'Long Adjournment Unjustified', SC Requests Delhi High Court To List Riots Cases On March 6 [Read Order]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday requested the Delhi High Court to list on Friday (March 6) the petition seeking registration of FIRs against politicians for alleged hate speech in the wake of riots which gripped parts of North East Delhi last week. The SC further requested the HC to hear the matter expeditiously.The bench headed by CJI S A Bobde remarked that the long adjournment granted by...

[Updated] SC Quashes RBI Ban On Banking Services To Cryptocurrency Dealers [Read Judgment]

(Updated with judgment)In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted the curbs imposed by the Reserve Bank of India on regulated entities such as banks and NBFCs from dealing with virtual currencies and from providing services to crypto businesses.The Court held that the RBI's circular, which prevented regulated entities from providing banking services to those engaged in...

[Breaking] Consumer Forum Has No Power To Extend Time Beyond 45 Days For Opposite Party's Version : SC Constitution Bench [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the time period for filing opposite party's version in Consumer case cannot be extended beyond the period of 45 days prescribed under the Consumer Protection Act.The Court held that Consumer Protection Act 1986 did not empower the Consumer Forum to extend the time beyond the period of 45 days. The time period prescribed under Section 13 of the...

Section 438 CrPC Doesn't Mandate That Sessions Court Must Be Moved First; But Special Circumstances Must Be Shown To Directly Approach HC : Allahabad HC Full Bench [Read Judgment]

The bench further clarified that it was not inclined to "enumerate" the special circumstances.

Oral Testimony Alone In The Absence Of Documentary Evidence Is No Proof Of Citizenship: Gauhati HC [Read Judgment]

The Guahati High Court has reiterated that in the absence of documentary evidence in a proceeding under the Foreigners Act, 1946, oral testimony alone is no proof of citizenship. The division bench comprising Justice Manojit Bhuyan and Justice Parthivjyoti Saikia thereby upheld the decision of the Foreigners Tribunal Morigaon dated October 25, 2018, declaring one Nurul Amin to be...

Can Consumer Forum Extend Time Beyond 45 Days For Opposite Party's Version? SC To Pronounce Verdict Tomorrow

The Supreme Court will pronounce judgment tomorrow on the whether the time period for filing version in Consumer case can be extended beyond the period of 45 days prescribed under the Consumer Protection Act.The issue was heard by a 5-judge bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, Indira Banerjee, Vineet Saran, M.R. Shah and S. Ravindra Bhat had reserved orders in the case on January 29.The...

United Nations Commissioner Of Human Rights To Move SC On CAA

In a significant development, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR) is set to intervene in the Supreme Court in one of the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday criticized this move by the UN body. In a press release, the MEA spokesperson said that India's Permanent Mission in Geneva...

[Breaking] SC Refuses To Interfere With Bail Granted To Chinmayanand In Sexual Exploitation Case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the special leave petition filed by Shajahanpur law student challenging the order passed by Allahabad High Court which granted bail to Chinmayanand in the sexual exploitation caseA bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and Navin Sinha observed that there was no reason to interfere with the order. The bench said that HC had imposed sufficient conditions...

Delhi Riots: Justice Not Done

The Delhi High Court's handling of the petition seeking FIRs against the BJP leaders for their alleged hate speeches on February 27 amounts to abdication of constitutional duty. The time has come for the nation to be reminded that judges of the Supreme Court and high courts are constitutionally obliged to "make and subscribe… an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule." The oath inter-alia requires the person to solemnly affirm, "that I will...

Judicial Officer Aged Above 58.5 Years Not Eligible For Elevation As HC Judge: Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

The Kerala High Court has held that for elevation to the higher judiciary, a Judicial Officer should not be more than 581/2 years of age, as on the date of occurrence of a vacancy. The observation was made by a division bench comprising Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice VG Arun in a writ appeal moved by John K. Illikkadan, one of the senior most District Judges in the Higher...

'Custodial Deaths Common In UP Jails': Dr. Kafeel Khan's Wife Writes To Allahabad HC CJ Seeking Protection For Her Husband [Read Letter]

Apprehending danger to her husband Dr. Kafeel Khan's life, Dr. Shabista Khan has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Govind Mathur, requesting him to ensure his safety. Khan is presently lodged in the Mathura jail under the National Security Act. He was arrested from Mumbai in January this year, for allegedly giving a provocative speech at the...

Midnight Transfer of Justice Muralidhar

Justice Muralidhar's midnight transfer raises both immediate and deeper questions. Although we were forewarned that he would be transferred, the post midnight marching orders were clearly punitive because he wanted FIRs to be filed against hate speech provocateurs against whom more than a prima facie existed on video. His orders were to immediately register the FIR's which were bypassed to the Chief Justice of Delhi to whom the case went who gave 4 extra weeks to file the criminal cases. FIRs...