Former Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Women, Lakshmi M Puri, filed a complaint with Delhi Police after her contacts received calls from her asking for money. This incident occurred after Puri received a call from a number she knew and shared an OTP with the caller. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for others to not share personal information over the phone. In a similar incident, a constable and his siblings faced the threat of deportation due to their Pakistani heritage, but were ultimately able to stay in their community thanks to a petition filed in the High Court.
The Delhi High Court has directed Karma News, a Kerala-based news channel, to remove an article published in relation to the "Cutting South 2023" event. The article accused media outlet Newslaundry and other organizers of corruption and distorting the map of India. This article was published after a judicial order had already been passed in July 2023, prohibiting any direct or indirect references to the dispute. The event in question, Cutting South, was held in Kochi in March 2023 and was partnered by Newslaundry, Confluence Media and The News Minute. In 2023, a defamation suit was filed against Karma News for launching a misinformation campaign about the event and its organizers.
The Supreme Court has proposed the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court, following a report about cash found at his residence during a fire on March 14. The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who initiated the enquiry into the incident, will be submitting his report to the Chief Justice of India today. The SC Collegium, which met Thursday, was apprised of a video of the incident at Justice Varma's residence and unanimously agreed to transfer him. This development has caused ripples in legal circles and was also brought up in Parliament by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, has taken urgent action to transfer Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court after a major controversy erupted over the alleged recovery of a large stash of cash from his official residence. This transfer can only take place after the Centre accepts the collegium's recommendation. Some senior members of the collegium are reportedly pushing for stricter action, including seeking Justice Varma's resignation or launching an in-house inquiry against him. Born in 1969, Justice Varma was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014 and has been a judge of the Delhi High Court since 2021.
A senior lawyer, while appearing in the Delhi High Court, expressed shock and pain after reports of cash being found at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence surfaced. This has caused distress and shaken the legal community, prompting calls for steps to prevent such incidents in the future and protect the integrity of the judicial system. The court master also informed that the division bench, where the incident allegedly occurred, was on leave and urgent matters could be heard by another bench.
The Supreme Court has instructed Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala to take his plea against the Election Law Amendment Act, which enables the linking of voter IDs with Aadhaar, to the Delhi High Court. The move has been met with criticism and concerns over privacy and the potential for voter fraud. Meanwhile, a separate plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court to link social media accounts with Aadhaar, PAN, or voter ID to help eliminate fake accounts.
Delhi's High Court will be hearing a plea by the Enforcement Directorate against the bail granted to Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case today. The court had earlier adjourned the hearing, but it is now listed for today. Meanwhile, Delhi Police will soon have "anti eve-teasing" squads in each district to ensure women's safety and protect victims from public scrutiny. In addition, CPIML leader Raja Ram Singh has spoken out against the government, warning of an Aryan domination and the imposition of fascism. The issue of security is also in focus as intelligence chiefs from different countries, including the US, UK, and New Zealand, gather in New Delhi for a conference hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. This is seen as a signal of close cooperation between these countries.
In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has ordered Google and social media platforms X and Meta to remove a video posted by journalist and YouTuber, Shyam Meera Singh, which criticizes spiritual leader Jaggi Sadhguru and his organization, Isha Foundation. The Court also directed Singh to refrain from publishing or sharing the video further. The decision was made on the grounds that the video contained unverified and potentially harmful information, and the title was deemed to be clickbait. The suit, filed by Isha Foundation, argued that the video was released with malicious intent just before a significant event involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the Chief Guest.
On X platform, a former Twitter, the Delhi High Court has ruled that tweets made in a conversational thread should not be considered in isolation when determining defamation claims. In a case against four individuals, the Court stated that the fast-paced and casual nature of the platform should be taken into account and that posts on social media are bound to receive both praise and criticism. The Court rejected the plea made by Addictive Learning Technology Limited, stating that they failed to utilize available remedies and that the cause of action for each defendant was separate and distinct.
The Digital News Publishers Association has applied to intervene in the copyright suit between Asian News International and OpenAI, over alleged unauthorized use of online news content. Justice Amit Bansal has issued notice on the intervention plea, but has cautioned against expanding the scope of the suit. The Court also criticized the publication of OpenAI's written submission in the media before the hearing. While OpenAI sought time to respond, its counsel has argued that DNPA does not have authorization to file such an application.