Page 98 - Supreme Court

SC to hear plea seeking measures to curb air pollution in Delhi on Nov 18

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking enforcement of measures to curb air pollution in the national capital. Delhi woke up to toxic air conditions on Sunday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the "severe" category. The AQI stood at 429 at 9 am, according to the 'Sameer App', which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 417 at 4 pm on Saturday. As per the cause list of November 18 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the plea. On November 14, the top court had agreed to urgently list the plea after it was told that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world due to the rising pollution. The bench had agreed to list the matter after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who has been assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, requested for urgent hearing looking at the ..

CJI expresses concern over 'exodus of young talent' from legal practice

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has expressed concern over the "exodus of young talent" from litigation practice and said there is a need to ensure their financial and social security. Speaking at the "Felicitation Function" organised by the Bar Council of India, Khanna said there is a need to create a minimum remuneration standard for young advocates in the first few years of their career. "The exodus of young talent from litigation practice is not merely about personal choice rather it is symptomatic of the structural issues, such as meagre financial and social security in the profession, especially for the first-generation lawyers. "To attract the community of young lawyers dedicated to serving the public, we must work towards making the profession a more conducive space, address entry-level barriers and promote support," the CJI said. Khanna said a concerning trend is being witnessed where bright young legal minds are increasingly gravitating towards corporate law fi

Industrialist accused in Morbi bridge collapse honoured; victims' kin upset

Industrialist Jaysukh Patel, the main accused in the 2020 Gujarat suspension bridge collapse that claimed 135 lives, received criticism after he was felicitated at an event organised by the Patidar community in Morbi district. While the victims' kin expressed anguish over the event, the organisers said that Patel, currently out on bail, was honoured in his capacity as the son of late OR Patel, a philanthropist who founded the Ajanta Group. Patel was weighed in modak (sweet dumpling) on a scale at the function organised by Kadva Patidar Kanya Kelavani Mandal on the outskirts of Morbi town on Friday to mark the Pran Pratishtha' of the Uma Sanskardham temple. The modak will be packed in 60,000 boxes and distributed among Patidar families, the organisers said. It is a matter of sadness for us to see the main accused in the Morbi suspension bridge collapse being honoured like that, said Narendra Parmar, a member of the association representing victims and their families. A court recent

SC dismisses Vedanta's review petition to reopen copper plant in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu govt closed the plant after 13 people were killed during a protest against environmental and public health impact of the Sterlite Copper unit

Vi's Rs 25,000 cr debt-funding delay may threaten financial turnaround

Vodafone Idea owes Rs 70,320 crore in AGR-related dues, a liability that it is struggling to meet, especially after the Supreme Court's dismissal of its petition

BS Crunch: SC's landmark verdict on 'Bulldozer Justice' What did it say?

Big news from the Supreme Court! On November 13, the SC ruled that demolishing someone’s home, without due process, just because they’re accused of a crime is unconstitutional.

SC dismisses PIL seeking WhatsApp ban over non-compliance with govt rules

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking directions to the Centre to ban the operation and use of WhatsApp if it does not comply with the orders of the authorities in the country. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar said it was not inclined to entertain the plea filed by Kerala resident Omanakuttan KG, a software engineer. Omanakuttan in his plea contended that the messaging platform had refused to comply with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The PIL alleged that WhatsApp was violating the fundamental rights of the citizens guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and posing a potential threat to national interest and national security. "If the app was not willing to change its technology and did not cooperate with the government, it should not be allowed to operate in the country. The Centre had banned many websites and mobile apps for acting against the interest of the country," the

UP demolition drive's victims welcome SC verdict, look to seek compensation

A day after the Supreme Court verdict on bulldozer action, the victims of demolition drives across Uttar Pradesh have breathed a sigh of relief and said they would take legal recourse to seek compensation for their losses. The Uttar Pradesh government, which has been receiving flak from various quarters over its bulldozer action, has also hailed the apex court's verdict while clarifying that the demolitions were carried out after following due process and on properties constructed on encroached lands. Equating "bulldozer justice" with a lawless state of affairs where might is right, the Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down pan-India guidelines and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond. In Prayagraj, the house of Javed Mohammad, who runs a pump set business, was demolished with a bulldozer on June 12, 2022. Police justified the action, saying he had five cases registered against him and was the main .

'Wholly unconstitutional': SC rules on bulldozer justice by state govts

Issues guidelines such as giving a 15-day notice period to challenge demolition

UP govt says SC's verdict on demolitions to help reduce organised crime

The Uttar Pradesh government, which has been receiving flak from various quarters over "bulldozer action", Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court's verdict on the matter and said it will help curb organised crime and instil a fear of legal consequences among criminals. The opposition parties hoped that with this verdict, the "bulldozer terror" and "jungle raj" in the state would end. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court laid down pan-India guidelines over the demolition issue and said no property should be demolished without a prior show cause notice and the affected must be given 15 days to respond. It equated 'bulldozer justice' with a lawless state of affairs where might is right. Clarifying that the Uttar Pradesh government was not involved in the case, a state government spokesperson, in a statement, said the verdict was part of the case 'Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind vs. North Delhi Municipal Corporation and others'. Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict as a significant step forward, a

CJI nominates Justice Kant as chairperson of SC Legal Services Committee

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has nominated Justice Surya Kant as the new chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in a notification dated November 12, announced the appointment of Justice Surya Kant as head of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC). The post was previously held by Justice BR Gavai, who will now head NALSA, which is mandated to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of society. While the chief justice of India is the patron-in-chief of NALSA, the senior-most judge after him is its executive chair. The second senior-most judge heads the SCLSC, which provides legal services to litigants in the top court. Justice Surya Kant took charge as chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court on October 5, 2018. He was elevated as an apex court judge on May 24, 2019. The Supreme Court judge is due to retire on February 9, 2027.

Bulldozer justice is unconstitutional: Here are the top quotes by the SC

The judgement said that "even the accused or the convicts have certain rights and safeguards in the form of constitutional provisions and criminal law"

SC slams 'bulldozer justice': Warns executive against acting as judge

The Supreme Court asserts that executive actions cannot override the judiciary, emphasising that arbitrary bulldozer demolitions without trial violate legal rights and constitutional principles

Supreme Court to rule on 'bulldozer justice' today: what's been said so far

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict today on framing guidelines to prevent punitive 'bulldozer justice' demolitions. The court has raised concerns over extrajudicial actions by authorities

Trump names John Ratcliffe as CIA head, Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under his administration. He also picked former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as his ambassador to Israel. In a series of announcements on key positions, Trump also declared Congressman Mike Waltz his National Security Advisor who would serve in his Cabinet and asserted that his NSA pick is an expert on the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism. For the position of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Trump picked successful real estate investor and philanthropist Steven C Witkoff, giving him the mandate to restore peace in the region. He also declared his former White House cabinet secretary Bill McGinley as the White House Counsel in his second term beginning January 20 next year. Speaking highly of Ratcliffe, Trump said, "From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to ...

SC to pronounce verdict on pan-India guidelines on demolition of properties

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Wednesday on pleas seeking framing of guidelines on demolition of properties in the country. A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai had reserved the verdict on October 1. The top court had said it will lay down pan-India guidelines while making clear that any religious structure in the middle of a road, be it a 'dargah' or a temple, "has to go" because public interest is paramount. It had said merely because somebody is an accused or even a convict cannot be a ground for demolition of property. A batch of pleas alleged that properties, including of those accused of crime, were being demolished in several states. "Whatever we are laying down, we are a secular country. We are laying it down for all the citizens, for all the institutions, not for any particular community," the bench had said. The top court was hearing the petitions filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others seeking directions to various state governments to ensure

Supreme Court dismisses plea to turn off 'machine' controlling man's brain

The appellant alleged that a 'human brain reading machinery' had been obtained by certain individuals at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and was being used to control his brain

No oral mentioning for urgent hearing of cases will be allowed: CJI Khanna

CJI Sanjiv Khanna also stated that the reasons for urgency should be clearly stated in written communications, outlining a citizen-centric agenda for judicial reforms

SC extends interim protection from arrest to actor Siddique in 'rape' case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Malayalam film actor Siddique in an alleged rape case. A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma extended its interim order of September 30 in which it granted him interim protection from arrest in the case and directed him to cooperate in the investigation. The bench passed the order after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Siddique, said he had a bad throat and sought some time to argue the matter. At the outset, Rohatgi said the investigating agency is repeatedly asking the actor about his phone and laptop which he had in 2016 but does not have it now. He said Siddique has met the complainant only once and the probe agency is also seeking his passport and Aadhaar number. Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Kerala Police, said Siddique has been appearing before it but is not cooperating in the probe and giving evasive replies. On October 22, the top court ..

Supreme Court dismisses 1994 Sebi appeal against Ambani's Reliance entities

SC dismisses Sebi's appeal against Reliance Investment Holdings, Mukesh, and Anil Ambani over 1994 takeover norms breach, citing 'inordinate delay' in the regulator's actions