Supreme Court

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, said the populist announcements distort the informed decision making of the voter and a voter would know what's going to fall on him. Mehta said, "This is the way, we are heading towards economic disaster". Mehta suggested that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should apply its mind on the matter, and they can have a relook.

Shinde said that accepting the argument of the Uddhav Thackeray's faction would result in: "A minority tyranny within the House; anti-democratic and minority Government to continue illegally in office; a Chief Minister, who has lost the confidence of his own party to continue in the office". The petition, filed through advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh, said petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray's faction clearly demonstrates that the issues being agitated before the top court have become infructuous by the resignation of the then CM.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Ranjan, sought protection from coercive action against his client. After hearing arguments, the bench directed the authorities not to arrest or take any coercive action against Ranjan. Luthra was assisted by advocates Ruby Singh Ahuja, Samarjit Pattnaik, and a team of advocates from Karanjawala & Co.

The plea said till date there is no dispute regarding the leadership position of Uddhav Thackeray as the president of the Shiv Sena political party. It cited the resolution passed in national executive meeting of the Shiv Sena political party held on June 25, this year, where Thackeray's leadership was re-affirmed and the conduct of the delinquent MLAs led by Eknath Shinde has been criticised.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, submitted that his client has questioned the authenticity of the motion seeking his removal, sent through an anonymous email. The top court noted that in all fairness, it should have all the records from the office of the Deputy Speaker before it and asked Zirwal to file a detailed affidavit.

A vacation comprising Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala asked senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the rebel MLAs, why they did not move the Bombay High Court. Kaul cited threats to the lives of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and their families, which made the atmosphere non-conducive to pursue cases in Mumbai.

Maharashtra has been facing a political crisis after Shinde and rebel MLAs left the state, protesting against the alliance with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. The rebel MLAs have been camping in a hotel in Assam's Guwahati for the past few days. The Deputy Speaker had issued notices to the 16 rebel MLAs on the disqualification plea by Thackeray's team.

The leaders said that it was the former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader, late J. Jayalalithaa who had in a declaration in the state assembly in February 2014 said that if the central government did not take a decision immediately for the release of the seven convicts, her government would go ahead with the decision of the state cabinet to release all the seven convicts.

A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar allowed the review petition by the family of victim Gurnam Singh against the top court's 2018 verdict, which let off Sidhu with a mere Rs 1,000 fine. The top court enhanced the sentence to Sidhu to one year. The top court said, "We have allowed a review application on the issue of sentence...we impose a sentence of imprisonment of one year to be undergone by the respondent..." The order in the matter will be uploaded later in the day.

The top court order came on a plea by the Madhya Pradesh government seeking modification in the May 10 order, directing the SEC to notify the programme for local body polls within two weeks. Speaking to IANS, advocate Shashank Ratnoo, representing the OBC petitioners, said he argued before the top court that OBCs should not suffer for the mistakes of the government.