The Supreme Court of India appointed eight retired High Court judges as Senior Advocates, emphasizing their notable legal careers and contributions to the judiciary. The decision, made during a full court meeting, reflects the Court’s commitment to recognizing exemplary service. Additionally, 39 lawyers, including 10 women, were also designated as Senior Advocates on the same day.
The Patna High Court today set aside the convictions of former Bihar MLA Anant Kumar Singh in two cases, resulting in his imminent release from prison. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the seized weapons. This decision has raised questions about political motivations and alliances in Bihar, drawing criticism from the opposition.
Today(on 13th August), The Supreme Court of India granted bail to a 61-year-old former police officer charged under the UAPA, highlighting the principle that “bail is the rule, jail is the exception.” The accused was allegedly linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organization accused of inciting violence.
The Patna High Court Yesterday (August 6th) quashed an FIR lodged against Sanjiv Hans, a senior IAS officer of Bihar cadre, who has been accused of rape by a woman. Justice Sandeep Kumar passed the order allowing a petition of Hans who had challenged the FIR lodged at Rupaspur police station of the district last year.
On Monday(22nd July), the Supreme Court expressed concern over the Patna High Court’s directive to conclude a criminal trial within one year, citing it as unrealistic due to Bihar’s trial court backlog. Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih noted that the order lacked consideration of the extensive case pendency.
![[Hindu Samaj Party Leader Kamlesh Tiwari Murder Case] SC Grants Bail To Accused Syed Asim Ali](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-2024-07-16T183438.870.png?resize=447%2C367&ssl=1)
The Supreme Court overturned Bihar’s decision to reclassify the Tanti-Tantwa community as Scheduled Castes, reiterating that only the central government can modify these lists as per Article 341 of the Indian Constitution. The Court directed reallocation of affected individuals to Extremely Backward Classes without penalizing them.
Rakesh Ranjan, implicated in the NEET-UG paper leak, was arrested in Nalanda, Bihar. The CBI was granted custody of 13 suspects by the Patna High Court for interrogation. Ranjan’s alleged involvement in orchestrating solvers for the exam was identified through digital evidence. The scandal affected over 24 lakh candidates and led to significant legal actions against the NTA.
The Supreme Court today criticized the trend of High Courts granting conditional bail, delaying its effectiveness by 6 months to a year, in the case of a murder accused. The bench found this practice problematic and granted interim bail to the accused, requesting the Bihar government to respond by September 2. This decision came in an appeal against a Patna High Court order.
The Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure over a Patna High Court bail order directing that the accused be released only if the victim stands as a surety for his release. Apex Court said it was “very unfortunate” that the accused, who was ordered to be released in July 2023, was still languishing in jail due to the such an “absurd condition”.
Today, On 2nd July, The Bihar government approached the Supreme Court following Patna High Court’s ruling that invalidated a law increasing reservations for SC/STs and backward classes to 65% in 2023, reducing the open merit category to 35%. The High Court declared the amendment unconstitutional, citing infringement on equal opportunity. This decision is now contested before the Supreme Court.