Plea junked, SC tells Mallya to appear before Oct 5

The Supreme Court Monday directed fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to appear before it on October 5 while dismissing his plea seeking review of the 2017 verdict which held him guilty of. The top court also told the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the Mallya’s presence before it in October.

A Bench of Justices U U Lalit and Ashok Bhushan refused to re-examine its verdict and dismissed his plea for having no merit. The Court had reserved its judgment last Thursday.

In May 2017, the SC had found Mallya guilty of contempt of court in a plea filed by a consortium of banks. The plea alleged that Mallya had disobeyed the court’s orders by making “vague and unclear disclosure of his assets” by transferring a $40 million from Diageo Plc. to his son Siddharth and daughters Leanna and Tanya in violation of orders passed by the Karnataka High Court. The HC had specifically asked Mallya not to transfer any movable and immovable assets to any person.

Investigator as complainant OK in drug cases

In many Narcotics cases, the officer registering the complaint is also the investigating officer, but "it cannot be said that the investigation is biased and the trial is vitiated," a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held on Monday. On an acquittal given by the Apex Court to one Mukesh Singh under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, on the ground that the investigating officer and the complainant was the same will apply to the facts of those cases only and it cannot be applied as a general rule, said the court. The bench was hearing on a question of law referred by a three-judge bench on whether trial of cases under NDPS Act will be vitiated if the informant and the investigating officer is the same person.

High Court reply sought on reopening of Sterlite plant The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Government on an appeal filed by mining giant Vedanta Limited against the Madras High Court order refusing to allow reopening of Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi. The HC had on August 18 refused to allow the reopening of the factory which has remained closed since April 2018. Jaipur electricity supply dispute settled

The Supreme Court on Monday gave partial relief to Jaipur Vidyut Vitaran Nigam in the dispute raging over tariff raised by Adani Power Rajasthan Limited, holding that the former will pay interest and late payment surcharge at the rate of not exceeding 9% per annum, to be compounded annually. The Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Vineet Saran and M R Shah also ruled out additional 2% interest required to be paid under the PPA agreement.