Environment Ministry Lifts ESA Restrictions For 3,115 Sq Kms Of Land In Western Ghats Of Kerala [Read Order]

The order issued by Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change(MoEFCC) on December 3 has effectively exempted 3,155 square kilometers of area from the restrictions applicable to Ecologically Sensitive Areas(ESA).This has been done by accepting the draft ESA notifications, whereby the Ministry adopted the area of 9993.7 sq.kms of ESA worked out by the Kerala Govt on the basis...

Uttarakhand Bans “Kedarnath” Citing Law & Order Situation After HC Leaves It To State’s “High Level Committee” [Read Order]

The Uttarakhand High Court, on Thursday, refused to order deletion of certain scenes from the movie “Kedarnath”, leaving it for the state authorities to take a decision in the matter.The petition was dismissed after a bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice RC Khulbe was informed by Advocate General SN Babulkar that the Uttarakhand government has formed a...

Arnab Goswami Directed To Appear In Shashi Tharoor's Criminal Defamation Case On Feb 28

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thiruvananthapuram, has issued summons to Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, directing him to appear in court on February 28,2019 in the criminal defamation case filed by Dr.Shashi Tharoor.Dr. Tharoor,the MP of Thiruvananthapuram, had filed the case in June 2017 alleging that Goswami had made defamatory statements against him in a program in Republic...

Advocates ID Card Issued By Bar Councils Valid Identity Proof For Domestic Air Travel, Clarifies CISF [Read Letter]

Now, identity cards issued by Bar Councils to advocates can be used as a valid identity proof for domestic travel through airports in India. This has been clarified by the Central Industrial Security Force in response to a query by Advocate Mohit Kumar Gupta.The letter sent by Additional Director General of Airport Sector, CISF to Gupta on December 5 states "instruction has been issued to...

No Gender Based Restrictions Can Be Imposed For Trekking To Agastyarkoodam Peak : Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Kerala has declared that no gender-based restrictions can be imposed in the annual trek permitted by Forest Department to Agastyaroodam peak in Thiruvananthapuram district."In case permission is being granted for trekking in the year 2019, it is made clear that restrictions shall not be imposed only on the ground of the gender of the trekker", observed Justice Anu...

Sabarimala Violence: 'Unfortunate That Persons Holding High Posts Resort To Unconstitutional Means',Says Kerala HC While Granting Bail To BJP Leader Surendran

The High Court of Kerala granted conditional bail to BJP leader K Surendran, who is accused of hatching the criminal conspiracy which allegedly led to attack on a woman at Sabarimala on November 6.While granting conditional bail, Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan observed that there was prima facie material "which clearly points to the involvement of the applicant(Surendran)". "It is unfortunate...

Delhi Court Allows Ram Jethmalani & BJP’s Joint Application To End Rs. 50 Lakh Suit Against His Expulsion

A Delhi Court on Friday allowed a joint application filed by Rajya Sabha MP and Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), to end the suit filed by the former against his expulsion from the party.The case pertains to Mr. Jethmalani’s expulsion from the party in May, 2013 for “breach of discipline”, after he openly criticized the party leadership. The suit had...

Attempt To Take Possession Of Property Which Isn’t Secured Asset Can Be Called In Question In Civil Court: Kerala HC [Read Order]

‘Attempting to take possession of a property which is not a secured asset under the guise of the SARFAESI Act is certainly a fraudulent action which can be called in question in a civil court.’The High Court of Kerala has held that jurisdiction of the civil court is not barred if the plea is that the plaint schedule property is not the secured asset in respect of which a security interest...

Ram Jethmalani & BJP File Joint Application To End Rs. 50 Lakh Suit Against His Expulsion

Rajya Sabha MP and Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), on Thursday, filed a joint application to end the suit filed by the former against his expulsion from the party.The application was filed before the court of additional district court Judge Sumit Dass, Patiala House, New Delhi. The court is expected to consider it and pass its order on Friday.The case pertains...

NCLT Chennai Stresses Need To Set Norms For Evaluation Of Resolution Plans By Committee Of Creditors [Read Order]

Chennai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has called for "Standard Operating Procedures" for managing the affairs of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)."…the Head offices of the members of the CoCs are directed to work out a "Standard Operating Procedure" for being followed by the member of the CoCs for determining the suitability...

Wastage Of Food, Water In Marriages In Delhi Under Supreme Court Radar

There is huge wastage of food and water at wedding functions in Delhi even as an "unconfirmed report" has stated that three girls recently starved to death here and people continue to face water shortage, the Supreme Court said Thursday seeking to know the government's plan to deal with the issue.Commercial interest of owners of motels and farmhouses, where marriage ceremonies take place,...

Petition In Bombay HC Seeks 7-Judge Bench Hearing, SIT Probe Into Judge Loya’s Death

A petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court seeking constitution of a seven-judge bench to hear the case and appointment of a Special Investigation Team of three IPS officers from non-BJP ruled states to investigate the death of Judge BH Loya.Sanjay Bhalerao has filed the petition through his advocate Nitin Satpute. Bhalerao had previously filed a petition regarding the violence...