Page 8 - Supreme Court

Registering property does not prove ownership, verify title before purchase

Lawful possession and an unbroken, valid chain of documents are other pre-requisites before registering a property, else ownership may not be guaranteed

'Even masks not enough': SC asks lawyers to go virtual amid Delhi pollution

The Supreme Court called Delhi's air pollution 'very serious', urging lawyers to attend hearings virtually and warning that the toxic air could cause permanent health damage

High time to revisit the Electric Vehicles policy of 2020: SC to Centre

The apex court was hearing a PIL, which was initially filed in 2019 by Centre for Public Interest Litigation, Common Cause, and SitaRam Jindal Foundation

SC tells High Courts to disclose judgment delay and reasons publicly

The petitioners had complained that the Jharkhand High Court had kept their criminal appeals pending for years after reserving verdicts, with no indication of when a decision would be delivered

Pilot not being blamed in AAIB's report for AI plane crash: Centre to SC

The Air India pilot has not been blamed in the AAIB's preliminary report into the June 12 plane crash that claimed 260 lives, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) probe team into the plane crash was formed under the international regime and there is a statutory provision for it. Justice Bagchi said, The AAIB inquiry is not for apportion blame on anyone. It is only to clarify the cause so that the same does not happen again. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an NGO, said that a parallel inquiry should be done like a court of inquiry into the accident of such a major scale. He said that a pilot federation has stated that these airplanes cannot be trusted and there is a huge risk on people flying in their aircraft. Justice Kant said these proceedings should not become a fight between one airline versus another airline, and

SC rejects TN's plea against construction of Mekedatu reservoir project

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea by the Tamil Nadu government against construction of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project across the Cauvery river by Karnataka, terming it "premature" . A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justices K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria said the plan would be approved only after considering the objections of the State as well as the opinion of the expert bodies, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). "At this stage, what is being done by the order passed by the CWC is only permitting the preparation of the DPR, that too after taking into consideration the objections of the State of Tamil Nadu, the experts of the CWMA and CWRC. "It is further to be noted that the CWC had further directed that the prior approval of the CWMA and CWRC would be a prerequisite for the consideration of the DPR. In that view of the matter, we find the present application is at a prematur

SC adjourns hearing on plea against award of Dharavi redevelopment project

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned to first week of December the hearing on a plea by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation challenging the Maharashtra government's decision to award Mumbai's Dharavi redevelopment project to Adani Properties Pvt Ltd. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Vipul Pancholi noted the CJI will not be able to complete hearing in the matter as he is due to retire on November 23 . "Our hands are full, how many judgments will I write ? CJI Gavai observed orally. On March 7, the top court had refused to halt the project and sought responses from the Maharashtra government and Adani Properties Pvt Ltd on a petition challenging a December 20, 2024 verdict of the Bombay High Court. The high court had cleared the decks for redevelopment of the slums in Dharavi and upheld the tender awarded to the Adani Group for the project, ruling there was no "arbitrariness, unreasonableness or perversity" in the ...

SC bans mining within 1 km radius of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries

The Supreme Court on Thursday banned mining activities within an area of one km from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, noting that such activities will be hazardous to the wildlife . A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was considering pleas on issues related to the notification of areas under Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary (SWL) and the Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve (SCR) as a conservation reserve in Jharkhand. "It has been the consistent view of this court that mining activities within one km of the protected area will be hazardous to the wildlife. Though in the case of Goa Foundation, the said directions were issued with respect to the State of Goa, we find that such directions need to be issued on a pan-India basis. "We direct that mining within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and within an area of one km from boundary of such national park or wildlife sanctuary shall not be permissible," the bench said. The top court al

Govt issues framework to settle compensation for cancelled coal mines

The Ministry of Coal has finalised a valuation process for firms whose coal blocks were cancelled in 2014, marking a key step in resolving compensation claims for 62 mines across seven states

SC seeks report from Punjab, Haryana on stubble burning, air pollution

The Supreme Court has asked Punjab and Haryana to detail steps taken to curb stubble burning as Delhi's air quality worsens, with the court set to hear the matter again on Monday

Sale of immovable property outside scope of service tax: Supreme Court

The revenue department had contested a 2019 order of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), which had quashed a tax demand exceeding Rs 10 crore

Vodafone Idea expects long-term AGR resolution after Supreme Court ruling

Vodafone Idea CEO Abhijit Kishore said the telco is in talks with the DoT for next steps after the Supreme Court allowed reassessment of AGR dues up to FY17, paving the way for clarity on liabilities

Stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana worsening Delhi-NCR AQI: Supreme Court

Stubble burning has commenced in a big way with impunity in Punjab and Haryana leading to further worsening of air quality levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court was told on Tuesday. A bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai, which is scheduled to hear the air pollution case on Wednesday, was urged by senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who is assisting the bench as an amicus curiae, that a response be sought from the governments of Punjab and Haryana. Singh referred to NASA satellite images to buttress her point that stubble burning in these two states has commenced and it is contributing to already severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. "The apex court orders are being flouted with impunity," she said, adding that these states should respond to the present situation. "We will pass some orders on Wednesday," the CJI said. Earlier on November 3, the top court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to file an affidavit detailing the steps it has taken so far to ..

SC seeks EC reply on pleas challenging SIR in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

The Supreme Court asked high courts in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Bihar to pause hearings on voter list pleas till it decides the matter; next hearing is on November 26

Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging pan-Indian SIR on Tuesday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to commence hearing pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to conduct pan-India Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls on Tuesday. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which is scheduled to commence hearing pleas challenging the poll panel's decision on the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, said any fresh matter needs to be mentioned for listing before Chief Justice of India B R Gavai. "We are only seized of Bihar SIR matters and any fresh petition with regard to other states needs to be mentioned for listing before the Chief Justice of India. "We don't know whether other matters will also be allocated to us. It all depends on the CJI," the bench told the counsel appearing for the West Bengal unit of Congress seeking urgent listing of a plea filed by the party. The West Bengal Congress and leaders of other political parties in the state have moved the apex court challenging the Election Commission

SC notice to Centre on plea to implement women's reservation in Parliament

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan asked the government to respond to the PIL seeking the implementation of the women's reservation law

Phalodi accident case: SC seeks response from NHAI, Road Transport ministry

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in a suo motu case in connection with an accident in Rajasthan's Phalodi area that claimed 15 lives. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi issued notice to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the ministry, seeking their replies in two weeks on the cause of the accident. It also asked them to conduct a survey of the area and file a report on the number of dhabas on the highway passing through Phalodi. The bench also sought a specific report on the condition of the highway and the norms followed by the road contractor for road maintenance in Phalodi. The top court recently took suo motu cognisance of the November 2 road accident in Phalodi, in which 10 women and four children died when a tempo traveller rammed into a stationary trailer truck. The incident occurred near Matoda village on the Bharat Mala Highway when

SC to hear plea for contempt proceedings against T'gana speaker on Nov 17

The Supreme Court will on November 17 hear a petition seeking contempt proceedings against the Telangana speaker for allegedly not complying with its direction to decide disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs who defected to the ruling Congress. On July 31, a top court bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai directed the assembly speaker to decide in three months the matter of the disqualification of the 10 Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLAs. On Monday, a lawyer mentioned the contempt petition for urgent hearing, saying the speaker had not acted within the three-month deadline. List it next Monday, CJI Gavai said. Expressing concern over the delay, the counsel said the respondents were dragging the proceedings till the end of the month for obvious reasons, an apparent reference to CJI Gavai's retirement on November 23. The Supreme Court will not close after the 24th of November, the CJI said. The counsel representing the petitioners also submitted that no proceedings had been conduc

Animal lovers protest against SC's order to relocate stray dogs in Delhi

For the second consecutive day, animal lovers held a protest outside the Jhandewalan Mandir in the national capital on Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of the Supreme Court order directing authorities to shift stray dogs from public areas to designated shelters. The Supreme Court, citing a rise in dog-bite cases in institutional zones such as schools, hospitals and railway stations, has instructed civic bodies and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to relocate stray dogs and cattle from these spaces and along highways. Dozens of protesters carrying placards and banners assembled peacefully near the temple, expressing concern over the welfare of street dogs. Animal caregiver Ritika Sharma, who participated in the demonstration, said that the decision was "deeply unfair" and ignored ground realities. "There aren't enough proper shelters or trained staff to care for so many animals. Moving them from their familiar places will only increase their suffering. They need ...

Justice not privilege of few but right of every citizen, says CJI Gavai

Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said on Saturday, while emphasising that it is the duty of judges and lawyers to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society. Addressing the inaugural function of a national conference on strengthening legal aid delivery mechanisms at the Supreme Court premises, Gavai said the true reward of the legal services movement does not lie in statistics or annual reports, but in the quiet gratitude and renewed faith of citizens who once felt invisible. "Justice is not a privilege of the few but a right of every citizen, and that our role, as judges, lawyers, and officers of the court, is to ensure that the light of justice reaches even the last person standing at the margins of society," Gavai said. The CJI noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence reaffirms the shared responsibility of the legislature, the executive, and the ...