Holding the Bihar Government and a stone-block bidder equally responsible for a nine-year delay in executing a mining lease in Sheikhpura, a Division Bench of the Patna High Court set aside forfeiture of the bidder’s Rs 2.90 crore deposit, ordered its refund with 12% interest, and laid down binding timelines for future mining tenders.
The Supreme Court has quashed a Chhattisgarh rural roads agency’s order deducting Rs 84.17 lakh from a contractor’s three ongoing PMGSY contracts to recover alleged overpayments on earlier works, holding that no contractual clause authorised the deduction and that it was made without notice, and directed refund with 6 per cent interest.
Karnataka Governor Gehlot has referred the Muslim reservation bill to President Droupadi Murmu, citing constitutional concerns and a Supreme Court judgment. The bill proposed 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts. Gehlot emphasized religion-based reservations contradict the Constitution and could undermine its principles, particularly with ongoing Supreme Court scrutiny.
Karnataka’s government has passed the Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which reserves 4% of government contracts for Muslims. Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot raised constitutional concerns, stating reservations based on religion are prohibited. The bill is criticized by the BJP but defended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a means to uplift disadvantaged communities.
Today, On 18th February, The Supreme Court granted bail to Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland case. The case involves a suspected scam linked to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters. Michel was accused of facilitating deals between officials and the chopper manufacturer. His bail marks a significant development in the long-running investigation.
