“You can’t deprive a voter of the right to exercise a franchise, even if he is a polling officer.” says Kerala HC
while hearing a plea by Kerala NGO Union alleging that many officials on election duty were not given postal ballots, despite applying on time. Petitioner says several officials went to facilitation centres but had to return without voting as ballot papers were not available.

Suo Motu case on NCERT book chapter in judiciary

CJI: Let committee not be confined only to the class 8 chapter.. but let all aspects be considered up and down also.

ASG KM Natraj: Yes all areas

CJI: compliance affidavit has been filed. By this a three member committee comprising Justice Indu Malhotra, sr Adv KK Venugopal and Mr Prakash Singh Vc of Garhwal University has been appointed. The committee shall collaborate with NJA Bhopal to finalise the curriculum of class 8 and higher grades in compliance with NCERT syllabus dealing with legal studies. NCERT has also issued notification on April 2 whereby a high powered committee for prepration of national syllabus and teacher learning committee has been reconstituted. The details of the 20 distinguished members including Mr MC Pant being the chairman, has been constituted. We take both the orders/notification on record as well as compliance affidavit. Sr Adv Gopal Sankarnarayanan for Alok Prasanna Kumar: We want to show what process was followed..they are not fly by night authors. They are respected. Now new committee is formed.

Sr Adv Arvind Datar appears for Prof Michael: we have given detailed submission

Sr Adv J Sai Deepak: I appear for Suparna Diwakar..this was a collective process and no individual had a sole say

West Bengal SIR case mentioned

Sr Adv Kapil Sibal: I got a report from the Telegraph now

CJI Surya Kant; I don't want to politicise it. But we got reports since 2 am. 5 pm they gheraoed the officers and till 11 pm there was no one

Sibal: it is unfortunate.

Sr Adv Menaka Guruswamy: Most of the officers have been transferred out of the state

#SupremeCourt @MamataOfficial Sr Adv DS Naidu: Earlier judicial officers were being threatened. Now it is becoming physical. If its mobocracy no one can help

Justice Bagchi: Top most civil servant was contacted by the Chief justice of high court. It makes no good case by saying we are not associated. All leaders need to condemn this in one voice. We are here to protect the special officers. Their orders are deemed to be orders of our court

Justice Oka is giving the 45th JP Memorial Lecture organised by PUCL India.
Justice Oka: Remembering Jayaprakash Narayan today, I go back to my first brush with his movement — I was 14, reading one Marathi and one English newspaper a day, without fully grasping the moment that would define a generation. JP, a committed Gandhian and colleague of leaders like N.G. Ranga, emerged as the leader of the youth in the 1970s; only later did I realise how much my generation underestimated the depth of his ideas.
#JusticeOka Justice Oka: From his writings and speeches, one thing stands out: his unwavering faith in non-violence. For JP, non-violence was not a tactic, but a way of resisting evil with moral strength. He reminded us that negotiations, arbitration, friendship or mediation may succeed or fail — but for those who truly accept non-violence and are prepared to resist evil non-violently, there is no failure. That single idea has stayed with me: those who accept non-violence, and prepare themselves to resist whatever evil may come non-violently, discover a strength that no defeat can erase.
When I revisited JP’s life, I felt his active public role was cut short. Had he remained in public life for another 10–14 years perhaps we would have seen a different India.
#JusticeOka

Delhi High Court stays further investigation and proceedings in FIR lodged against Tamil Nadu MLA and Secretary of Student Wing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, for organising a protest challenging proposed UGC laws, at Jantar Mantar on February 6. The matter was listed before Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani.

Supreme Court resumes hearing the plea against Ladakh-based activist Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the NSA.

Bench: Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale

Notably, Wangchuk’s detention was revoked by the Centre on March 14.

@Wangchuk66 While revoking Wangchuk’s detention earlier this month, the Centre said the decision was taken after considering the need to foster “an environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust” in Ladakh.

Read 👇

barandbench.com/news/central-g…

Supreme Court Bar Association flags off its first National Conference on the theme “reimagining judicial governance: strengthening institutions for democratic justice”. Justice Mehta: if a true picture is provided to litigants by lawyers at the first stage the chances of mediation succeeding would increase manifold.

The person who is an accused is praying for protection? You are a suspected accused. You are trying to sensationalise the issue: Uttarakhand High Court to gym owner ‘Mohammad’ Deepak Kumar The Court is hearing a plea filed by Kumar seeking quashing of an FIR agains him.

[Day 2]: A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court to resume hearing reference on the interpretation of “industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, in the State of UP v. Jai Bir Singh batch of cases
#SupremeCourt What happened on Day 1? Read here: barandbench.com/news/expansive…

A nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court begins hearing reference on the interpretation of “industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, in the State of UP v. Jai Bir Singh batch of cases
#SupremeCourt Sr Adv CU Singh: There are two notifications ... Now the old industrial disputes act has been repealed.

Sr Adv Indira Jaising: Any judgment rendered by the court in interpretation of the old law will impact the new law. One side seeks reconsideration of Bangalore water supply and one side says no such reconsideration needed.

CJI: While taking a view on Bangalore water supply .. we can give a word of caution that the interpretation is for the law which used to exist

Jaising: There is an unavoidable overlap. All conclusions should be without prejudice.

AG R Venkataramani: so whether a challenge to the new law can lie when there is no such challenge before this court

Delhi High Court modifies bail conditions imposed on accused Neelam Azad in parliament security breach case. The matter was listed before Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar.

Supreme Court hears the case regarding mandatory requirement of three years' practice at the Bar as a uniform eligibility condition for entry-level judicial service posts

Sr Adv Sidharth Bhatnagar, Amicus: High Courts are of the view that three years should remain. But for disability ..some accessibility needs to be given. Allahabad HC says it is not capable at the moment it is too early for a view. Delhi HC says three year practice has been reintroduced as in terms of SC judgment. Committee says relaxation for disabled may lead to disparity Amicus: Faizan Mustafa for CNLU says no experience needed at all and should be done away with.

“If you keep on investigating when will charges be heard? For two years you cannot sit when somebody is in jail”: Delhi High Court to Delhi government in bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Naresh Balyan in connection with his arrest under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The matter was listed before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma. The Court today heard arguments on behalf of Balyan. Senior Advocate Rebecca John apeared for Balyan.

Supreme Court hears plea against the violation of woman rights under the succession laws under Muslim personal law

CJI Surya Kant: You are challenging 1937 act.. then what will apply? What about the vaccum?

Adv Prashant Bhushan: Shariah law says woman entitled to half of what men are entitled to. So in Shayara Bano held that even triple talaq was part of personal law but still struck down since violative of article 14

CJI: suppose there are two statutes. One protects article 14 and one does not. Ofcourse the other is struck down. Then our question what about the vaccum created

Bhushan: Indian succession act shall govern. Justice Bagchi: If 1937 act is not there..will Muslim succession not be governed by personal law as under Article 372.

Supreme Court to hear batch of cases concerning the SIR process in West Bengal

Fresh petition also listed challenging the deletion of voter names due to non acceptance of key documents

#SupremeCourt #WestBengalSIR Sr Adv Menaka Guruswamy: About 7 lakh claims have been decided by the judicial officers. 63 lakh was under adjudication. 57 lakhs are remaining.

CJi: we knew you people will run away when judicial officers are appointed. HC Chief justice has told us 10 lakhs decided. Today morning we are informed. Your application is premature and it shows as if you don't have trust. How did you dare such applications are filed? No one should dare question the judicial officers

Guruswamy: We are not questioning

CJI: you may have not. But there are questions. As a Chief justice of India I will not tolerate this.

Guruswamy: No one can question the JO at all. We have appeared before the chief justice and it was an honour to appear before him.

Delhi High Court to hear today CBI's plea challenging discharge of Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha and 20 others in the excise policy case.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma to hear the matter.
@ArvindKejriwal @msisodia @CBIHeadquarters @AamAadmiParty @RaoKavitha The CBI has filed a 974-page revision plea stating that the trial court order is "patently illegal, perverse and suffers from errors apparent on the face".

It has also sought a stay on the court's direction to initiate proceedings against the officer who investigated the case.

Delhi High Court to hear shortly a plea filed by Youth Congress President Udai Bhanu Chib challenging the Sessions Court order staying his bail ex parte.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee to hear the case.
@IYC @UdayBhanuIYC #Bail Chib was granted bail by a magistrate on Saturday at 3:30 AM. The order was stayed by a Sessions Court the same evening without hearing him.

Read details here:
barandbench.com/news/litigatio…

[Puran Chander Sen vs State of Rajasthan]

CJI Surya Kant: Inko cost nahi lagaya high court ne ? Band vand pehene nahi hai.. laga koi dangal me utarne aaye hai.

Justice Bagchi: HC has imposed cost

CJI: Kitne saal hogaye wakalat karte aapko?

Adv: From 1995...

CJI: Who committed the mistake of giving you a license. Please don't file such petitions. People believe you .. how will people trust you if you file all this

Adv: Ideals of RSS is against the Constitution..

Justice Bagchi: if you press further.. we have to increase the costs. You may have a difference of opinion from ideology or politics etc. but that does not give rise to offence or you ask FIR against an authority. For argument stake if parliament passes an illegal law.. is it a crime ?? Please withdraw do not embarrass yourself. CJI: The petitioner who is a practicing advocate and is present in person states that having realised his bona fide mistake, he does not want to pursue the petition which was filed under BNSS. He also undertakes not to file any such complaint, application / petition in any court or any other format. As with complaint dated 2020 sent to SHO Alwar.

Supreme Court hears the controversy around establishment of a crematorium near the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore

Adv Prashant Bhushan: the community that stays there... do not burn but bury bodies.. now Isha foundation is saying come to this land ..burn body and attain moksha. They are bringing the bodies from Coimbatore and burning it here. They are local tribals..

CJI Surya Kant: Burial has become an expensive affair. Isha Foundation is not a religious service. They are doing some pious work. Its a good work also ..these bodies.. did you sell this land to them? You can only claim that you sold for lawful activity.. but you cannot dictate it to them... Let them find a suitable place for you and compensate you so that you have better living conditions.

Justice Bagchi: this was done to stop the unregulated cremation of bodies.

Bhushan: this violates my fundamental right with the stench coming always... Sr Adv Mukul Rohatgi: what is Mr Bhushan saying.. lodhi road crematorium is just beside homes..

Bhushan: there are no homes

Roahtgi: what about birbal road and jangpura...

Justice Bagchi: perhaps you should see my more unplanned city... which is right beside the Ganges and homes there as well.

Supreme Court to shortly hear The it's Suo Motu case over a “selective reference” in a Class 8 textbook, published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), about “corruption” in the judiciary
#SupremeCourt #CorruptionInJudiciary #SuoMotu After the CJI Surya Kant led bench
expressed strong reservations against such a chapter, NCERT on Wednesday apologised for what it termed a “purely unintentional” inclusion of “inappropriate material” in a Class 8 Social Science textbook and halted its circulation #NCERT

Suo Motu: Remediation of Polluted Rivers

CJI Surya Kant: Is it possible for this court to look at all polluted rivers? We can look at it one by one. We also keep entertaining so many matters and issue directions. .. we also have to see that we entertain matters together. Why to have a multiplicity of issues like this ? CJI: These suo motu proceedings were initiated by this court pursuant to an order in 2021. The original matter dealt with increased level of pollution in Yamuna river...which led this court to take suo motu cognizance of polluting rivers with sewage affluents. This court considered due to contamination of River Yamuna.. it should be the first issue dealt with. Notices were issued to Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal, UP and Delhi and Union of India. There is no gainsaid that Right to live in hygienic conditions with human dignity with clean environment is embodied in Article 21.