SC notice to govt on PIL accusing armed forces, police of fake encounter

The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and Assam government on a PIL accusing the armed forces and state police of allegedly indulging in fake encounters in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud also issued notices to the CRPF, the National Human Rights Commission and others.

The bench on Monday also sought responses from General Officer Commanding of 4 Corps and chairperson of Operational Group, Unified Command -- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -- CRPF commandant posted in Chirang district of Assam.

Some of the senior officials of the central forces are named in the petition filed by former bureaucrat E A S Sarma.

The PIL is based on a report filed by CRPF IG Rajnish Rai in April 2017 alleging "cold blooded fake encounter killing of two suspected members of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) faction" on March 30 last year in Assam's Simalguri village.

Collegium judges meet CJI; ask to reiterate Justice Joseph's name: Updates

Although the much speculated Supreme Court Collegium meeting did not take place on Wednesday, four of the five senior most judges reportedly met at the chamber of CJI Dipak Misra to discuss the reiteration of Justice K M Joseph’s name for elevation to the apex court.

An apex court official said while there was a likelihood of the meeting being held on Wednesday, it was for the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra to fix the date but as of now there is no official word on it.

"There is no official confirmation when the Collegium would meet," the official said, adding that "it is obvious that the agenda of the meeting would be the elevation of Justice Joseph to the apex court".

According to The Indian Express, Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan Lokur met Chief Justice Dipak Misra in his chambers around 4.15 pm. Justice J Chelameswar, the senior-most Supreme Court judge who led a virtual revolt against the CJI, was not present in the meeting as he was on leave. The English daily, however, reports that he has written to the members of the Collegium reiterating Justice K M Joseph's name for elevation to the Supreme Court.

CJI Dipak Misra impeachment: SC bench to hear petition today; top updates

After two Rajya Sabha members of the Congress party on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of their impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, a five-judge Bench comprising Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and A K Goel will on Tuesday hear their petition. The MPs have questioned Upper House Chairman and Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the party's notice for an impeachment motion against the CJI.

The Bar Association of India, a voluntary organisation of lawyers stated that "the notice for the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was "unwarranted" and an assault on the judiciary".

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also one of the signatories of the impeachment notice, mentioned the petition filed by two Members of Parliament -- Partap Singh Bajwa and Amee Yajnik -- for an urgent listing before a Bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar. Sibal said Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could not summarily reject the notice bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members who had recently retired, on the ground that there was "no proved misbehaviour".

The SC Bench asked Sibal and advocate Prashant Bhushan to mention the matter before the Chief Justice of India for an urgent listing by citing a constitution Bench judgment on the powers of a "master of roster".

Impeachment notice's rejection raised "serious constitutional issues" and involved interpretation of constitutional provisions, said Sibal.

INX media case: Karti is not a 'fugitive of justice', lawyer Sibal tells SC

In a hearing of the INX media case on Tuesday, Karti Chidambaram's lawyer Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the former is not a "fugitive of justice".

The case against Karti, which pertains to allege that he illegally took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving funds from abroad worth Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father P. Chidambaram was the finance minister in Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's rule, was heard by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.
Arguing in the court against the lookout notice used by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which prevents Karti from travelling outside India, Sibal told that though Karti went abroad but he came back to India again.

Sibal told the court that the Centre had pressurised the foreign bank to close Karti's account in United Kingdom, so he had to take money out of it during his last visit to the country.

The senior lawyer further argued that there is just an FIR against karti in the INX media case and nothing has been proved against him yet.

Denying Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) allegation of multiple foreign bank accounts, Karti earlier told the Supreme Court that he had only one account in the United Kingdom's Metro Bank and one property in that country.
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