a fresh nationwide agitation if the government failed to honour its commitment to withdraw FIRs against protesters and prevent any punitive action, alleging that the Supreme Court's recent interim order could be used to target students. In a statement, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said Direction No 4 in the apex court's interim order in a batch of PILs related to the CJP protest, which permits governments to proceed with existing FIRs and investigations, was contrary to the assurances given by the Centre during talks that led to the end of the 36-day agitation. "This direction stands in direct contradiction to the solemn assurance and guarantee extended by the Government of India to the youth of this nation on July 25, namely, that the FIRs would be withdrawn and that no protester would be directly or indirectly targeted for participating in the peaceful movement," Das said. He said the CJP had withdrawn its ...

Explained: The legal framework governing takedown of online posts in India

Experts say online posts cannot be removed merely for criticising the government, with takedown powers limited by constitutional safeguards and statutory provisions

SC bars coercive action against student protesters, mulls independent probe

The apex court barred coercive action against protesters without criminal antecedents, ordered the release of detained minors and sought responses from states

SC suggests 'digital arrest' to be separate offence under criminal law

The apex court says the Centre should consider a standalone law on 'digital arrest', with stringent penalties and provisions to freeze accused persons' assets

Neet protests: SC signals SIT probe into police action against students

SC says a fair probe is needed into allegations of police excesses and attacks on 250 police personnel; orders interim relief, including release of detained students below 18 with no criminal record

SC seeks govt's response to Sibal's plea on anti-defection law merger rule

Kapil Sibal argues the prevailing interpretation of the Tenth Schedule allows legislators to alter electoral mandates by avoiding disqualification through the merger route