Orissa circuit bench hopes recede: The prospects for southern and western circuit benches of the Orissa HC have become bleak, after union law minister Kapil Sibal told the state chief minister that his recommendation means nothing in the absence of the HC’s chief justice’s consent [New Indian Express]

Maha circuit bench talks: A delegation of the Pune Bar Association (PBA) on Wednesday had its second hearing with the justices DY Chandrachud and SJ Vazifdar panel of the Bombay High Court, which is looking into the lawyers’ demands of setting up a high court bench in Pune [Express]

Andhra scam: A Rs 500 crore scam has surfaced in the Andhra Pradesh state government’s largest revenue generator – the commercial taxes department – in the form of alleged illegal refunds made to 61 firms [Deccan Chronicle]

Super-ceded forest regulator: The union government has rejected the Supreme Court’s suggestion made two years ago to set up a ‘super regulator’ for the single-window grant of environment and forest clearances for projects [TOI]

Clinical trials on ice: The Supreme Court has blocked 157 global clinical trials in India that were approved by the government, while asking the regulators re-examine whether the trials are for the benefit of people [Indian Express]

Gov mulls Sanjay Dutt leniency: The home affairs ministry has asked the Maharashtra government whether actor Sanjay Dutt and two others, who were given jail terms for involvement in the 1994 Bombay serial blasts, should be released early on “humanitarian grounds” [The Hindu]