Important cases heard in the Supreme Court on Friday, February 17:
* SC refused to accept in a sealed cover the Centre’s suggestion on a proposed panel of experts for strengthening regulatory measures for stock markets in the wake of the recent Adani Group shares crash triggered by Hindenburg Research’s fraud allegations.
* Stepping in after the newly elected Delhi civic body failed thrice to elect a new mayor, the SC ordered issuance of a notice within 24 hours for convening the first meeting of the MCD to fix the date of election for Mayor, deputy Mayor and members of the standing committee.
* SC declined to refer pleas related to the June 2022 Maharashtra political crisis triggered by the Shiv Sena’s division to a seven-judge bench for reconsideration of the 2016 Nabam Rebia judgement.
* SC stayed the proceedings against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case registered against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks against the BJP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh during the 2014 general elections.
* SC said it will take a decision on early listing of petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 which had given special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
* The Centre told the SC that the issue of allegedly non-functional statutory panels in Jammu and Kashmir, including the human rights commission, is under consideration and sought three weeks to apprise it of developments.
* SC said it would hear after four weeks a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and others to take steps to create an appropriate system which empowers citizens to petition Parliament and seek initiation of deliberations on issues highlighted by them.
* The Telangana government assailed in the SC the high court’s order for a CBI probe into alleged attempts to poach Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs, saying the allegations are against the BJP, which is in power at the Centre and controlling the central probe agencies.
