Important matters heard by Supreme Court on August 2

Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Friday, August 2: *SC rejected a batch of pleas seeking a court-monitored investigation into the electoral bonds scheme while observing that it cannot order a roving inquiry.

*SC said it cannot order holding of NEET-UG 24 afresh as no sufficient material is on record at present to indicate a systemic leak or malpractice compromising the integrity of the examination.

* Development and ecological balance must go hand in hand, SC said while wondering why public interest litigations (PILs) are filed when infrastructure projects like highways are launched.

*SC refused to quash the defamation case filed by actor-politician Divya Spandana against Asianet News Network and journalist Vishweshwar Bhat.

* SC asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to suggest the names of some neutral personalities for setting up an independent committee to reach out to farmers protesting at the Shambhu border over their demands like legal guarantee of MSP for their produce, saying nobody should precipitate the situation * Nearly a decade after a successful obese person was declared "temporarily unfit" to be a civil servant, SC came to his rescue by ordering the UPSC to conduct his medical examination afresh.

*SC sought response from the Centre on a plea challenging the guidelines that exclude transgenders, gay and sex workers from donating blood.

*SC refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Centre and states to take appropriate steps to eradicate the menace of superstition, sorcery and other similar practices. PTI PKS HIG HIG