-The Hindu Admits lawyer’s letter seeking court-monitored probe as PIL petition Amid mounting pressure on the Uttar Pradesh police to solve the Unnao gang-rape case and custodial death of the minor victim’s father, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the matter. Acting on a request by senior advocate Gopal S. Chaturvedi for a court-monitored probe, the HC admitted his letter as a Public Interest Litigation plea. The matter...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts and PAN cards was intended to screen genuine tax payers from dishonest elements evading taxes. The government made the comments while trying to allay fears that people could be harassed for money-laundering offences. Appearing for the Centre and the Aadhaar-issuing Unique Identification Authority of India, additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta told a five-judge...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday conceded in the Supreme Court that Aadhaar cannot be a panacea for detecting bank frauds like the one allegedly committed by diamantaire Nirav Modi, saying the scam would not have occurred if due "diligence" had been exercised by banks. The admission comes against the backdrop of the Centre's aggressive push for Aadhaar for the receipt of various government benefits and as an antidote to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed surprise at Delhi police officers acting as special executive magistrates (SEMs) who have allegedly reject bonds arbitrarily to imprison protesters or those facing proceedings for involvement in scuffles. Hearing a PIL by advocate Aldansih Rein complaining about arbitrary exercise of powers by SEMs, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, "I have been in the legal profession and...

-The Indian Express The Supreme Court bench of U U Lalit and A K Goyal, which laid down stringent safeguards before registering a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Tuesday, took a similar line on the anti-dowry law last July. IT’S A tale of two laws and the same two-judge bench. The Supreme Court bench of U U Lalit and A K Goyal, which laid down stringent safeguards before...