Page 8 - Supreme Court

SC asks states, UTs to prepare action plan to implement guidelines for ICU

The Supreme Court has asked all the states and Union Territories to prepare a "realistic and practical" action plan to implement the guidelines necessary as a minimum standard for intensive care units. The apex court was informed that "Guidelines for Organisation and Delivery of Intensive Care Services", on which there is consensus and which is practical, implementable and necessary as a minimum standard for an ICU, has been prepared. A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan said copies of the guidelines should be shared with all the states and UTs. "Moving further, as an immediate measure, let all the additional chief secretaries/secretaries ... heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs, convene a meeting of all experts involved in this exercise to prepare an action plan for implementation of the guidelines. Such a plan shall be realistic and practical," the bench said in its April 20 order. The top court was hearing a matter

Former judges are reservoir of wisdom that can guide system: CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday said the judiciary and its allied institutions enjoy deep public trust and it is their responsibility to preserve and strengthen this faith. Addressing a programme organised by the Association of Retired Judges (Rajasthan Chapter) here, he likened former judges to 'baoris' (stepwells), describing them as a reservoir of wisdom that can guide the system during challenging times. "Just as stepwells store water during the rains and serve people in times of scarcity, retired judges are a valuable resource for us. In situations of difficulty -- be it in Lok Adalats, arbitration or advisory roles -- we look up to these experienced judges for guidance on what is right and what is not," he said. Justice Surya Kant laid emphasis on the need for greater awareness and proactive functioning within the judiciary and related bodies, including the National Legal Services Authority and state legal services authorities. He said that former judges

Supreme Court upholds CCI's power to close cases without hearing informant

Supreme Court affirms CCI's authority to close cases at the initial stage without notifying or hearing informants under Section 26(2) of the Competition Act

No court can force minor to carry pregnancy against her will, says SC

Observing that no court can force a woman, especially a minor, to carry a pregnancy against her will, the Supreme Court on Friday allowed a 15-year old girl to medically terminate her over seven-month pregnancy. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the choice of the pregnant woman is relevant rather than that of the child to be born and stressed that continuation of such a pregnancy could have long lasting repercussions on the minor's mental health, educational prospects, social standing and overall development. The top court remarked that the reproductive autonomy of a woman must be accorded the highest importance and if a woman, carrying an unwanted pregnancy, is compelled to continue it then her constitutional rights would be breached. "The right to make decisions concerning one's body particularly in matters of reproduction is an integral facet of personal liberty and privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. The right cannot be rendered ineffective by ..

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleges 'politicisation' of SC proceedings

ED tells Supreme Court it is not suggesting constitutional breakdown in West Bengal, as Mamata Banerjee raises concerns over politicisation of proceedings during elections

Gatekeeping professions: Fit-and-proper tests must be principled and fair

The fit-and-proper test is neither novel nor uniquely Indian

SC says LOC not confidential, seeks SOP from CBI on issuance norms

Supreme Court questioned lack of transparency in Look-Out Circulars and asked the CBI to frame a standard operating procedure to ensure due process and safeguards

SBI moves SC seeking review of spectrum ruling, cites IBC misread

SBI seeks Supreme Court review of spectrum ruling, warning it may undermine lender rights and disrupt financing across telecom and other regulated sectors

Will Constitution not rescue believer barred from touching deity: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the chief priest of the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple if the Constitution will not come to the rescue of a believer who is not allowed to touch the deity. The remark by the top court came after the chief priest said that when a devotee goes to a temple for worship, it can't be in antagonism to the characteristics of a deity. The nine-judge Constitution bench is hearing petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, and on the ambit and scope of the religious freedom practised by multiple faiths. The bench comprises Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan, and Joymalya Bagchi. Appearing for the 'thantri', senior advocate V Giri submitted that the nature of ceremonies and rituals followed in any temple forms the integral part of the religion and therefore is a religious

IBC clock stalls: Supreme Court flags NCLT's nearly two-year lag

Top court raises concerns over prolonged pendency of resolution plan approvals, asks NCLT and IBBI to furnish nationwide data on delays and backlog

SC seeks same-day report from Calcutta HC CJ on Bengal SIR tribunals

Top court flags issues in functioning of appellate tribunals on voter roll revisions in West Bengal, seeks immediate report and urges expedited hearing in exclusion case

SC dismisses Umar Khalid review plea in Delhi riots case, denies bail again

The Supreme Court has dismissed activist Umar Khalid's plea seeking a review of a verdict denying him bail, while observing that there are reasonable grounds to believe the allegations levelled against him in connection with a conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria also rejected the plea seeking an oral hearing of the review petition. "Having gone through the review petition and also the documents enclosed, we do not find any good ground and reason to review the judgment dated January 5, 2026. Accordingly, the review petition is dismissed," the bench said in its April 16 order. According to the Supreme Court's rules, review petitions are considered by judges who delivered a judgment or passed an order in chambers to remedy an apparent error or a resultant grave injustice that was a consequence of a decision of the apex court. Parties seeking a review can request judges for an open-court hearing to rectify the grave injustice caused

West Bengal SIR: SC seeks report on functioning of appellate tribunals

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would call for a report from the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court today itself after it was alleged that the appellate tribunals constituted for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal were "not functioning". Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi. "This is the West Bengal SIR matter.Your lordships have listed the matter for April 24. The appellate tribunals are not functioning. Lawyers are not being allowed. They are only taking internet and computer-based applications," Kamat said. The CJI expressed displeasure that almost everyday, the matters related to SIR in West Bengal were being mentioned before it. Kamat, however, argued that orders passed by the apex court in the matter were not being followed. "We will get a report from the chief justice (of the high court) today itself," the CJI observed. Assembly elections in West Bengal will be

SC issues pan-India road safety directions, flags risks on expressways

Observing that expressways must not become corridors of peril due to administrative lethargy or infrastructural gaps, the Supreme Court has issued a slew of pan-India guidelines for enhancing road safety, including a ban on parking of heavy vehicles on such roads. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar pointed out that national highways constitute two percent of India's total road length but account for nearly 30 percent of all road fatalities. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar issued directions to the Ministry of Road and Transport, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and States and Union Territories to make roads safer, observing that the loss of even a single life to avoidable hazards like illegal parking or blackspots etc., represents a failure of the State's protective umbrella. "The loss of even a single life to avoidable hazards like illegal parking or blackspots etc., represents a failure of the State's protective umbrella. The 'Right t

Tiger Global ruling: Despite Gaar relief, investors seek more clarity

Tax uncertainty persists after Supreme Court's Tiger Global ruling despite GAAR relief, with concerns over treaty benefits, TRC validity and indirect transfer taxation

SC lays down measures to curb illegal mining in Chambal sanctuary

Top court orders CCTV monitoring, GPS tracking and strict enforcement steps, warning of mining ban and paramilitary deployment if states fail to curb illegal extraction

Judges must rise above personal faith in religious matters: SC Bench

Top court says adjudication in religious matters must be guided by constitutional principles, not personal beliefs, during Sabarimala-related hearings

SC denies relief to Cong leader Pawan Khera, asks him to move Assam court

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking protection against possible coercive action till April 20 in a case lodged against him for levelling allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife. The top court asked Khera to move a court of competent jurisdiction in Assam for anticipatory bail in the case. At a press conference on April 5, Khera alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, had multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in Sarma's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state. The CM and his wife rejected the allegations as false and fabricated. A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar on Friday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, and asked the Assam court that will hear the Congress leader's plea to not consider adverse remarks, if any, made by the top court and the Telangan

Illegal mining has created environmental crisis in Chambal sanctuary: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project. Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer. It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers. "It can't be gainsaid that th

SC plea seeks to declare forced religious conversion as 'terrorist act'

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday in the aftermath of allegations of religious conversion and sexual harassment at a multinational company (MNC) in Nashik seeking directions to control deceitful religious conversion. It was filed in the backdrop of charges of sexual harassment and allegations of forced religious conversion levelled by eight female employees at TCS' office in Nashik. The petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that deceitful religious conversion is not only a serious threat to sovereignty, secularism, democracy and liberty but also a menace to fraternity, dignity, unity and national integration. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, has sought directions to the Centre and the state governments to take stringent steps to control religious conversion. "The organised religious conversion in Nasik has shaken the conscience of citizens throughout the country. Therefore, petitioner is filing this application for direction seek