Important cases heard by Supreme Court on Feb 13

Important cases heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 13: * SC refused to stay the operation of the new law that provides for appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners by a panel which does not include the Chief Justice of India.

* SC quashed the defamation complaint against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over his alleged "only Gujaratis can be thugs" remark after he agreed to withdraw the statement.

* SC extended its interim stay on proceedings against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case lodged against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks against the BJP and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign.

* With the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala accusing the Centre of interfering in the state's finances by imposing a ceiling on net borrowing, the Centre told the SC it is open to discussion with the southern state to resolve the dispute.

* SC will commence hearing on Wednesday on a plea of the Vedanta group against the closure of its Sterlite copper unit in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin. PTI ABA NB