The Bench and the Bar

The Delhi high court today stayed all disciplinary action, including rustication orders, against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and others, on the condition that they withdraw all current agitation.

At 11:15 am today, the Supreme Court began its proceedings for the last day of the current term. It was 45 minutes behind its usual schedule.

Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and the former additional solicitor general L Nageswara Rao were sworn-in as judges of the Supreme Court on Friday.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the constitutional validity of India's criminal defamation law that was contested by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Friday its verdict on a batch of petitions including by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy challenging the constitutional validity of sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code providing for criminal defamation.

Prashant Bhushan, acting for the NGO Angel Trust, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court that more stringent punishments should be levied against those convicted of cruelty against animals, particularly in the pet shops industry.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped Haryana, Gujarat and Bihar on the drought issue and directed the Centre to convene an urgent meeting with their chief secretaries to assess the drought situations in these states.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a plea by income tax authorities challenging a Bombay high court order that had permitted Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan tax relief in earnings made from "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC).

As the Supreme Court's three-Judge bench comprising justices Anil R Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and Adarsh Kumar Goel, began hearing the NEET case on 6 May at 2 pm at the packed Court No 2, senior advocates, Vikas Singh and Rajeev Dhavan made brief submissions first.

A Delhi court on Saturday issued summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly using the word "thulla" - derogatory Delhi slang for cop - to describe policemen.

The right to eat beef is a part of the right to privacy, which is a part of a citizen’s fundamental right to life, affirmed the Bombay high court today.

The Supreme Court today cleared the decks for ousted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat to prove his legislative majority in the state assembly on Tuesday, but nine disqualified rebel Congress legislators won't be allowed to vote.

The top court said it would monitor the voting that is to take place at 11 a.m. The entire proceedings of the house will be videographed, the court said.

The two-judge division bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh also ordered that President's Rule in the hill state will be kept in abeyance from 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the house proceedings.

The order came after the central government informed the court that it was ready to conduct a floor test in Uttarakhand only if it is done under the top court's supervision.

"There should be one agenda (for the short session in the assembly). It should only be a test of strength between the two political alliances in the assembly," Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court, appearing for the central government.

Rohatgi told reporters that the voting record and the videographed proceeding would be handed over to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Uttarakhand has been under President's Rule since 27 March after the central government dismissed the Congress government led by Rawat, citing constitutional crisis in the hill state.

The central government invoked the controversial Article 356 to remove Rawat saying his government was in minority after nine Congress legislators rebelled.

President's Rule was lifted for a few hours in the state following an Uttarakhand High Court order on 21 April. It was reimposed by the Supreme Court a day later.

Uttarakhand was plunged into political crisis after nine Congress legislators, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, whom Rawat replaced, rebelled and turned to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The crisis peaked on 18 March when the assembly passed a finance bill by voice vote even as the opposition, backed by the rebel Congress members, demanded recorded voting. The BJP cried foul after Speaker Govind Kunjwal declined.

Rawat was then asked by Governor KK Paul to prove his majority on 28 March. Two days ahead of the voting, Speaker Kunjwal disqualified the Congress rebels.

In the 70-member house, the Congress has 27 legislators, excluding the rebels who won't be allowed to take part in the trust vote on Tuesday. The BJP has 28 members. There are six from other parties who have earlier voiced their support for the Congress government.

Rawat would need at least 32 members to support him in the house whose strength has been reduced to 61 after the disqualification of nine members.

Disqualified "rightly or wrongly", the Supreme Court said, the nine Congress members cannot vote in Tuesday's floor test.

In a significant verdict, the Bombay high court today ruled that possession of beef slaughtered outside Maharashtra would not be a criminal offence but it upheld the government's decision to ban the slaughter of bullocks in the state.