The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred a hearing on widening of roads in border areas amidst a verbal duel with Citizen for Green Doon, an NGO, alleging that the Centre is resorting to bench “avoidance” by insisting the case be adjudicated by a vacation bench instead of the regular bench and the Centre rubbishing the allegations as delaying tactics.
At the outset of the proceedings, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the NGO, told a bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari that he had filed a written submission and pleaded the bench to go through it.
But Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, immediately took strong objection and submitted that the petitioner not be allowed to raise baseless and motivated allegations.
Centre refutes NGO s claim of bench avoidance in Chardham project case
By IANS |
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K.K. Venugopal. (File Photo: IANS). Image Source: IANS News
New Delhi, May 14 : The Centre on Thursday strongly objected in the Supreme Court the claims of an NGO stating that it was involved in bench avoidance in a case connected to road widening in the Chardham highway project.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheswari took note of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal s contention in the matter and said the court did not ask the NGO to file any written submissions in the matter.
Orders released inmates to be transported home so they do not violate curfew/lockdown
The Supreme Court has turned a humanitarian eye on the over four-lakh prison population inside overcrowded jails even as the second wave of the pandemic continues its devastating run across the country.
“India has more than four lakh prison inmates. It is observed that some of the prisons in India are overburdened and are housing inmates beyond optimal capacity…. The requirement of decongestion is a matter concerning the health and right to life of both the prison inmates and the police personnel working,” the Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Surya Kant, stressed.
SC to pass orders on decongestion of prisons in view of alarming COVID situation
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Last Updated: May 07, 2021, 10:01 PM IST
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Synopsis The present situation is very alarming. The prayers raised last time (in March 23) needs to be considered now again, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said while taking up fresh pleas in pending suo motu case relating to decongestion of prisons in country in view of rise in COVID cases.
Terming the situation as very alarming , the Supreme Court Friday said it would pass orders to ensure release of prisoners to decongest prisons in view of surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. The top court, on March 23, 2020, had also directed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to constitute high-level committees (HPCs) to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and the under trials for offences entailing up to 7-year jail term to decongest prisons in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.