Ramana's last day as CJI today marked with 5 high-profile cases

New Delhi, Aug 26: On his final day as Chief Justice of India before his retirement, N V Ramana on Friday is set to deliver verdicts in five high-profile cases - the PIL seeking a ban on 'election freebies', the 2007 Gorakhpur riots case, the Karnataka mining case, the Rajasthan mining lease issue and the liquidation regulations under the bankruptcy law.

The bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice CT Ravikumar will pronounce verdicts in the following cases on Friday morning:

Ban on'election freebies'?

The Supreme Court will on Friday decide on a plea seeking a ban on the announcement of freebies by the political parties during the elections to woo voters. The decision comes on a day when Chief Justice of India NV Ramana is set to demit his office after 16-month-long tenure today.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday decided to call off the formation of an expert committee to look into freebies offered by political parties to voters.

2007 Gorakhpur riots case

The Supreme Court is set to pass orders in a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's refusal to grant sanction to prosecute CM Yogi Adityanath and others for alleged hate speech that provoked several incidents of violence in Gorakhpur.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Parvez Parwaz challenging an order of Allahabad High Court in 2018. The petitioner Parvez Parwaz alleged that Yogi Adityanath, as a leader of an organization called 'Hindu Yuva Vahini' had been spreading hatred among two communities in a meeting held in Gorakhpur on January 27, 2007.

In 2015, CBCID sought sanction to prosecute and submitted a Draft Final Report (DFR) indicating prima facie offences being made out u/s 143, 153, 153A, 295A, 505 IPC. The Chief Secretary stated before Allahabad HC that the State Government had refused to sanction.

Karnataka mining case

A PIL moved in 2009 by the NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya had led to closure of iron ore mines in Karnataka due to massive illegal mining. In 2013, the Supreme Court allowed reopening of some mines under stringent conditions and a complete ban on export of iron ore and pellets. The current issue for consideration before the court is a set of applications filed by various mining companies to lift the decade-old ban on export of iron ore and to remove the district level caps on mining of iron ore in Karnataka.

Rajasthan mining lease issue

The CJI-led three judge bench will pronounce verdict on an appeal by the Rajasthan government against a high court verdict of 2016 which allowed Ultratech Cement company to continue its limestone mining lease in land that the state government claims was a "johad" or water body.

The Rajasthan government has argued that allowing mining to continue in the area would cause immense ecological damage. The issue has been under litigation since 2005 when the state government had cancelled the letter of intent issued in 2003 allowing the company to start mining operations, subject to environmental clearance. Since no environmental clearance was granted, the allotment of land was cancelled.

Regulations over liquidation proceedings under bankruptcy law

The Court will pronounce a verdict on a plea filed by the official liquidator of ABG Shipyard against the order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on the issue of whether the 90-day window for payment by a successful bidder, as provided in the liquidation regulations issued by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) Liquidation Process Regulations of 2016, would apply retrospectively and to cases where the liquidation process started before the date of coming into effect of the amended guidelines in 2019.