As SC reopens, Rafale, Ayodhya, SC/ST Act verdicts likely

New Delhi: All eyes are set on Supreme Court, as it reopens after seven week long summer break, on the outcome of the plea seeking the review and recall of its December 14, 2018, verdict giving clean chit to the decision making process for the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets in ready-to-fly conditions.

Coupled with this is the contempt plea against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his “Chowkidar” goof-up while misinterpreting top court’s April 10 order junking Centre’s plea claiming privilege over three documents relied upon by the petitioners — the former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, journalist-turned politician Arun Shourie and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan — to allege corruption.

The verdict, both on the plea seeking the review and recall of December 14, 2018 Rafale judgment and the contempt plea against Gandhi was reserved.

While rejecting the Center claim of privilege over three documents and the maintainability of the review petition, the top court by its April 10 order had said, “ ...we hold and affirm that the review petitions will have to be adjudicated on their own merit by taking into account the relevance of the contents of the three documents, admissibility of which, in the judicial decision making process, has been sought to be questioned by the respondents (the Centre) in the review petitions.”

Besides Rafale and Rahul, another important judgment that is awaited is on the plea seeking to put under sun-light the decision making process leading to the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary including disclosure of correspondence exchanged between the Chief Justice of India and the Union law ministry in the course of the appointment of judges.

Another important judgment that was reserved was on the Centre’s plea seeking the review of its March 20, 2018, verdict diluting stringent provisions of immediate arrest and no anticipatory bail for the accused on a complaint under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Besides the judgment that are expected to be pronounced in the days to come after the reopening of the court, the other important issues that will be deliberated by the top court includes Ayodhya title matter and challenge to constitutional validity of 10% reservation for economically weaker sections of society.

The three member panel headed by former top court judge Justice F.M.I. Kalifulla is likely to submit its report by August 15.