Advertisement

Updated May 12th, 2021 at 22:50 IST

From migrant crisis to WhatsApp privacy policy - court cases listed for hearing on May 13

Amidst the prevailing COVID-19 situation across the country, here are the cases listed for hearing on Thursday before the SC, Delhi HC and the Saket Court

Reported by: Jitesh Vachhatani
Supreme Court
PTI Representative Image | Image:self

In Supreme Court

1. Migrants crisis suo motu case

The apex court will continue its hearing tomorrow after it took suo motu cognisance of the migrant labourer's crisis which prevailed due to the COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. Several activists had penned a letter to the Chief Justice of India seeking an urgent hearing of the suo moto case. The intervenors have stated that while the whole country is in the 'grip of an immense humanitarian crisis' it is important to note the impact of suffering on the working poor. The application seeks directions to ensure cash transfers equivalent to the notified minimum wage of different States to all migrant workers. 

In Delhi High Court

1. Stay on release of Malyalam movie 

The Delhi High Court is set to hear the plea of a catholic nun who has sought a stay on the release of the Malayalam film 'Aquarium'. The plea alleges that the contents of the movie are "blasphemous" in nature and would hurt the religious sentiments of Christians at large. The movie Aquarium is set to release on an OTT platform on May 14. The petitioner, Jessy Mani, who is a nun and a psychologist by profession has opposed the release of the film on the grounds that it allegedly "depicts the sexual relationship of nuns with two priests". 

2. Hearing to continue on COVID-19 handling 

The Delhi High Court will continue to hear the slew of petitions filed by hospitals and others regarding the shortage of beds, oxygen supply and other medical equipment required to battle the second COVID-19 wave. In the hearing on Wednesday, the HC directed Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to learn from the experiences that the citizens of the national capital had to undergo because of the mismanagement to battle the second wave of the pandemic. The High Court was hearing a batch of pleas regarding the COVID-19 situation in Delhi. The court rebuked Delhi govt counsel Rahul Mehra on the way the crisis was handled. 

3. Oxygen hoarding cases

The court will continue to hear plea against AAP MLA Imran Hussain alleging hoarding and distribution of oxygen cylinders by the leader from his office. In the previous hearing, the division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli had directed the AAP Cabinet Minister Imran Hussain to file documents in support of his claims. The court has also asked him to be personally present during the hearing. 

Apart from this, the Delhi High will also take up for hearing a PIL seeking direction to make mandatory guidelines for establishing the medical oxygen PSA plants in hospitals. 

4. Varun Hiremath Case

The Delhi High Court has also scheduled the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Varun Hiremath, a Mumbai-based journalist, accused of rape by a model. In the previous hearing, the court had extended the interim protection from arrest to the accused. The woman who has accused Hiremath of rape has approached the court for transfer of probe in the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The court will pass the order on the anticipatory bail plea of Varun Hiremath tomorrow.

5. Central Vista Project case

The Delhi High Court will take up the plea seeking a halt on the construction work of the Central Vista project in the national capital in view of the prevailing condition of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. On Tuesday, the Centre sought dismissal of the petition citing that it was “one more attempt” to stall the project. The petition filed by Anya Malhotra, a translator, and Sohail Hashmi, historian and documentary filmmaker, states that they are concerned over the “super spreading potential and threat” posed by the continuing construction at the project site and the plight of the workers who are being exposed to the infection. 

6. Release of under trial prisoners on bail 

The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, will continue to hear the batch of PILs seeking direction for release of Under Trial Prisoners (UTPs) on interim bail or Special Parole in the wake of the prevalent COVID-19 situation in the national capital. The petitioner RK Gosain through advocate Lalit Valecha and advocate Sadaf Iliyas has also sought directions to the Director-General of Prisons to file a detailed affidavit apprising the Court regarding the exact number of COVID patients in three Delhi jails. The plea mentions that prisoners in Delhi jails are more vulnerable to COVID and one of the effective ways of controlling the virus spread is to decongest the jails. 

6. Plea challenging WhatsApp privacy policy 

The Delhi High Court will continue to hear several petitions challenging the new privacy policy of WhatsApp. Previously, a single-judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla of the Delhi High Court had rejected Facebook Inc and its subsidiary WhatsApp's challenge to an order by the Competition Commission of India directing a probe into WhatsApp's new privacy policy for being allegedly anti-competitive.

In Saket Court

Meanwhile, Delhi's Saket Court is set to pass its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Navneet Kalra, the businessman in connection with a case relating to the hoarding of Oxygen Concentrators in a South Delhi restaurant. In the previous hearing, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sandeep Garg after hearing the arguments at length reserved its order on the application filed by Kalra through his counsel Advocate Vineet Malhotra. While the matter was being heard, Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa representing Kalra told the court that proper process was followed while importing the concentrators.


 

Advertisement

Published May 12th, 2021 at 22:50 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo