SC sends notices to 3 lawyers for vilifying Telangana high court judge
A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran took exception to the pleadings in the transfer petition and said, "At a time when we are protecting lawyers from getting summons, we cannot allow our judges to be put in the dock. It is clear that the lawyers have made scurrilous and scandalous allegations against a sitting judge of Telangana HC."
The bench said, "Not only the litigants would face contempt of court proceedings for making such allegations, but the lawyers who prepare petitions containing such allegations would also be liable for contempt of court."
The bench issued notice to the lawyer-petitioner, the advocate who drafted the petition and the advocate-on-record under whose signature the petition was filed.
"Show cause why contempt of court proceedings be not initiated against you (the three advocates). The petitioner-advocate and the other two advocates would remain present in court to face the contempt proceedings on Aug 11," the bench ordered.
However, the bench said if genuine apologies tendered, these would be considered on the next date of hearing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
9 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rights group blames J&K Police for backlash against Kashmiris after Pahalgam attack
The Forum for Human Rights in J&K, an independent body co-chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur and former Kashmir interlocutor Radha Kumar, on Monday (August 4, 2025) blamed the Jammu & Kashmir Police's 'hasty and incorrect information for triggering hate speech and hateful actions against Kashmiris' after the Pahalgam terror attack. Releasing its annual report on human rights on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of special provisions of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, the forum noted that the police information that two of the terrorists were Kashmiris caused a backlash. 'It also created a permissive environment for hate speech and actions, as evidenced by trolling, arrests and illegal demolitions. By the time the NIA (National Investigation Agency) clarified the terrorists were all Pakistani, one month later, considerable damage had been done,' the report, J&K-Statehood for Human Rights, reads. The report said that mob hate spread to the extent that even the Foreign Secretary, Army and Air Force officers were trolled for a ceasefire. The forum alleged that there was no preventive action to stop the backlash. 'Though a backlash against Kashmiris and Muslims was widely anticipated, the Union Home Ministry did nothing to prevent it. By contrast, in 2010, the Union Home Ministry had issued an advisory to all police to act against harassment. Fortunately, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had his ministers rush to other states to appeal to their chief ministers to protect Kashmiri residents, after which the backlash dwindled,' it said. The forum highlighted security lapse in preventing the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead. 'The least that could have been done, issuing a general advisory warning residents and tourists in Jammu and Kashmir of a risk to crowded or tourist areas, was not done either,' it said. It pointed out the plight of border residents during 'Operation Sindoor'. 'Despite taking two weeks to respond militarily, little was done to evacuate civilians from the border areas, who were in any case facing incessant firing across the Line of Control from Pakistani troops (probably to facilitate the escape of the terrorists and infiltration by others),' the report said. The report said that the very large number of people were brought in for questioning – reportedly 2,800 – and the slapping of PSA and UAPA charges on over 100, 'were seen as collective punishment of the people for lapses of the Union Home Ministry and Lieutenant-Governor's administration'. The report claimed 'marginalization of the elected administration through imposition of the new Transaction of Business Rules issued shortly before the assembly election, which retained most powers in the hands of the Lieutenant-Governor, including over civil servants, the police, the Attorney-General and prosecutorial services. 'These rules nullify the rights of the people to representative and accountable governance,' it added.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
23 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Green regulators can seek bank guarantees from polluters: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that environmental regulators, such as the Pollution Control Boards, can impose environmental compensation and seek bank guarantees from polluting entities as part of their preventive measures against potential environmental damage. 'We hold that the environmental regulators, the Pollution Control Boards, can impose and collect as restitutionary and compensatory damages fixed sums of money or require furnishing bank guarantees as an ex-ante measure towards potential environmental damage in exercise of powers under Sections 33A and 31A of the Water and Air Acts,' the Supreme Court said. A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra held that such actions by State Boards are lawful and fall within their powers. However, the Bench stressed that this authority must be exercised fairly and transparently. 'While we hold that the Boards have the power to direct the payment of environmental damages, we make it clear that this power must always be guided by two overarching principles. First, that the power cannot be exercised in an arbitrary manner; and second, the process of exercising this power must be infused with transparency,' the judgment said. The court emphasized that such action must be distinguished from a penalty. 'There is a distinction between a direction for payment of restitutionary and compensatory damages as a remedial measure for environmental damage or as an ex-ante measure towards potential environmental damage on the one hand; and a punitive action of fine or imprisonment for violations under Chapters VII of the Water Act and VI of the Air Act on the other hand.' The Bench also referred to the polluter pays principle in Indian environmental jurisprudence, stating that actual environmental degradation is not a prerequisite for demanding compensation. Instead, the potential for environmental harm is sufficient. 'The actual degradation of the environment is not a necessary condition for the application of the polluter pays principle, as long as the offending activities have the potential of degrading the environment," the judgment said. The Court also echoed the view taken by the National Green Tribunal in Swastik Ispat Pvt Ltd, where the tribunal had upheld the use of bank guarantees as a lawful method of securing environmental compliance. In the present case, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had appealed against the judgment of the Division Bench of the High Court, which had held that it was not empowered to levy compensatory damages under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Section 31A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The High Court ruled that such action amounted to a penalty under Chapters VII and VI of the respective Acts, and as such, the procedure for imposing and collecting compensatory damages outlined thereunder should be the only method available.
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
During ‘missing' woman's probe, cops deny harassment allegations, ‘casteist remarks' towards 3 women
Pune City police landed in controversy following action taken by them while providing assistance to their counterparts from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in tracing a 'missing' woman. Three women in Pune — in whose company the 'missing' woman had been for a day — alleged that police tortured them and passed casteist remarks against them. However, the police have refuted the allegations. A missing report was filed at a police station in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar by the family of a 23-year-old woman who had left home a few days ago, but didn't return. A probe by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar police had revealed the missing woman was in Kothrud area of Pune city. So a police team reached Pune and sought Kothrud police station's help in tracing her. On August 1, a damini squad (comprising only policewomen) from Kothrud police station questioned three women residing at a hostel in Kothrud, as the missing lady had stayed with them for sometime. The three women were also brought to Kothrud police station for inquiry. Later, the women alleged that they were beaten up at the police station. They also alleged that the police officials made casteist remarks against them. The issue was raised on social media by activists and politicians. The women demanded action against police officials under the SC & ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar held a meeting with Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma and other senior police officials demanding action against the cops who allegedly harassed the women. Dalit leaders Prakash Ambedkar, Sujat Ambedkar and others from Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi also levelled allegations against the police for making casteist comments against the women. The women staged protests even in the night at Pune City police Commissionerate. One of the women submitted a complaint application regarding harassment to police on August 2. Senior police inspector Sandip Deshmane of Kothrud police station gave her a reply in writing on August 3 that a prima-facie inquiry into her complaint found no substance and so no offence can be registered against the cops in this case. Deshmane stated that the alleged incident did not take place in 'public view' and the complainant was not able to give concrete material supporting the allegations. The woman then filed another complaint application at Pune Police Commissionerate around 2 am on August 4. Deshmane also replied to this application that no substance was found in the allegations. Meanwhile, the woman who reportedly went missing from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar was traced to Pune. She gave a statement that she left her home due to harassment from her husband and in-laws, police said. Political leaders and activists have demanded an investigation against her father-in-law, who they claimed is a retired police officer and allegedly exerted pressure on the police department for taking wrongful action in this case.
