The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to apprise it on the action taken against former Chief Justice and NHRC chief KG Balakrishnan in the disproportionate assets case against him. The court has asked the government to reply by March 12 on the actions that it has taken or intends to take against the former CJI. "We want to know what was done on the representation (before the government against ex-CJI)...

Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has written a strong letter to President Pratibha Patil complaining against Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khursheed for challenging the Commission on the “nine per cent sub-quota for minorities issue” even after being censured by it. Mr. Quraishi sought her “immediate and decisive” intervention to ensure that the Election Commission (EC) discharged its functions and duties in accordance with the Constitution and law in Uttar...

The National Green Tribunal is the latest to point out that consultants are including “cooked data” in the key environment impact assessment (EIA) reports which determine green clearances for industrial projects. The Tribunal has told the government to come up with a mechanism to ensure authentic data. The Tribunal made its comments last week while suspending the environment clearance given to Scania Steel and Power for the expansion of its sponge...

-The Economic Times   The Bombay High Court has ordered filmmaker Subhash Ghai to return to Maharashtra government 20-acres allotted for his film institute. The court indicted Union science and technology minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for "misusing his official position" as chief minister by showing "undue favours" to Ghai. However, the court said there was no need for a CBI probe into the land deal since there was no material to indicate that its...

-The Hindu   Modhvadia quotes from then Ahmedabad police chief's deposition in letter to SIT P.C. Pande, Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad during the Godhra and post-Godhra violence of 2002, deposed before the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission in August 2004 that the decision to transport the charred bodies of Godhra victims to Ahmedabad was “taken at the top level of the government.” Further, looking to the “sensitive” and “tinderbox-like” situation in Ahmedabad, he himself...