Important cases heard by the Supreme Court on Friday, Aug 4:
* In a big relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, SC stayed his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, paving the way for revival of his Lok Sabha membership.
* SC refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey at the Gyanvapi mosque complex to determine if the 17th century structure was built upon a pre-existing temple, notwithstanding the assertion by the Muslim side that the exercise will “reopen wounds of the past”.
* SC stayed the order of the Calcutta High Court suspending Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chief Secretary Keshav Chandra and imposing a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Lt Governor D K Joshi for not complying with an earlier order on releasing benefits to workers.
* SC dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of bureaucrat Arun Goel as election commissioner, saying the Constitution bench of the apex court had already examined the issue in its verdict dated March 2.
* With the Delhi government and the lieutenant governor feuding over who should head the city’s power regulator, SC appointed former Delhi High Court judge Justice Jayant Nath as the interim chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).
* Defining hate speech is complex but the real problem in tackling them lies in the implementation and execution of law and judicial pronouncements, SC said, days after parts of Haryana were rattled by communal violence.
* SC deferred hearing for September 4 on the interim bail pleas of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in two Delhi excise policy cases being probed by the CBI and ED.
* SC sets aside an order of the Calcutta High Court which had said that the West Bengal Police can register an FIR against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, if they are satisfied that offence was made out, on a complaint accusing him of promoting enmity between different groups.
* SC refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Preeti Chandra, wife of Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra, in a money laundering case.
* “It does not matter”, SC observed after an advocate mentioned before it that an objectionable video in which the apex court has been compared with a brothel is being circulated on social media
