On his first working day, CJI UU Lalit to take up petitions of scribe Siddique Kappan, Gautam Navlakha

New Delhi, August 28

On his first day as the Chief Justice of India on Monday, Justice UU Lalit will hear bail plea of Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan arrested by the UP Police and Bhima Koregaon case accused Gautam Navlakha’s petition seeking to be transferred from prison to house arrest.

The new CJI’s first working day also marks the beginning of hearing of several long-pending Constitution Bench matters of national importance. Twentyfive of the 500 Constitution Bench cases pending in the top court have been ordered to be listed from August 29.

Listing out his priorities as the CJI and ‘master of roster’, Justice Lalit had on Friday announced that he would strive to have one Constitution Bench functioning throughout the year; streamline the system of urgent mentioning and bring transparency to the system.

Kappan has moved the Supreme Court challenging an Allahabad High Court order rejecting his bail plea in connection with a case registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police under the UAPA.

He was arrested on October 5, 2020, while on his way to Hathras to cover a gangrape case of a Dalit woman.

Navlakha has challenged the Bombay High Court’s order dismissing his plea to be transferred from Taloja Prison and placed under house arrest. Arrested in August 2018 under the UAPA, he was initially placed under house arrest.

Another important case listed for hearing on Monday relates to the hijab ban in in Kerala institutes which will be taken up by another Bench led by Justice Hemant Gupta. — TNS

Streamlining the system his priority

Listing out his priorities as the CJI and ‘master of roster’, Justice Lalit on Friday announced that he would strive to have one Constitution Bench functioning throughout the year; streamline the system of urgent mentioning and bring transparency to the system.