Author: Anvita Dwivedi

The Supreme Court has permitted suggestions to be placed before it in connection with the ongoing Special Investigation Team investigation into allegations of theft and misappropriation of donations received for the construction and management of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The development assumes significance because the proceedings before the Court have gradually moved beyond the narrow question of whether the investigation should be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation and towards a broader examination of the manner in which donations, valuables and financial records associated with the temple trust are accounted for. The Court’s approach indicates that the central…

The Supreme Court has intervened in proceedings before the Allahabad High Court concerning allegations of disproportionate assets against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, asking the High Court not to proceed further with the matter for the time being. The proceedings arise from a petition filed by Karnataka-based BJP worker S. Vignesh Shishir, who has sought investigation into allegations that Rahul Gandhi possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Gandhi approached the Supreme Court challenging the manner in which the proceedings had progressed before the Allahabad High Court, particularly questioning the fairness of the process…

The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the Election Commission of India’s decision to use the 2002 electoral roll as the reference point for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Sikkim). The challenge raised an important question concerning the legality and fairness of relying upon an electoral roll prepared more than two decades ago while undertaking a fresh verification of voters in 2026. The Court’s refusal to disturb the Election Commission’s decision is significant because it reinforces the distinction between a historical reference point for verification and an absolute eligibility cut-off. The controversy arises from the ongoing SIR of…

The Supreme Court is seized of a plea raising an important question concerning the permissible limits of judicial supervision over police investigations arising from the protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The proceedings, involving Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, bring into focus a recurring tension in criminal jurisprudence: while investigation of offences is ordinarily regarded as the domain of the police, constitutional courts cannot remain completely detached when allegations arise that investigative powers are being exercised arbitrarily, selectively or in violation of fundamental rights. The controversy therefore goes beyond the particular FIRs registered in connection with the protests. It concerns…

Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has raised a pointed concern over the functioning of two institutions that occupy an indispensable position in a constitutional democracy the judiciary and the press. Speaking in the context of the larger debate surrounding constitutional governance, institutional accountability and the erosion of public confidence, Sibal questioned whether both the judicial system and the media have adequately discharged their responsibilities as democratic checks on power. His remarks are significant not merely as political criticism but because they raise a deeper constitutional question: what happens to democracy when institutions constitutionally expected to scrutinise power…

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has cautioned law schools against adopting a blanket prohibition on artificial intelligence tools, emphasising that the future of legal education cannot be secured by insulating students from technological developments. Speaking in Jodhpur, the CJI called upon National Law Universities to take a leading role in shaping the relationship between law and technology and stressed that students must be trained not merely to use technological tools, but to question, verify and critically assess what those tools produce. The intervention comes at a significant moment for legal education, when generative AI is rapidly changing legal research,…

The Supreme Court has brought to an end the criminal proceedings arising from the controversial remarks concerning persons with disabilities made by comedian Samay Raina and other content creators in connection with the show India’s Got Latent. The Court quashed the FIRs against Raina and the other accused after taking note of the subsequent steps undertaken by them to acknowledge the harm caused, engage with the disability community and contribute towards awareness and support initiatives. The decision marks an important development in the long-running proceedings because the Court has attempted to reconcile two competing constitutional concerns—the protection of dignity and…

The Supreme Court on Friday strongly disapproved of the Bar Council of India’s intervention against students of the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, after a section of the university’s graduating batch expressed opposition to the invitation extended to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to attend the institution’s convocation. What began as a disagreement within a law university over the presence of a particular dignitary at a graduation ceremony rapidly escalated into a question concerning freedom of expression, student dissent, professional regulation and the limits of institutional authority. The Court’s response has now brought the controversy…

The Supreme Court has settled an important and long-standing controversy under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, holding that a party which has lost before an arbitral tribunal can nevertheless approach the court under Section 9 of the Act for interim protection after the award has been delivered, provided the award has not yet been enforced under Section 36. The judgment, delivered by a Bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and Manmohan in Home Care Retail Marts Pvt. Ltd. v. Haresh N. Sanghavi, resolves conflicting approaches adopted by different High Courts and makes it clear that the statutory expression “a party”…

The Supreme Court has declined to prescribe a rigid timeline for the disposal of appeals pending before the appellate tribunals constituted in West Bengal in connection with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, while directing the Election Commission to place before it detailed data concerning the number of appeals disposed of and those that continue to remain pending. The direction assumes considerable significance because the tribunal mechanism was created precisely to provide an independent appellate avenue to persons affected by decisions taken during the voter-roll revision exercise. The Court’s latest approach reflects a delicate balance between two competing constitutional…