Important matters heard by Supreme Court on August 27

Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 27: * In a relief to BRS leader K Kavitha, SC granted her bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, while questioning the central agencies over the fairness of their probe and asking if they were free to "pick and choose" an accused.

* In a rare sight, Chief secretaries and finance secretaries of 18 states and UTs personally appeared before SC to apprise that they have complied with the Second National Judicial Pay Commission's (SNJPC) recommendations on payment of pay, pension arrears and retirement benefits to judicial officers.

* SC refused to accept the unconditional apology published by Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief R V Asokan in a newspaper over his "damaging" comments about the apex court in an interview to news agency PTI, saying the excerpt of the apology filed before it was "illegible" as the font was "minuscule".

* SC stayed a notification issued by the Ministry of Ayush, which omitted rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 that prohibits misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs.

* Expressing concern over encroachments on national and state highways, SC directed the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) to constitute different teams for frequent and regular inspections of the roads for unauthorised occupations.

* SC sought the Gujarat government's response on former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt's plea against his conviction in a 1990 custodial death case in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

* Calling the pollution control boards of Delhi-NCR "ineffective" due to staff shortage, SC asked the body responsible for air quality management in the national capital and adjoining areas to explain how it proposes to tackle pollution and stubble burning which would spike with the onset of winter.

* The West Bengal government sought time in SC to reply to the responses filed by litigants in a case pertaining to the Calcutta High Court verdict striking down the OBC status of several castes, mostly Muslim groups, in the state for granting reservation in public sector jobs and admissions in state-run educational institutes.

* SC sought the views of the solicitor general on issues related to a curative plea of the Centre and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) against its verdict allowing private firm GMR Airports to upgrade and operate Nagpur’s Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport.

* SC adjourned hearing on the bail plea of former Aam Aadmi Party communication in-charge Vijay Nair in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. PTI PKS RHL