Pil

SC asks FinMin to respond to PIL seeking mechanism on unclaimed deposits

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union Ministry of Finance to file its response in three weeks to a PIL seeking a mechanism to inform the legal heirs of deceased depositors about the unclaimed deposits lying dormant in bank accounts. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala took note of the submissions of a lawyer, representing the Centre, that a reply to the PIL has been filed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and some more time may be granted to the Finance Ministry. The Ministry of Finance is granted three weeks time to file the counter affidavit (reply), the bench said. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Sucheta Dalal, a journalist. It had earlier issued notices to the two union ministries, market regulator SEBI and the RBI. The PIL has sought directions to the Centre and others to ensure that unclaimed deposits of the public that get transferred to government owned funds be given to the legal heirs of the depositors. It said a ...

SC dismisses PIL seeking declaration of all animals as legal entities

The Supreme Court has dismissed a PIL seeking declaration of all animals as legal entities having rights like any living person. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala dismissed the PIL saying "we find that the prayer sought in the writ petition cannot be granted by this court in its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution of India." "The writ petition is, accordingly, dismissed," it added. The PIL filed by the NGO People's Charioteer Organisation said that of late cases of cruelty towards animals have come to light which have raised questions as to how humans have absolutely no respect for animals' lives and how can they be absolutely devoid of sympathy. "Such incidents have further enraged many and made one ponder as to whether the laws in existence are sufficient enough to protect animals from possible abuse and cruelty," the plea said, while referring to various incidents of cruelty in various states. It so

Delhi HC refuses to entertain PIL for compulsory voting in Parliament

The Delhi High Court refused to entertain a public interest litigation seeking direction to the Centre and Election Commission of India to take apposite steps for compulsory voting in the Parliament

PIL seeking govt job reservation for locals in Andamans to be heard on Mon

A PIL seeking 100 per cent government job reservation for the local people in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be heard on Monday at the Calcutta High Court's circuit bench here. Referring to the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where the respective administrations have decided to reserve 100 per cent government jobs for the local people, Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress' Campaign Committee chairman TSG Bhasker had on March 8 filed the public interest litigation, demanding a similar provision for islanders. Bhasker's counsel PC Das said, In last few years, the number of unemployed youth is rising in the archipelago. Lack of private industries and struggling tourism sector, which is yet to recover from the COVID-19 impact, have became a concern among the domiciles of Andaman and Nicobar Islands when it comes to jobs." In the midst of these challenges, securing administrative Group C' and Group B' (non-gazetted) jobs in Andaman and Nicobar by applicants from

Supreme Court to hear PIL for framing menstrual leaves rule on Feb 24

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud posted the matter for hearing on February 24

SC closes PIL seeking ban on video communications platform Zoom

The Supreme Court on Tuesday took note of the minutes of the meeting held by the National Security Council Secretariat and closed the PIL seeking a ban on video communications app 'Zoom' for official as well as personal use until an appropriate law has been put in place. A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh said now nothing survived in the PIL filed by Delhi resident Harsh Chugh in 2020 in the wake of subsequent developments. We have considered the minutes of the meeting of the National Security Council Secretariat held on December 28, 2020 regarding the security features of Zoom, VC platform. In our opinion, nothing survives in the present writ petition in view of the said document. Accordingly, the proceedings are closed, the bench said in its order. The top court had on May 22, 2020 sought the response of the Centre to the PIL which raised privacy concerns and claimed that continued use of the Zoom app is "making the users vulnerable and prone to cyber ...

Bombay HC dismisses PIL seeking action on VP Dhankhar, Law Minister Rijiju

The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation filed against Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for their remarks on judiciary and the collegium system for appointment of judges. The plea filed by Bombay Lawyers Association had claimed Rijiju and Dhankhar showed lack of faith in the Constitution with their remarks and conduct. It had sought for orders to restrain Dhankhar from discharging duty as the vice president, and Rijiju from discharging duty as cabinet minister for the central government. The PIL claimed the "frontal attack not just on the judiciary but the Constitution" by the two executive officials has lowered the prestige of the Supreme Court in public. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne briefly heard the petitioner's lawyer, Ahmed Abdi, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh for the respondents. "We are not inclined to grant any relief. The petition is

Delhi HC bench nixes plea against order dismissing PIL on CJI's appointment

A Delhi HC bench of Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Vikas Mahajan, dismissed a review petition filed against an order quashing a PIL challenging the appointment of Justice D Y Chandrachud as CJI

SC to hear PILs challenging laws which regulates religious conversions

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on January 2 a batch of pleas challenging controversial state laws regulating religious conversions due to interfaith marriage. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha is scheduled to hear the PILs filed by advocate Vishal Thakre and an NGO 'Citizens for Justice and Peace'. The Supreme Court will also hear a plea by Muslim body 'Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind' which it had allowed last year to become a party to the petitions as it claimed a large number of Muslims are being harassed under these laws across the country. As per the office report uploaded on the apex court website, so far no reply has been filed by the Centre or any of the states which have been made parties to the litigation. On February 17, 2021, the top court had permitted the NGO to make Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh the parties to its pending petition by which it had challenged some controversial state laws regulating conversions due to interfaith ...

Delhi HC to pass order on PIL against affixation of images of gods on walls

According to the petition, people are using pictures of deities on various places as a measure to stop open public urination

PILs increasingly used to target infrastructure projects, says SC

Public interest litigation (PIL) matters are being increasingly used to target infrastructure projects, the Supreme Court observed on Friday while refusing to entertain a plea challenging the re-development of a plot of land in Mumbai. "The PILs could become an instrument of blackmail when it is an issue of an infrastructure project. This actually makes a plank to target such projects. The (Bombay) High Court has actually smelled the rat here. This is happening across Delhi, Mumbai....," a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said. The top court was hearing an appeal against the dismissal of a plea by the Bombay High Court challenging the redevelopment of a plot of land at Mumbai's Worli. It concurred with the high court's findings that the PIL was filed to target the project. "When a particular property is targeted in a PIL, the high court is often aware why the party has approached it. The idea is to target one project and the high court often knows wh

Bengal panchayat polls: Adhikari files PIL for central forces' deployment

Suvendu Adhikari filed a PIL before a division bench of Calcutta High Court demanding deployment of central armed forces during next year's election to the three-tier panchayat system in the state

Delhi HC reserves order on PIL seeking ban on deities' images on walls

The Delhi High Court reserved its order in a plea against the practice of sticking gods' images and posters on walls in order to prevent public urination, spitting, and throwing garbage

Delhi HC seeks RBI response on implementation of Uniform Banking Code

Court also asks Centre to file a reply in the case in six weeks; next hearing on March 20

SC seeks Centre, states reply on PIL for free sanitary pads in govt schools

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, states and Union territories (UTs) on a PIL seeking issuance of directions for providing free sanitary pads to girls studying in classes 6 to 12 in government schools across the country. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the plea of social activist Jaya Thakur, a Madhya Pradesh-based doctor, and issued notices to the central government and all the states and UTs. The top court also sought assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the matter, saying the petitioner has raised the important issue of sanitation and hygiene of girl students in government and government-aided schools.

MeitY unblocks VLC Media Player, month after getting legal notice

The ban had been imposed earlier this year, without any official statement

SC dismisses PIL asking to remove Nitish Kumar from Bihar's CM post

A bench of Justices MR Shah and MM Sundresh said that post-poll alliance is allowed by anti-defection law and the 10th schedule of the Constitution, subject to certain conditions

PIL in Delhi High Court against overcrowding of prisoners in Tihar Jail

The plea stated that the number of inmates in Tihar Jail had exceeded the actual capacity of each barrack and it is on record that there is a huge increment in the total population of inmates

'Satyamev Jayate', says Hemant Soren after SC sets aside Jharkhand HC order

Jharkhand CM took to social media and Tweeted "Satyamev Jayate"

Allahabad HC to hear PIL seeking removal of Mazaars from railway stations

The case has been scheduled for its next hearing on December 15