The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently hear West Bengal’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court order granting premature release to Md Rashid Khan, a life convict in the 1993 Kolkata Bowbazar blast case. The hearing is scheduled before CJI Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana.
The Bar Association of India has moved the Supreme Court seeking an Aadhaar-like nationwide digital registry for advocates to curb fake legal practitioners and verify credentials. CJI Surya Kant termed the proposal a “novel reform” and said all law universities must disclose details of their bona fide graduates.
Refusing bail in a cyber fraud case involving over Rs.3 crore, the Supreme Court termed cyber criminals “parasites” who dupe innocent people through phishing links and fake banking portals. CJI Surya Kant held that society’s interest lies in keeping such accused behind bars during trial, given the nationwide impact of cyber fraud.
The Supreme Court witnessed a sharp exchange after the Enforcement Directorate sought an adjournment in the case involving Congress leader Chaitanya Baghel. Responding to the request, CJI Surya Kant remarked, “First, it’s ‘list it, list it’; then comes the adjournment,” noting that judges read case files overnight during partial working days.