2G: SC exempts Mittal, Ruia from appearance
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday postponed the personal appearance of Airtel CMD Sunil Bharti Mittal and Ravi Ruia of Essar limited before the 2G trial court on Monday in the excess spectrum case till further orders. Issuing notice on their separate petitions challenging summons issued to them by the trial court, the bench headed by CJI Altamas Kabir posted the matter after seven weeks. Till such time, it directed that “interim order (on postponement of hearing in the trial court) already passed will continue…and the petitioners are not required to appear before the Special Judge CBI as they have already furnished their personal bonds.”
drug trials: Health Ministry draws flak
New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel has criticised the Union Health Ministry for its “inaction” on certain alleged irregularities in clinical trials of drugs before their introduction in the country. It also charged the officials involved in granting approval to drugs with violation of law and “with an intention to save the guilty”. “The Committee is shocked to note this dilly-dallying by the Ministry on the matter, which could be affecting lives of lakhs of people in the country, who are consuming these drugs,” the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, headed by Brajesh Pathak, said in its 66th report.
Delhi’s top cop faces Contempt proceeding
New Delhi: An NGO on Friday moved the Supreme Court for initiating contempt proceeding against the Delhi Police Commissioner saying the delay in lodging an FIR in the missing of the five-year-old rape victim amounts to “deliberately defying” its order to promptly lodge case of missing children”. The PIl was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and will be heard on Monday.
SC sets aside BSF’s discretionary power
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that a Commanding Officer of BSF does not have unfettered discretion to decide whether a soldier of his battalion is to be tried in criminal or Security Force Court for an offence. A bench of justices CK Prasad and FMI Kalifulla said that discretion granted to the Commanding officer is subject to the guidelines framed by the Government in BSF Rules under which he has to give reason for seeking trial in force court instead of criminal court.