Category: LEGAL NEWS

Special designated courts in all districts of 18 states should be set up for speedy trial of criminal cases involving sitting and former lawmakers, the Supreme Court was informed Thursday.Senior advocate and amicus curiae Vijay Hansaria told the top court that high courts in Bihar and Kerala have issued directions for setting up special designated courts in each of their districts as directed by it on December 4. He said special courts, which were directed to be established by the Patna High Court and Kerala High Court, may be directed…

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The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a petition seeking directions for the immediate execution of the four men convicted in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case of 2012.“What kind of prayer you are making?” a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Depeak Gupta said. “You are making the court a joke,” it added.The 23-year-old paramedic student was raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in South Delhi by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. She died on December…

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The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre whether a man suffering from a rare skin disorder can be allowed to use solar control film on his vehicle as a “special consideration”. “Can’t you give him a special consideration,” a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan asked the Centre, which has sought dismissal of the man’s plea on the ground that he had raised the issue in the Supreme Court which had declined to grant the relief. The government, represented by advocate Farman Ali Magray, has also…

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Citing the fundamental right to privacy, the Goa government has opposed a plea seeking the High Court’s direction to the state administration to declare the health status of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.In an affidavit filed before Justice R M Borde of the Goa bench of the high court Friday, state Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma questioned the maintainability of the petition filed by activist Trajano D’Mello a month ago.”Like any other person who may not occupy public office has a right to not disclose his health problems to the public. If…

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The Supreme Court Friday declined urgent hearing on a fresh plea of the Kerala government challenging the high court decision to set up a panel to oversee pilgrimage at Sabarimala, which has witnessed protests after women of all age groups were allowed entry into the temple.The Kerala High Court, on November 28, ordered setting up of a three member committee, comprising retired judges P R Raman, S Sirijagan and senior IPS officer A Hemachandran, and gave them the power to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims.A…

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The Centre Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the fight between two top officers of the CBI — Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana — in public exposed the premier probe agency to ridicule.Attorney General K K Venugopal told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that the fight between the two officers impacted the image of the CBI.The Centre’s main aim was to see that confidence of the public in this premier institution is restored, he said.”Dispute between CBI Director and Special Director was pulling down…

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Just days after retiring, former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph has dropped a bombshell claiming ex-Chief Justice Dipak Misra was “remote-controlled by an external source”, an explosive accusation that, he said, impacted the administration of justice.Justice(retd) Joseph was among the four senior judges of the apex court who staged an open revolt against justice Misra by convening an unprecedented press conference on January 12 to flag their concerns about preferential allocation of sensitive cases to judges low down on the top court’s hierarchy. Justices J Chelameswar, who has since retired,…

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The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to submit the details of the action taken by it against the illegal private constructions along the beaches in Alibaug in Raigad district within two weeksThe directions of the court, hearing a petition filed by an activist, came after the government submitted that it had failed to demolish most of such structures due to pending litigation.Several private parties have constructed residential bungalows, farmhouses and multi-storeyed houses in the said area, according to the petition.Fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, who is wanted in…

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 The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to Yoga guru Ramdev on a plea by a publisher challenging the Delhi High Court’s verdict restraining sale and publication of a book purportedly on his life.The high court had passed the restraining order after Ramdev claimed that the book had defamatory content.The apex court listed the matter for further hearing in first week of February next year.”We will issue notice to Respondent 1 (Ramdev),” a bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.The publisher, Juggernaut Books Private Limited, approached the apex…

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The Supreme Court Wednesday directed the CBI to conduct probe into the allegations of physical and sexual abuse of inmates in 16 shelter homes in Bihar which were flagged in a report of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The report had highlighted rampant sexual and physical abuse of inmates in several shelter homes in the state. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S A Nazeer and Deepak Gupta transferred the investigation being conducted by Bihar Police to CBI and dismissed the state government’s fervent request not to do…

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