The Supreme Court raised a key constitutional question on whether devotees can be denied the right to touch a deity based on birth or status. The issue came up during the ongoing hearing in the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple case on religious freedom and equality.
The Supreme Court Collegium recommended appointment of advocates Preeta Aravindan Krishnamma and Liz Mathew Anthraper as judges of Kerala High Court. The decision was taken during its April 14 meeting, advancing judicial appointments in the High Court.
Journalist Sucheta Dalal challenged a Delhi court order restricting media from linking Sandesara family to Sterling Biotech fraud case. The court issued notices to parties including Google and Meta, and listed the matter for further hearing.
The Calcutta High Court ruled a deceased teacher’s brother is not “family” for pension under the 1981 Scheme. It upheld denial of died-in-harness benefits, noting no claim was made by the mother, the eligible beneficiary under rules.
Justice N. Kotiswar Singh said India is not a religious state and highlighted the historical context of the term “Hindu.” He noted the Constitution embraces all faiths, describing “Hindu” as a geographical identifier linked to people beyond Indus.
The Bombay High Court Nagpur Bench referred a lawyer to the Bar Council for alleged misconduct in misleading the court. It also issued contempt notices, observing parties relied on forged documents to justify unauthorised construction claims before court.
The Supreme Court held amalgamated companies cannot claim set off of predecessor losses under Kerala Agricultural Income Tax Act without explicit provision. Dismissing Aspinwall appeals, it ruled such benefits require statutory backing and proper notice during amalgamation proceedings.
The Allahabad High Court held that police cannot freeze entire bank accounts during investigation without linking all funds to alleged offences. It clarified that under BNSS, seizure powers are limited only to amounts reasonably connected with suspected criminal activity.
The Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and LIC on a plea for disability sensitive insurance guidelines. The petition invokes Articles 14 and 21, urging policy oversight to ensure welfare schemes for persons with disabilities are fair and accessible.
CJI Surya Kant emphasised that the future judiciary must move beyond physical courts and become citizen centric. He stressed transforming justice delivery into an accessible, responsive service integrated with daily lives, ensuring wider reach and efficiency across the country.
