Page 88 - Supreme Court

Govt moves to tighten rules for transparency in GM crop panel decisions

To implement these measures, experts will need to submit written declarations outlining any "conflict of interest" when they join the committee

Places of Worship Act: SC to hear plea against 'Bhojshala' survey in MP

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear a plea against an order on the survey of a medieval-era "Bhojshala" in Madhya Pradesh which people from two communities stake claim to, apart from pleas against the 1991 places for worship law. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti said the issue appeared to be covered by the December 12 order of the apex court restraining courts in the country from entertaining fresh lawsuits and passing orders in disputed claims over religious structures. The bench directed the registry to seek instructions from Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and tagged the matter with the pending petitions. It left all contentions of the parties to be kept open during the hearing of the petitions. During a brief hearing, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for Hindu parties, said the issue of Bhojshala wouldn't be covered by the December 12 order as it was protected and maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. The bench said it was

'Farishtey' funds cleared: Delhi govt and L-G must settle disputes, says SC

Disputes between the Delhi government and the LG must be resolved once and for all, the Supreme Court said on Thursday after being informed funds for a scheme meant for road accident victims were released. The observation of the bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan came when the Delhi government said the funds for its "Farishtey Dilli Ke" scheme facilitating free medical treatment to road accident victims in city hospitals were cleared. The scheme encourages people to rescue and save lives of road accident victims. Under the scheme, the government foots hospital bills of such victims. The court was hearing the Delhi government's plea on making the scheme functional again by clearing pending bills, releasing payments to private hospitals and initiating disciplinary action against officials responsible for allegedly deliberately orchestrating its "de-operationalisation". Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for the Delhi government, informed the bench about th

Why can't Centre say it will consider grievances of farmers: SC asks Govt

The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab-Haryana since February 13, 2024

'No order to end Jagjit Dallewal's fast, only concerned about health': SC

The Supreme Court told the Punjab government that officials and certain farmer leaders are making irresponsible statements about the farmers' protests, which are complicating the situation

Will implement recommendations of panel on NEET-UG exam: Centre to SC

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would be implementing all the corrective measures suggested by its seven-member expert panel on exam reforms after reviewing the National Testing Agency's functioning in holding NEET-UG last year. The top court on August 2, last year refused to annul the controversy-ridden NEET-UG of 2024, saying there was no sufficient material on record at present to indicate a systemic leak or malpractice compromising the integrity of the examination. It had also expanded the remit of the seven-member expert panel, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and recommend exam reforms to make the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate), transparent and free from malpractices. On Thursday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, apprised a bench comprising justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra that the ..

SC to hear Owaisi's plea for implementation of 1991 places of worship law

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider a plea of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi seeking the implementation of the 1991 places of worship law, which asks to maintain the religious character of a place as it existed on August 15, 1947. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar ordered that Owaisi's fresh plea to be tagged with pending cases on the matter and said it will be taken up on February 17 with them. At the outset, lawyer Nizam Pasha, appearing for Owaisi, the president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), said that the court is seized of various pleas on the issue and the fresh one may be tagged with them as well. We will tag this, the CJI said. Owaisi filed the plea on December 17, 2024 through advocate Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi. On December 12, however, the bench headed by the CJI, while acting on a batch of similar pleas against the 1991 law, restrained all courts from entertaining fresh suits and passing any interim or final

Centre to address high mining taxes in upcoming consultations with states

The SC last year permitted states to impose additional taxes on mining activities, indicating that royalty collected by states under Sec 9 of the Mines and Minerals (Dev & Reg) Act, 1957 is not a tax

Farmers protest: SC defers hearing on shifting Dallewal to hospital

The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred its hearing till January 2 on compliance of its order by the Punjab government on shifting of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for past 35 days over various demands, to hospital. A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia listed the matter for further hearing on January 2 after Advocate General Gurminder Singh, appearing for the Punjab government, said that an application has been moved seeking three days more time for compliance of the court's December 20 order. Singh said that a team of negotiators are holdings talks with the protesting farmers at the protest site and efforts are being made to shift Dallewal to the nearby makeshift hospital on Punjab side of Khanauri border. The bench said it does not want to comment on the discussions with the protesting farmers and it only wants compliance of its earlier orders. It recorded the submissions of Singh and adjourned the hearing on the matter. Earlier

Year of judicial milestones: Landmark SC verdicts, policy shifts in 2024

From taking a strong stance against 'bulldozer justice' to overruling past judgment on legislative immunity for bribery, the top court set several precedents during the year to uphold the constitution

Citing constitutional violations, PIL in SC seeks abolition of TDS system

A PIL filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday sought to scrap the TDS system calling it "arbitrary and irrational" and violative of various fundamental rights, including equality. The PIL challenged the tax deducted at source or TDS framework under the Income Tax Act, which mandates the deduction of tax at the time of payment by the payer and its deposit with the income tax department. The deducted amount is adjusted against the payee's tax liability. The plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay through advocate Ashwani Dubey, made the Centre, ministry of law and justice, law commission, and NITI Aayog as parties. It sought a direction to "declare the TDS system manifestly arbitrary, irrational and against Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (right to practice profession) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution, hence void and inoperative". The plea further sought directions to the NITI Ayog to consider contentions raised in the plea and suggest necessary change

SC orders Telangana, BHEL to submit documents in Rs 35k cr irrigation scam

The probe comes in response to a PIL case accusing official and contractors or corruption in the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme

Why SC barred ED probe of 'lottery king' Santiago Martin's laptop, device

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating money laundering charges against Santiago Martin, who made headlines for being the largest political donor through electoral bonds between 2014-19

Mosque survey report almost complete, will be filed in Jan: Sambhal court

The survey report of the Shahi Jama Masjid is almost complete and will be submitted in the court in January, 2025, the court-appointed commissioner recently said. Advocate Ramesh Singh Raghav, who was appointed as the court commissioner in the matter, on December 23 said the report would be either filed on January 2 or January 3. "The survey report of Shahi Jama Masjid is almost in the final stage and complete. There are some technical issues, which will be adjusted today. As it is the last working day of the court after which it will close. As far as the survey report is concerned, it will be filed on January 2 or 3. There is a stay order of the Supreme Court to the trial court not to take any action till January 6 hence the survey report will be filed before this date," Raghav told media persons. On November 19, the court passed an ex-parte order for the mosque's survey by an advocate commissioner after taking note of the plea of the Hindu side claiming the mosque was built by ...

Congress files writ petition in SC against amendments to election rules

The Congress on Tuesday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process. The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who filed the petition, said, "The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding. Hopefully the Supreme Court will help restore it." "A writ has just been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961," he said in a post on X. Ramesh said the Election Commission, a Constitutional body charged with the conduct of free and fair elections cannot be allowed to unilaterally, and without public consultation, amend such a vital law in

Former SC judge V Ramasubramanian appointed new chairperson of NHRC

Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, the rights panel said on Monday. The post of NHRC chairperson had been lying vacant since Justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra completed his tenure on June 1. Mishra served as the eighth chairperson of the rights panel and was appointed to its top post in June 2021. On December 18, a high-powered committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting to select the next chairperson of the NHRC, sources earlier said. A former chief justice of India or a retired judge of the top court are appointed as NHRC chairperson by the president on the recommendation of the selection committee. Justice (retd) Ramasubramanian, a former judge of the apex court, has been appointed the chairperson of the NHRC, a senior official said, adding "the NHRC received the communication about the appointment today". Former CJIs H L Dattu and K G Balakrishnan are among those who have

Andhra govt sets panel for SCs sub-classification after top court's ruling

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday appointed retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra as the one-man commission to look into the sub-categorisation within Scheduled Castes (SC) in the state following the Supreme Court ruling in favour of it. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS (retired) as One Man Commission to enquire into the sub-classification within Scheduled Castes in the light of judgment of the Supreme Court dated August 1, 2024, said an official press release. The commission will visit the undivided districts of Eluru, Krishna and Guntur from December 27 to 30 to conduct meetings and receive representations from individuals or institutions familiar with the subject matter. Memoranda and representations can also be submitted in person or through registered post at the commission's office until January 9, 2025. In August, the top court had held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the scheduled .

India must protect integrity of constitutional institutions, says SC Judge

India must protect the integrity of its constitutional institutions from outside interference, including those that are politically motivated, said Justice P S Narasimha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, on Sunday. Justice Narasimha was delivering the Justice E S Ventakaramiah Centennial Memorial Lecture, organised by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru. Justice Venkataramiah served as the 19th Chief Justice of India. He previously served as a judge of the Karnataka High Court, as well as the Advocate General of Mysore. According to the Supreme Court Observer, he was a part of benches that pronounced 720 judgments. Of these, he authored 256 judgments during his term at the Supreme Court. In his lecture, Justice Narasimha said integrity of the institutions can be maintained only by putting in place safeguards in the appointment, decision making and removal process of individuals who helm these institutions. He also added that the topic of the memorial ...

Will SC conduct further inquiry, asks Surjewala after Pegasus verdict in US

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Sunday claimed that the Pegasus spyware case verdict in the US proved how 300 WhatsApp numbers of Indians were targeted and asked if the Supreme Court would now conduct a further inquiry in view of the judgment. Surjewala shared a media report which said that, for the first time, a court in the US had held Israel's NSO Group liable for its intrusive spyware Pegasus. "The Pegasus spyware case verdict proves how 300 WhatsApp numbers of Indians were targeted in the illegal spyware racket," Surjewala said in a post on X. He said it was time for the Narendra Modi government to answer who the 300 names targeted were. "Who are the two Union ministers? Who are the three opposition leaders? Who is the constitutional authority? Who are the journalists? Who are the business persons? What information was retrieved by the BJP government and agencies? How was it used - misused and to what consequence?" the Congress leader asked. He also questioned

SC asks HC, Maharashtra govt to ensure accused appear before trial courts

The Supreme Court has asked the Bombay High Court and the Maharashtra government to evolve a mechanism to ensure that accused are produced before trial judges either physically or virtually on every date so that the trial is not prolonged. The apex court, while dealing with an appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order denying bail to an accused, said a "sorry state of affairs" was being depicted as the trial proceedings in the case was being prolonged due to non-production of appellant before the trial judge either physically or virtually. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan was informed that this was not a solitary case but in many cases, such a difficulty arises. "We, therefore, direct the registrar general of the high court of judicature at Bombay, secretary, Home, state of Maharashtra and secretary, Law and Justice, state of Maharashtra to sit together and evolve a mechanism to ensure that the accused are produced before the trial judge either physically or ..