Important matters heard by Supreme Court on January 31

Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Friday, January 31: * SC directed the Election Commission of India to preserve video clips of the polling during the pendency of the pleas against the decision to increase the maximum number of voters per polling station from 1,200 to 1,500.

* SC rejected a plea seeking to hold "Urs" festival between February 1 and February 3 at a dargah (Muslim shrine) razed in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district during a demolition drive.

* SC refused to entertain a PIL against the practice of charging an additional fee for "VIP darshan" and according of "preferential, selective and special treatment" to a certain class of people in temples.

* Fearing an encounter, UP MLA Abbas Ansari sought in the SC to appear virtually in the trial court proceedings in a case under the Gangsters Act.

* SC sought responses from the Centre, the Bar Council of India and others on a PIL seeking a bar council in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

* SC refused to examine a plea against senior designations conferred on 70 lawyers by the Delhi High Court.

* SC quashed a case against a man booked under the SC/ST Act saying the alleged incident did not happen in public view.

* SC reserved its verdict over senior designations of lawyers and framing of code of conduct for advocates-on-record for a smooth functioning of the justice system.

* SC acquitted a man convicted of cruelty and causing dowry death of his wife and said trial courts were repeatedly making the same mistakes in such cases.

* Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna lauded retiring SC judge Justice Hrishikesh Roy for his legal acumen, knowledge, reasonableness and described him as "a complete man". PTI ABA ABA RHL RHL