News archive

The Supreme Court directed the Rajasthan government to seal and dismantle all illegal discharge points into the Jojari-Luni-Bandi river system and recover environmental compensation from polluters, according to Hindustan Times.

• The court ordered authorities to take action against landowners and state officials responsible for lapses.
• It called for a proactive approach to anticipate environmental risks instead of reacting only after violations occur.

The court directed the state to conduct a technical survey of all bridges and road crossings to identify structures impeding natural river flows.

The Karnataka High Court directed police to avoid mechanically registering cases over social media posts and ensure that an FIR does not automatically lead to an arrest, Hindustan Times reported.

• The court emphasized that the effect of words must be judged by the standards of reasonable and strong-minded people.
• Police must check whether a complaint discloses essential ingredients of an offence before filing an FIR.

The guidelines direct police to conduct a preliminary inquiry under Section 173(3) of the BNSS wherever legally permissible.

The Supreme Court withdrew its direction requiring trial and high courts to call for reports on aggravating and mitigating circumstances in every death penalty case, as reported by Hindustan Times.

• A three-judge bench accepted a clarification plea by the National Legal Services Authority.
• The court acknowledged the exercise could prove unworkable where the court does not contemplate capital punishment.

Other directions concerning comprehensive reports, dedicated legal teams for death-penalty cases and mitigation investigations remain in place.

The Supreme Court expanded the scope of identification and demarcation of wetlands to all water bodies across the country, observing that water sources are precious, Hindustan Times reported.

• The bench noted that protecting drinking water sources falls within the right to life under Article 21.
• The court directed all states to file compliance affidavits within four weeks regarding ground truthing.

The court described Tamil Nadu as a model state for undertaking the demarcation and ground-truthing exercise in four stages.