Justice Lodha sworn in as 41st Chief Justice of India

Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, was on 27-04-2014 sworn in as the 41st Chief Justice of India by President Pranab Mukherjee. 

The 64-year-old Justice Lodha took over from Justice (retd) P. Sathasivam who demitted office on 26-04-2014 after nine months as the head of the judiciary.

States have no power to frame a mining policy :Supreme Court

The Supreme Court clarified that the State government cannot frame policy for granting mining leases going beyond the scope of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957and Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.

Reiterating this point, the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions filed by the Centre, JSW Steel Ltd and others seeking review of the September 2010 judgment in the ’Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Ltd (SMIOL) vs. State of Karnataka’ case.

Death can’t be commuted on ground of delay on mercy plea: SC

Supreme Court held that long delay by the President or the Governor in disposing of mercy petitions of persons convicted under anti-terror laws like TADA or similar statutes cannot be a ground for commutation of the death sentence. A two-judge bench gave this ruling while rejecting the plea of Khalistani terrorist and death-row convict Devinderpal Singh Bhullar in a judgment that paves the way for his execution and may have a bearing on the fate of over 20 convicts facing execution.

Reopen 1984 riots case against Jagdish Tytler: Sessions Court

Setting aside a magisterial court order accepting the closure report filed by the CBI, the sessions court ordered further investigation.

Earlier, Magisterial court order accepted the closure report filed by the CBI gave to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

The sessions court directed the CBI to record the statements of eyewitnesses to the murder of three Sikhs at Gurdwara Pul Bangash on November 1, 1984. They were burnt alive by a mob that was incited by Mr. Tytler, the witnesses alleged. However, the CBI concluded that Mr. Tytler was present at Teen Murti Bhawan when the riot took place.

Supreme Court stays execution of eight death row convicts

The Supreme Court on Saturday night stayed the execution of eight death row convicts whose mercy petitions were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this week.

A Bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and M.Y. Eqbal stayed the execution after hearing senior counsel Colin Gonsalves appearing for the convicts, who filed writ petitions challenging the rejection of their mercy petitions.

The convicts are: Suresh, Ramji and Gurmeet Singh in Naini Central Prison, Allahabad; Praveen Kumar in Belgaum prison in Karnataka; Sonia, daughter of the former Haryana MLA, Ralu Ram Punia, and her husband Sanjeev in Ambala Central Prison in Haryana; Sundar Singh in Nainital, Uttaranchal and Jaffer Ali serving the sentence in a jail in Uttar Pradesh.

Govt to limit use of beacon lights : Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court questioned the indiscriminate use of red beacon lights. It also expressed its disapproval over the deployment of security for all categories of "VIPs".

Supreme Court said we will have to stop use of red lights as insignia of authority if we don’t get proper replies from them

A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Kurian Joseph asked the States to amend the Motor Vehicle Rules to restrict the use, as well as impose exemplary fines for misuse of the facility. Those allowed to have the red beacons, but found misusing them would incur a Rs. 10,000 fine.

The Bench directed the state governments and union territories to file affidavits giving information on all those enjoying police protection and the cost borne by the government for their security.