Important cases heard by Supreme Court on Oct 17

Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday, October 17: * In a significant judgement, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam before March 25, 1971.

* Dissenting from the majority judgment, Supreme Court's Justice J B Pardiwala on Thursday held that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act of 1955, which grants Indian citizenship to immigrants who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971, was arbitrary and constitutionally invalid * SC said it will decide the constitutional validity of penal provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which grant immunity from prosecution to a husband for the offence of rape if he forces his wife, who is not a minor, to have sex with him.

* SC acquitted a death row prisoner, who was convicted for allegedly killing his family members, including a toddler daughter, saying an accused cannot be convicted on mere suspicion.

* Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has set in motion the process of appointment of his successor after he recommended the name of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the senior-most judge after the outgoing CJI, to the Centre.

* The SC dismissed a plea seeking to stay the oath ceremony of Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister of Haryana.

* The SC said it will consider listing a plea seeking time-bound restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

* The SC deferred to November 27 the hearing on the question whether its 2022 verdict upholding the Enforcement Directorate's powers to arrest and attach property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act required any reconsideration. PTI SJK RHL