Legal briefs

CJI terms Justice Shantanagoudar common man's judge

• Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Monday paid homage to Supreme Court judge Mohan M Shantanagoudar, who died in April at a hospital in Delhi, calling him a common man's judge
• Justice Shantanagoudar, who was elevated as a judge of the apex court on Feb 17, 2017, and would have remained in office till May 5, 2023, died at 62
• The CJI recalled some major judgments of Justice Shantanagoudar and said his contribution to the jurisprudence of the nation is indisputable
• Attorney General K K Venugopal said that the late judge was simplicity personified and one of the brightest legal minds in criminal law

SC to consider NIA's plea against bail to activist Sudha

• The Supreme Court on Monday said it would consider submissions seeking urgent hearing of National Investigation Agency's plea challenging the Bombay High Court order granting default bail to lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj
• Sudha was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case in Aug 2018 under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
• The NIA had moved the top court earlier against the HC's Dec 1 order that Sudha, accused of being part of a conspiracy to overthrow the Union govt, was entitled to bail
• The HC had directed that Sudha, lodged in the Byculla women's prison, be produced before the Mumbai special NIA court on Dec 8, and conditions of her bail and date of release be decided on that day

Stop coercive action under new IT Rules: HC to Centre

• The Madras High Court on Monday restrained the Central govt from taking any coercive action against digital media firms under the new codes made to the parent Information Technology Act
• The first bench gave the injunction when a new PIL petition from the Indian Broadcasters and Digital Media Foundation came up for hearing on Monday
• The respondents (Centre) are restrained from taking any coercive action without the permission of the court, the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing to Jan 25