Supreme Court Weekly Round-Up

Rape-Murder of 7 year old- Death penalty commutedThe Supreme Court has commuted the death penalty imposed by the Trial Court and the High Court on Kamlesh @Ghanti who was found guilty of raping and murdering a seven year old girl. Three Judge Bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Prafulla C. Pant and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit upheld the conviction of the accused under Section 376A,...

Ex Gratia Payment By Employer To Deceased’s Dependants Deductible From MACT Compensation: SC [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court in Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. Vs. Shashi Sharma, has held that amount received or receivable by dependants of the deceased (who died in a motor accident) from the employer by way of ex gratia financial assistance on compassionate grounds can be deducted from the quantum of compensation fixed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) under the head “pay and...

Breaking: Four Death Row Convicts Escape Gallows In Just 10 Days; SC Commutes Death In Another Rape-Murder Case [Read Order]

In Last ten days  Supreme Court altered the destiny of four persons accused of heinous crime of rape and murder, as they escaped gallows to which they were condemned to Death by the High Courts and Trial Courts.In Last Ten days, the Three Judge Bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Prafulla C. Pant and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, set aside the death penalty and commuted the sentence...

Religious Occasions Should Be Last Priority In Water Allocation: Bombay HC [Read Judgment]

At the highest, the use of water for Kumbh Mela and for other religious purposes will be covered by the last category, said the BenchThe Bombay High Court has ruled that water requirements for Kumbh Mela to be held at Nashik and other religious purposes will be met only after addressing the priority level laid down in Clause 4 of the Maharashtra State Water Policy.The court also addressed a...

SC Stays Mandatory Use Of Aadhaar For Scholarship Schemes [Read Order]

The legal questions surrounding Aadhaar continue to trouble the government.Can the government use Aadhaar or not?If it can use, will it be voluntary or mandatory?And it seems that there are no easy answers from the courts. On 14 September, the Supreme Court granted an interim stay against the mandatory use of Aadhaar for scholarship schemes given by the Centre.All Bengal Minority...

PIL Seeks Probe Into Agusta Deals With State Govts: SC Seeks Centre's Reply [Read Petition] [Updated]

The deafening clatter about corruption in the helicopter deals made with AgustaWestland by various Indian authorities refuses to die down.A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court by TS Singhdeo and Nitin Sinha seeking probe in purchase deals executed by five states - Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.The Bench comprising Justice Dipak Mishra and Justice...

SC Directs Centre To Scrutinise IFCI Irregularities [Read Judgment]

Disposing of a petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, the Supreme Court has directed the Union Government to ensure a due and proper scrutiny into allegations of administrative and financial irregularities in Industrial Financial Corporation of India (IFCI) by (i) serious frauds investigation officer; (ii) Reserve Bank of India; and (iii) Security and Exchange Board of...

SC Rejects Review Petition In Arunachal Pradesh President's Rule Case [Read Order]

A five-Judge bench comprising Justices JS Khehar, Dipak Misra, Madan B Lokur, Pinaki Chandra Ghose and NV Ramana, on Tuesday  dismissed in chambers, the review petition filed by the former Speaker of Arunachal Pradaesh assembly, Nabam Rebia, against the judgment delivered by the same bench on 13 July. The bench also rejected Rebia's prayer for an open court hearing of his review...

Ruchika Molestation Case: SC Upholds Rathod’s Conviction But Reduces Jail Term [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court on Friday, while upholding the conviction of former DGP of Haryana SPS Rathore in molestation case of tennis player Ruchika Girhotra, accorded relief to him by reducing his sentence from one and half years to the sentence already served.The Bench comprising Justice V Gopal Gowda and Justice RK Agrawal stated: “Keeping in view the aforementioned factors, especially the old...

Journalist Rajdev Ranjan Murder Case; SC Orders Protection For Victim’s Family, Asks CBI To Proceed With Investigation [Read Order]

The Supreme Court today asked the CBI to proceed with its probe into the murder of 'Dainik Hindustan' journalist Rajdev Ranjan.It also asked the Bihar police to provide protection to his family that has claimed threat to life from RJD leader and gangster Mohammed Shahabuddin.Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra also sought response of Shahabuddin, Bihar's health minister and RJD supremo...

After Day-Long SC Drama, Subrata Roy Gets A Week To Surrender

“I regret the lawyer’s uncalled for statement and are also filing a written unconditional apology from the core of our heart. The lawyer (Rajeev Dhavan ) might have exceeded the brief and made unnecessary comments. It will not happen again…it will not happen again…I do not know what to say..but lordship please withdraw mornings order” SENIOR LAWYER KAPIL SIBAL WHO LATER REPLACED...

SC Dismisses Plea Against Madras HC Order Barring Publishing Of Judges, Lawyers’ Names In News Items

A two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Special Leave Petition challenging the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) by which it is has directed the Registrar (Administration) to immediately circulate instructions to all print, electronic and media houses not to publish the names of the lawyers appeared in the case, as part of news item. The Bench also directed the...