"Petitioner Made A Totally Misleading Statement Before This Court", SC Imposes 10 Lakh Fine On IT Department [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Monday imposed a fine of Rs. 10 Lakh on the Income Tax Department for its casual approach towards a matter.The order was passed by a Bench comprising Justice MB Lokur, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta on a petition filed by the Commissioner of Income Tax (CIT), Ghaziabad, against a judgment passed by the Allahabad High Court in August 2016.At the outset,...

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Dr. Singhvi Objects The “Illusory Classification” Between Male And Female Circumcision

On Tuesday, Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi objected to the “illusory classification” between Male and Female Circumcision (MC and FC), which he argued to be of the same genus and specie and only variants of each other, and advanced that the PIL seeking a ban on the practice of FC is in the teeth of Article 14.The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice D....

SC To Order Sample Re-Verification Of At Least 10% Of The Names Included In The Final Draft NRC [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will consider the necessity of ordering sample re-verification of at least 10 percent of the names included in the final draft NRC if required.The bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman observed so after perusing the district-wise data of the percentage of the population who have been excluded from the final draft NRC.  During...

Plea Against Change Of Bench : SC Requests NGT Chairman To Allocate The Case To The Same Bench For Rehearing

In a unique order, the Supreme Court has requested National Green Tribunal(NGT) Chairman to allocate a case to the same bench which earlier heard and reserved judgement on it.The order was passed in an appeal filed by an NGO, 'Citizens for Doon' and few other local residents, who alleged unfairness and lack of propriety on the part of NGT in dealing with the original application filed by...

Law Ministry Formally Asks CJI Misra To Recommend Next Chief Justice Of India

Who will be the next CJI? The Central Government has reportedly sought the answer to this question from the Chief Justice Of India by a formal letter sent to him.The hidden question obviously is whether there will be a change of convention and will the incumbent CJI recommend someone else other than the senior most Judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi. CJI Misra is set to retire on October 2, this...

Activist Lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj Arrested

Two Left-wing activists Varavara Rao and Sudha Bhardwaj were arrested today as the Pune police carried out searches at multiple places in various states on the residences of people suspected to have Maoist links, a senior police official said.The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence at Maharashtra's Koregaon-Bhima village, triggered by an event called 'Elgar...

Disqualification Of Legislators On Framing Of Charge: SC Constitution Bench Reserves Judgment

On the final day of the hearing on the plea for disqualifying candidates against whom criminal charges have been framed from contesting elections, the Supreme Court five-judge bench posed tough questions on the feasibility of this proposition.It may be noted that when on the previous occasions, the bench had been disinclined to issue to a mandamus to the Parliament in this behalf, it...

Victim Freely Moved Around With Accused For 12 Days, Came Across Many People, Yet Did Not Complain: SC Acquits Accused in Rape Case [Read Order]

The Supreme Court recently acquitted a rape accused of taking note of the evidence to the effect that the prosecutrix remained in the company of the accused for about 12 days until she was recovered.The bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Navin Sinha and Justice KM Joseph also observed that the ‘material on record’ indicated that she had freely moved around with the accused in the...

Justices Banumathi And Vineet Saran Differ Over Issuance Of Notice In SLP Against Non-Appointment Of Over-Qualified Candidate By PSC [Read Order]

Supreme Court judges, Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Vineet Saran last week dissented on the issue of issuance of notice in an appeal filed before it against a judgment passed by the Uttarakhand High Court on 4 May.The impugned judgmentThe impugned judgment had considered a batch of fifteen appeals, either filed by the Public Service Commission or against it, on the issue of appointments...

Breaking: Persons With Low Vision Can’t Be Denied Reservation In Admission To MBBS Course, Holds SC [Read Order]

In a decision with wide ramifications, the Supreme Court bench has upheld the claim of a medical aspirant with “low vision” to be admitted in MBBS course in the category of persons with benchmark disability while holding that provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 which consider low visibility as a benchmark disability are binding on the Medical Council of...

SC Judges Sing In Fund Raising Event For Kerala Flood Relief

Today, Supreme Court judges Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice K M Joseph captured hearts with their song renditions at a cultural event organized by Supreme Court journalists at Delhi to raise funds for Kerala flood relief.Justice K M Joseph sang a song from a popular Malayalam movie 'Amaram'(Vikaara Naukayumayi), which dealt with life in a hamlet of fisher-folk.  He said that the song was...

Female Genital Mutilation [FGM] May Not Be Life Threatening, But A Permanent Mental, Emotional And Physical Scarring At A Woman:Chandrachud.J

 Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi insisted that the question of ‘essentiality’ of Female Genital Mutilation to the Dawoodi Bohra faith be considered by a constitution bench.The hearing in the Supreme Court on the challenge to the alleged practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) purported to be followed by the Dawoodi Bohra community in India witnessed a canvassing of the concept...