Utkarsh Anand
Utkarsh Anand is Legal Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on law, judiciary and governance.
Articles by Utkarsh Anand
Supreme Court gives breather to govt, EPFO in pensions case
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 08:02 AM IST
It also directed that no adverse orders be issued against EPFO and the government for not complying with the apex court’s 2019 judgment, which ordered that subscribers of the Employee Pension Scheme or EPS be given the full pension as calculated by their last drawn salaries, irrespective of the ceiling.
Citing poor infra, SC seeks legislative impact study on consumer law
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 25, 2021 09:31 AM IST
A Supreme Court bench, headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, directed the government to place the said study before the court to indicate if social, economic and institutional impacts were taken into account prior to replacing the 1986 consumer protection law with the 2019 law.
Facebook now says it’s not obligated to appear before Parliamentary panels
By Utkarsh Anand, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 25, 2021 06:28 AM IST
The exchange and Facebook’s contention that it could choose not to appear before any institution, as long as it follows the laws, is interesting because it comes at a time when the Union government is readying a framework to regulate social media and digital media companies.
Disha Ravi gets bail in toolkit case: Key points of the order
By Utkarsh Anand & Richa Banka
PUBLISHED ON FEB 24, 2021 02:14 PM IST
Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana cited the distinction between sedition and dissent and questioned if Ravi and others were being targeted because they voiced opposition to the farm laws
Custody not a substitute for conviction: Top court
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 24, 2021 09:38 AM IST
A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy was critical of the “new philosophy” applied by the police and the prosecution to try and keep people in jail at least for a few days as a form of punishment prior to proving their guilt.
SC to hear if CBI can probe coal scam case
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 23, 2021 09:18 AM IST
The Calcutta HC order was passed on the appeals filed by the CBI and Anup Majee, an accused in the case, who has now filed a petition in the SC.
Supreme Court stops NCLT from approving Future-Reliance deal
PUBLISHED ON FEB 22, 2021 11:17 AM IST
The top court issued the interim order, making it clear that the NCLT shall not sanction the scheme to pave way for the deal between the FRL and the Reliance even if the meetings of the creditors and shareholders of the Future groups takes place
Supreme Court to hear Amazon’s plea to stall Future-Reliance deal today
UPDATED ON FEB 22, 2021 11:15 AM IST
The US retail giant is also banking on the October 25, 2020 Emergency Arbitrator order passed by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre that had restrained FRL from going ahead with the deal with Reliance Retail
Six months after proposals, only six names cleared
By Utkarsh Anand, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 22, 2021 04:56 AM IST
The government has cleared appointments of two judges in the Delhi high court and four in the Kerala high court while choosing not to clear some other names that have been pending for more than a year now, HT has learnt through people familiar with the matter.
‘Facebook, Twitter can’t be accountable to state assemblies’: Centre to SC
By Utkarsh Anand, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 18, 2021 09:05 AM IST
The government’s submissions came as the bench, which also included justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy, was hearing a petition by Ajit Mohan, head of Facebook India.
GST evasion case: Let's try not to put everyone in jail, says Supreme Court
UPDATED ON FEB 17, 2021 06:18 AM IST
On January 18, the bench, which also included justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy, gave bail to an accused who was behind the bars in connection with a Goods and Services Tax evasion case.
Top court rebukes retired Madhya Pradesh district judge for ‘flirting’
UPDATED ON FEB 17, 2021 06:07 AM IST
“Such conduct by a senior judge for a junior lady judge is not acceptable at all,” said an SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, as it heard an appeal by the retired judge against the disciplinary proceedings, initiated suo motu (on its own) by the Madhya Pradesh high court.
Spell out regulatory regime, SC tells govt on OTT norms
PUBLISHED ON FEB 17, 2021 01:11 AM IST
The court was initially of the view that PIL demanding institutional regulations for OTTs should first go to the government, as solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, made a statement that “something” was being done about it.
Toolkit was only to educate people on farm stir: Nikita Jacob
PUBLISHED ON FEB 16, 2021 02:11 AM IST
In her statement to the Delhi Police, which HT has seen, Jacob has accepted that she played a role in mustering support for the farmers’ protests on the social media and shared details with activists globally, but emphasised that there was nothing illegal about what she did.
Supreme Court notice to WhatsApp: ‘People value privacy more than money’
PUBLISHED ON FEB 16, 2021 12:37 AM IST
In January, WhatsApp renewed its terms of service and privacy policy, which were to initially come into effect on February 8, but have since been deferred to May 15.
Orders that set the bar: How Allahabad HC stood for civil rights
PUBLISHED ON FEB 15, 2021 12:56 AM IST
The Allahabad high court has risen to the occasion each time, reaffirming the importance of the rights to privacy and autonomy while safeguarding civil liberties.
Centre extends tenure of Bombay HC judge by just 1 year, overruling collegium
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 13, 2021 03:43 AM IST
Overruling the recommendation made by the Supreme Court collegium to extend the woman judge’s tenure by two years, the government modified the proposal and instead gave her an extension of just one year as an additional judge.
Supreme Court issues notice to Twitter, Centre over regulation of content
By Utkarsh Anand | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 12, 2021 12:39 PM IST
- The SC notices come amid a continuing face off between Twitter and the Central government over more than 1,300 social media accounts or posts in connection with the farmers’ protest and the violence on January 26
SC lets off rape accused after he agrees to marry complainant in 6 months
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 11, 2021 06:38 AM IST
- The man and the woman met each other in Australia in 2016 where both were studying. While the woman belonged to a scheduled caste, the man was a Jat Sikh, an upper caste.
Will collegium impasse cost India chance to get woman CJI in 2027?
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 11, 2021 12:41 AM IST
The five senior-most judges in the top court, who make up its collegium, have failed to arrive at a consensus on elevating justice Akil A Kureshi, currently chief justice of the Tripura high court, as a judge in the apex court, people familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity.
Belong to the family of leaders like ex-VP: Mukhtar Ansari to SC
PUBLISHED ON FEB 09, 2021 12:05 PM IST
“There is a grave threat and impending danger to the life of the respondent in the state of UP under the present political regime. The present petition is merely to seek a death warrant on the life of the respondent (Ansari),” Ansari’s affidavit read.
Supreme Court says society must learn to accept intercaste, interfaith marriages
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 09, 2021 01:41 AM IST
A Supreme Court bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy further noted that it would “hardly be a desirable social exercise” for parents to shun their children only because they decided to marry outside their caste or community.
SC: Society must learn to accept intercaste, interfaith marriages
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 09, 2021 12:02 AM IST
The Supreme Court on Monday underscored the right of the adults to choose their life partner, and added that it is time society learns to accept inter-caste and inter-faith marriages without hounding the couples
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot opposed ‘love jihad’ law, but govt stands contrary
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 08, 2021 02:22 AM IST
The Rajasthan government supported making it mandatory for anyone wishing to change his or her religion to first inform the district collector, and then wait for an approval; endorsed that there must be a gap of at least a week between the conversion and wedding.
Only 188 names under consideration for 419 HC judge vacancies
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 08, 2021 01:09 AM IST
As on date, the government has a total of 40 names to clear as judges after the Supreme Court collegium recommended them while another 72 other names forwarded by various high courts are also pending with the union ministry of law and justice.
Only 188 names under consideration for 419 HC judge vacancies
PUBLISHED ON FEB 07, 2021 11:55 PM IST
New Delhi: There are currently 188 names in contemplation for appointment as high court judges as against a staggering vacancy of 419 judges -- more than a third of the total positions
Raj CM opposed ‘love jihad’ law, but govt stand contrary
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 07, 2021 11:36 PM IST
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised several BJP-ruled states over new anti-conversion laws, saying these legislations “will leave consenting adults at the mercy of state power”, but his government appeared to take a contrary stand before the Supreme Court in a December 2019 affidavit, in which it did not object to further scrutiny and prior approval by the state machinery into interfaith marriages
SC judge hails Modi as ‘most loved Prime Minister’
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 07, 2021 02:54 AM IST
As the sitting Supreme Court judge was about to conclude his address, justice Shah, who hails from Gujarat, once again referred to Modi as the “most loved Prime Minister” at the virtual event.
SC judge hails Modi as ‘most loved Prime Minister’
PUBLISHED ON FEB 06, 2021 11:35 PM IST
Supreme Court judge MR Shah on Saturday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “most popular, loved, vibrant and visionary leader” at a virtual public function to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Gujarat high court
No alimony when man not of marriageable age
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 06, 2021 11:32 AM IST
A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, was left amused when advocate Rachitta Priyanka Rai unfolded the facts of her case.
