Weekly Legal Wrap: SC Delivers Another Key Verdict On Climate Change, Ramdev Gets Time To Prove He is 'Sorry' & More
Here's a quick recap of top legal stories of last week.
The Supreme Court last week reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking 100% cross verification of EVM votes with VVPATs, just a day before India went into the general elections. At the outset of season of Mangoes, the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi CM were seen sparring over the king of fruits. Malabar Parota found itself again demoted to the status of 'Roti' and 'Thepla' as the Kerala High Court ruled that it falls under the 5% GST bracket and not 18%. Baba Ramdev again found himself in legal trouble over tax demand for his Yoga camps.
Here's a quick recap of top legal stories of last week.
ED Claims Arvind Kejriwal Eating Mangoes To Increase Blood Sugar Level To Get Bail, Kejriwal Says Politicising 'Food'
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday told a Delhi court that Arvind Kejriwal was deliberately eating mangoes, sweets and taking tea with sugar to raise his blood sugar level and use that as a ground to get bail on medical grounds. The Delhi court asked Tihar Jail authorities to give details of the diet chart of the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor.
Kejriwal however said that ED is politicising his food and withdrew a plea seeking consultation with his doctor thrice a week regarding his fluctuating sugar levels and moved a fresh plea on Friday seeking 15-minute daily consultations with his physician and access to insulin. The court will pronounce its order on April 22. Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.
SC Reserves Verdict On Plea Seeking 100% EVM-VVPAT Verification, ECI Denies Mismatch In Votes
The Supreme Court on Thursday concluded hearing submissions by petitioners and the Election Commission Of India (ECI) in the plea seeking 100% verification of EVMs with VVPAT and reserved it verdict. A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved the verdict today after hearing submissions by all parties at length. Read more...
Brij Bhushan Singh Seeks Probe In Sexual Harassment Case, Says 'Was Out Of India On Date Of Alleged Offence'
Former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Thursday moved an application in the court seeking further investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against him by six female wrestlers, claiming that he was out of India on the date of alleged offence. The Delhi court reserved its verdict after Singh moved the application. Read more...
'Job loss From Climate Change' To 'Habitat Rights Of Other Species'— Key Takeaways From SC Verdict On Forest Protection
The Supreme Court in a recent order slammed the "selective amnesia" of humans towards forests and imposed a cost of Rs 5 Lakhs each on Telangana Government and a private party that claimed ownership of land notified as forest land. The top court last week reversed a Telangana High Court verdict, which it observed had wrongly granted the ownership of forest land to a private individual. This verdict follows and supplements the recent landmark verdict by the apex court which recognises the "right against adverse impact of Climate Change" as a Fundamental Right. Read more...
5-year LLB Course 'Irrational', Give Law Degree In 3 years After 12th Standard: PIL In SC
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court to turn the five-year graduation for law degree into a 3-year law graduation degree course directly after school. At present, the LL.B course which the students can join after passing 12th standard is for a period of 5 years. The three-year law degree course is available only for graduates. Petitioner has filed PIL under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking direction to the Centre and Bar Council of India to form an Expert Committee to ascertain the feasibility of starting a 3 Years Bachelor of Law Course after 12th Standard like Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Art Courses. Read more...
'Malabar Parota No Different From Bread': Kerala HC Sets Aside 18% GST, Says 5% GST Enough
The Kerala High Court in a recent order has held that Malabar 'Parota' and Whole Wheat Malabar Parota is no different from 'bread' and should be taxed at the rate of 5% only instead of 18% GST. The petitioner had moved the court after the Kerala Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) classified Malabar 'Parota' and Whole Wheat Malabar Parota as taxable at 18% GST. AAR held that exemption from GST would not be applicable in the case of the petitioner's products as it is applicable only for specific commodities (bread) covered under Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) 1905. Read more...
Queer Rights: Coercive Medical Treatments, Social Welfare Entitlements — What SC Recommended Central Panel Will Look At
The Centre on Tuesday notified a six-member panel to examine and make recommendations on several issues pertaining to rights of the queer community as directed by the Supreme Court in the Marriage equality verdict in the 'Supriyo vs Union Of India' case. The six-member committee will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Other five members of the panel include the Secretaries of the Department of Home, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Legislative Department of Ministry of Law and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Committee may co-opt experts and other officers if deemed necessary, the notification said. Read more...
28-Week Pregnancy Termination: SC To Hear Minor Rape Victim's Abortion Plea On Monday
The Supreme Court will resume hearing the petition filed by a minor rape victim's mother seeking termination of a 28-weeks-pregnancy of her 14-year-old daughter tomorrow. The court on Friday directed a Mumbai hospital to carry out medical examination of the pregnant rape victim and submit the report by Monday. Read more...
Mob Lynching: 'Don't Go By Religion', SC Rebukes Lawyers For Selective Approach, Asks States To Reply
The Supreme Court on Tuesday while hearing a PIL filed against rising cases of mob lynching and inaction by state governments reprimanded lawyers for selective approach and digressing from the issue of mob-lynching to mob-lynching of into Hindus and Muslim in the court. The top court had to ask the lawyers to maintain restraint and discipline in the court and to not go by religion or caste but to focus on the issue. This exchange occurred when while hearing the petitioner, the bench of Supreme Court asked if Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal's case was mentioned in the petition. Read more...
Patanjali Ads: Ramdev Wants To Tender Public Apology, Says 'Got Carried Away'. SC To 'Think' Whether To Accept His Sorry
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Baba Ramdev to come forward and speak for himself on why the court should not initiate contempt proceedings against him for his irresponsible behaviour. The court pulled him up for advertising cure for diseases that are listed as incurable diseases in the Drugs And Magic Remedies Act. The court said that given Ramdev's past track record, they were not fully convinced about his apology and said the top court will think if it wants to accept Ramdev's apology or not. Read more...
SC Asks Ramdev's Patanjali Trust To Pay 4.5 Cr Tax For Charging Entry Fees At Yoga Camps
The Supreme Court in on Friday upheld the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) ruling and held that Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust is liable to pay Rs 4.5 crore to tax authorities for charging an entry fee for organising Yoga camps. Read more...
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