A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the criminal prosecution of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other officials, under the Representation of the People Act, over alleged breaches of duty in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. It also seeks an SIT to investigate the alleged deletion of 13 crore names, and a declaration that decisions taken without the two Election Commissioners’ concurrence are void. The allegations are untested.
A Larger Bench of the Rajasthan High Court has declined to answer a substantial question of law on the interpretation of the Rajasthan Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, referred to it more than two decades ago in a PIL over toll collection on a road project, holding that supervening events had rendered the controversy academic. The mere reference of a question, the Court held, does not compel its adjudication once the underlying lis has ceased to survive. The question was left open.
The owners of the Satya Niketan PG building that collapsed this month, killing seven, failed to ensure structural safety and carried out unpermitted alterations without consulting any qualified structural engineer or architect, the Delhi Police has told the Delhi High Court in a status report, even as it said the exact cause of the collapse […]
The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a PIL seeking the removal or blocking of social-media content said to spread ‘anti-government’ and ‘anti-judiciary’ sentiments and to insult religious beliefs. ‘Don’t give so much importance to these people,’ the CJI told the petitioner’s counsel, adding that the petitioner could approach the concerned authorities. The plea had invoked the CJP protests and Meta’s removal of a Prime Ministerial video.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a direction to appoint a new Governor on the ground that the incumbent’s five-year term had expired. Relying on the proviso to Article 156(3) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Krishna Ballabh Sahay, the Court held that a Governor continues in office until his successor enters upon it, so no constitutional vacuum arises. It also faulted the petitioner for not disclosing his bona fides.
Hearing a PIL objecting to the use of the ‘Shoorveer’ song, composed as a tribute to Maharana Pratap, over gangster scenes in Mirzapur: The Movie, the Delhi High Court asked the CBFC to decide within a week on the producer’s own proposal to replace the song with background music. The Court declined to rule on the merits, observing the issue was for the competent authority, but remarked prima facie that the usage was not in good taste.
Hearing a batch of PILs alleging that a man accused in the rape and murder of a young girl in Baruipur died in a fake police encounter, the Calcutta High Court directed the State to file affidavits answering the allegations and to apprise it of the progress of the investigation on the next date. The State disputes the fake-encounter claim. The Court expects the probe to conclude soon.
A PIL before the Supreme Court challenges the Centre’s decision to withdraw zero-MDR protection for UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, arguing that a multi-tiered merchant fee fixed by press release rather than notified rules is arbitrary, burdens small traders and violates Articles 14 and 19(1)(g). The petition seeks the framework’s quashing or a fresh, data-backed consultation reviewed by the RBI.
A PIL before the Karnataka High Court challenges the State’s September 8 order restricting Vande Mataram to its first two stanzas at most government programmes, arguing that prescribing the content of a national symbol falls within the Union’s exclusive competence and that the Cabinet decision was taken without a note, a sponsoring department or legal consultation. The petition does not seek to compel anyone to sing. The Court is expected to take it up shortly.
A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of the song “Shoorveer” from the climax of “Mirzapur: The Movie,” the petitioner contending that a track originally composed as a tribute to Maharana Pratap has been used over gangster scenes in a way that glorifies criminals and hurts public […]