CJI NV Ramana To Pronounce 5 Verdicts On His Last Day

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana is set to pronounce judgments of five crucial hearings on his last day. The Supreme Court Registry updated the court causelist -- the list of matters for orders/hearing on Friday --- late Thursday night. 

The bench of CJI Ramana,  Justice Hima Kohli and Justice CT Ravikumar will be hearing the following cases:

2007 Gorakhpur riots 

The apex court will be hearing a plea today challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's refusal to grant sanction to prosecute CM Yogi Adityanath and others for alleged inflammatory speeches that had triggered violence in Gorakhpur in 2007. UP-based activist Parvez Parwaz filed the plea.

In 2018, the Allahabad High Court upheld the UP government's decision to deny prosecution sanction and rejected the plea seeking a CBI probe against Yogi Adityanath.

Rajasthan mining issue

The CJI-led three-judge bench will pronounce a verdict on an appeal by the Rajasthan government against a 2016 high court verdict that allowed Ultratech Cement company to continue its limestone mining lease in the land that the state government claims was a "johad" or water body.

Since 2005, the dispute has been under litigation since the Rajasthan government cancelled the letter of intent issued in 2003. It allowed the company to start mining operations, subject to environmental clearance. 

Karnataka mining case

A set of applications filed by various mining companies demand a lift on the decade-old ban on the export of iron ore and remove the district-level restriction on the mining of iron ore in Karnataka. The issue started since the filing of a PIL by the NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya that had led to closure of the mining due to illegal activities.

The Karnataka government in its affidavit filed in April 2022 has also opposed lifting of the export ban.

Election freebies

A plea filed by BJP leader Ashwani Upadhyay had opened up a huge debate on the "rewari" culture of the Indian political state. The top court will hear the plea seeking a ban on the freebies promised by political parties to lure voters. 

The court would also look into barring election promises which have no government backing and do welfare schemes announced by the party in power immediately before elections fall under a "freebie".

Regulation under bankruptcy law

The Court will pronounce a verdict on a plea filed by the official liquidator of ABG Shipyard against the order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on the issue of whether the 90-day window for payment by a successful bidder, as provided in the liquidation regulations issued by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Liquidation Process Regulations of 2016, would apply retrospectively and to cases where the liquidation process started before the date of coming into effect of the amended guidelines in 2019.