27 Years On Death Row: SC Stays Execution Of Death Sentence Of Court-Martialed Army Man On His Wife’s Plea [Read Order]

The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of death sentence awarded to a court-martialed Army Man on his wife plea that he has been languishing in jail without parole for 27 years.Lance Naik Devendra Nath Rai was sentenced to death in court-martial proceedings, finding him guilty of the murder of two Army personnel and for attempting murder of two others. After the Central Government...

SC Changes ‘Compulsory Retirement Date’ Of Judicial Officer Who Died During Pendency Of Writ Petition Filed By Him [Read Order]

The petitioner would thus be deemed to have compulsorily retired on the date of his demise with all consequential benefits to be given to the legal heirs of the petitioner, the bench said.The Supreme Court recently invoked its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution, to give relief to the family of a district and sessions judge who died while his writ plea...

Decades-Long Delay In Challenging Land Acquisition Notifications: 3-Judge Bench To Examine Whether Such Challenge Can Be Entertained [Read Order]

We are of the view that delay and laches may be a bar to challenge to the acquisition after 27 years, the bench observed.The Supreme Court, in Union of India vs. Gopaldas Bhagwan Das, has referred to the larger bench the question whether the high court can entertain the plea challenging land acquisition notification when there is a delay of decades.In this case, the writ petition was...

SC Agrees To Hear Plea To Cancel CBSE Class 12 Economics Re-Test Or Make It Optional

Supreme Court has agreed to hear tomorrow a petition seeking a direction to CBSE not to hold an Economics paper re-test for class 12 students following the question paper leak.The petition also says that if at all the test will be held, it should be made optional and not compulsory.The plea filed by Girija Krishan Varma and Sahil Tagotra, Counsels on behalf of parents- Monica Sharma,...

After Haryana Releases Water, SC Defers Hearing On Delhi Plea To April 16

The Supreme Court has deferred to April 16, the hearing on a petition filed by Delhi’s Kejriwal government seeking a direction to Haryana to supply 450 cusecs of potable water daily to Wazirabad barrage for supply to Delhi to overcome an impending "water crisis" in the national capital.This was after Delhi Jal Board, through Mukul Rohatgi, senior advocate and former Attorney General and...

SC Increases Stipend For Law Clerk-Cum-Research Assistants To Rs. 50,000 Per Month

The Supreme Court has increased the monthly stipend paid to Law Clerks-cum-Research Assistants (RAs) from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000.The notification issued on Monday by the office of the Chief Justice of India further stated that such RAs whose period of assignment is extended beyond the period of one year shall be paid a monthly stipend of Rs.55,000 after completion of the said...

Supreme Court Weekly Round-Up

Attempts By Khap Panchayats To Scuttle/Prevent Marriages “Illegal”In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that any attempt by Khap Panchayats or any other assembly to scuttle or prevent two consenting adults from marrying is absolutely “illegal”. Delivering a judgment in the PIL filed by NGO Shakti Vahini on the issue, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices...

SC Notice To Centre, Rajasthan On PIL By Widow Of Hate Crime Victim Seeking Accused’s Transfer

The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AM Khanwilkar on Monday issued the notice to the Centre and the state of Rajasthan in the PIL filed by Gulbahar Bibi, wife of Afrazul Khan who had succumbed to death on account of a hate crime in December 2017 in Rajasthan.Following the murder, videos of the assailant Shambhulal Regar committing...

SC Stays Contempt Proceedings Against Former Kerala Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas

A Supreme Court bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan on Monday issued notice to the Kerala High Court on an SLP preferred by the state’s former vigilance director Jacob Thomas against the March 20 order of the high court initiating suo motu contempt proceedings against him, thereby staying the proceedings.BackgroundThe Kerala High Court had initiated contempt...

Enough Evidence Against Bollywood Producer Karim Morani In Rape Case: Telangana Police Tell SC

The Telangana Police on Monday told the Supreme Court that there was enough evidence against Bollywood producer Karim Morani regarding rape allegations by a Delhi-based woman.The state’s advocate S Udaya Kumar Sagar informed the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra that the police had filed an affidavit in which it was stated that charge-sheet has been filed and there...

Centre Files Review Plea Against Judgment Which "Diluted" SC/ST Act

The Centre today filed in the Supreme Court a review petition against the March 20 judgment of a two-judge bench which 'diluted" the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by laying down stringent ‘safeguards’ before registering a case under it and banned automatic arrests.Sources said the petition filed by the Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment argues that the March 20 judgment...

SC Seeks Centre’s Reply On PIL On Implementation Of AP Reorganisation Act 2014

A Supreme Court Bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan on Monday sought the Centre’s response on a PIL seeking direction to the government for proper implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 through which the new state of Telangana was formed.The bench asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh to file a reply in four weeks.“Nearly 4 years...