Sajjan Kumar denied bail: Not a small case, says SC
The Supreme Court on Friday denied bail to Sajjan Kumar, a former Congress MP serving a life term in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, with presiding Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde over a 3-judge bench observing that "it is not a small case". He had sought bail on medical grounds. He had earlier also moved the top court in May for bail on similar grounds which was also rejected.
The Bench, which also included Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, clarified that his appeal challenging Delhi High Court's order in December 2018 awarding the life sentence will be heard when the Court reopens for physical hearing.
The riots had broke out immediately after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two Sikh bodyguards.
SC quashes TN district judge's plea for promotion
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition of a batch of the direct recruit district judges of Tamil Nadu, staking claim to be promoted as the High Court judges, holding their claim as "wholly untenable" and the writ petition "misconceived".
Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, who wrote the judgment on behalf of the Bench that also consisted of
Justice AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, also rejected their claim to set aside the High Court collegium's recommendation to elevate 19 others as the High Court judges.
Referring to names of a few persons mentioned in the writ petition as appointed to the High Court without completing 10 years of service as district judges, the judgment says: "We do not know whether they got so appointed by clubbing the number of years of practice at the Bar. The factual situation that prevailed in those cases is not available."
Shia cleric withdraws PIL on Tazia
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed as withdrawn a writ petition filed as a PIL by Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad to allow the Tazia processions on the occasion of Mohurrum on August 29-30, making the Centre and all 35 states and UTs as parties. The Bench of Chief Justice Sharad Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian told Jawad that the Mohurrum is already over and as such no significance of his petition since the situation of Coronavirus may not be same next year to warrant a court order. His counsel agreed to withdraw the PIL. The cleric hailing from Lucknow had similarly withdrawn another petition with the same prayer on August 27 in the same court of the Chief Justice.