Government can withdraw appeals, but cannot alter its stand on Jal Mahal case: Supreme Court

The Supreme court’s judgment on the validity of land lease for Jal Mahal project in Jaipur has been reserved by a bench of Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and allowed the state to withdraw its appeals filed against the Rajasthan High Court order. It is however, made clear by the apex court that the stand of the state already taken in the high court and later...

Complete protection to bureaucrats conflicting to anti-graft law: Supreme Court

A five-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Justices R M Lodha, A K Patnaik, S J Mukhopadhaya, Dipak Misra and F M I Kalifulla questioned additional solicitor general L Nageshwar Rao, who was trying to defend the protection given to a small band of bureaucrats of joint secretary and above rank, and observed that the very object of the Prevention of Corruption Act was being hampered due to...

SC to hear plea of power distribution companies In Delhi against NTPC tomorrow

Reliance Group-owned BSES power distribution companies in Delhi has approached Supreme Court against National Thermal Power Corporation's notice threatening to cut off power supply for not paying the dues.NTPC had last week issued notices to BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna owned by Reliance group on the issue of payment security mechanism and non-payment of outstanding dues to the...

Supreme Court correcting itself? Supreme Court will re-hear the 2009 Death Appeal decided on the basis of a wrong precedent.

Finally Supreme Court of India has started its effort to rectify a grave error committed by some of its earlier benches in the interpretation of the doctrine of “rarest of rare”. A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Ibrahim Kalifulla admitted the petitions filed by Ankush Maruti Shinde and others, accepting the arguments of Senior Advocate Soli Sorabjee that the case –‘Ankush...

Appeal against National Green Tribunal orders can be heard by High Court

Enabling litigants hit by orders of the NGT to file appeals in the high court, a division bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice P Devadass, which explained an area arising out of a provision in the NGT Act, which says appeals against NGT orders can be filed only in the Supreme Court, held that high courts did have jurisdiction to entertain...

Delhi High Court seeks Aam Admi Party’s reply on allegations regarding foreign funding

Delhi High Court sought responses from Aam Admi Party and its founding members, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on allegations regarding foreign funding.Court was considering a writ petition pleading for registration of a criminal case on the ground that the newly formed party allegedly received foreign funding in violation of various laws.A bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog...

Supreme Court set aside contempt proceedings against ONGC chairman and managing director, advises high court to exercise contempt powers with care and thoughtfulness [Read Judgment]

A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh while setting aside the contempt proceedings initiated by the Madras High Court on January 19, 2012 against ONGC chairman and managing director Sudhir Vasudeva for not obeying with its order for creating excessive posts of a marine assistant radio operator, stated that under the...

Misconducting judges

 Recently, country witnessed the most unimaginable act of bravado from a sitting judge of a High Court. Recommendation for appointment of 12 judges by the collegium in the Madras High Court was questioned by Advocates and their Writ Petition was being heard by a Bench comprising of Justices V Dhanapalan and K Sasidharan. Justice Karnan, sitting judge of the same court, a man not unknown...

SC reserves its verdict on the plea of death row convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

Supreme Court today has reserved its verdict on the plea of death row convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case seeking commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment.A three-judge bench headed by Chief justice P Sathasivam reserved the order after hearing the arguments of counsel appearing for the convicts and Attorney General G E Vahanvati who represented the central government.In...

HL Dattu’s name likely to come up as CJI nominee for Lokpal selection panel

According to reports, Supreme Court Judge HL Dattu’s name is probably going to be one of the names for the members of the PM-led panel to choose the chairperson and other members for the Lokpal. On December 17, 2008, Dattu, was elevated to the apex court, and he is the third senior most judge after the CJI and Justice R M Lodha.CJI P Sathasivam has reportedly nominated Justice Dattu’s...

Residents, civic body asked by Supreme Court to resolve Campa Cola flats issue

Four week time has been given by the Supreme Court to the Campa Cola Residents Association and the civic body in Mumbai to look for a solution to the conflict over certain illegal and unauthorized flats, which face demolition in view of its earlier order.A Supreme Court bench of Justices S J Mukhopadhya and Kurian Joseph made these remarks when Senior Advocate MukulRohatgi, appearing for...

Allahabad High Court gets 12 new judges

The Allahabad High Court yesterday witnessed the swearing-in of twelve new judges. Chief Justice Dhananjay Yeshwant Deshmukh administered the oath of office of the judges inside the Chief Justice's court. With the appointment of the twelve judges to the High Court, the total number of judges went up to 90 as against the approved strength of 160.Among the newly sworn-in judges are two...