Important matters heard by Supreme Court on July 12

Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Friday, July 12: * SC granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case lodged by the ED in the alleged excise policy scam but he will remain in jail as the CBI had arrested him in a related matter.

* SC asked the Haryana government to clear the barricading at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been camping since February 13, and questioned its authority to block the highway.

* Observing that the case seemed to be driven by "sheer political vendetta", SC stayed a Karnataka High Court order that restricted the broadcast of Kannada news channel Power TV.

* Expressing anguish over continuous cover-up by authorities over the role of LG V K Saxena in tree felling in ridge area, SC directed the Delhi Development Authority to inform it whether the order to cut trees was passed on the basis of LG's oral permission or the agency independently took the decision.

* SC agreed to consider listing a public interest litigation that urged a court-monitored investigation into the electoral bonds scheme.

* SC refused to entertain a PIL seeking a probe into the Hathras stampede that left 121 dead, and asked the petitioner to move the Allahabad High Court.

* SC agreed to consider listing a plea of the West Bengal government alleging Governor C V Ananda Bose was withholding assent on as many as eight bills.

* SC said establishing 'Gram Nyayalayas' would help in providing affordable and speedy justice to the citizens at their doorsteps and also reduce the huge pendency of cases in trial courts.

* Courts should refrain from staying bail orders in a mechanical manner and without giving any reason, SC said, underlining that the relief should be denied to an accused only in rare and exceptional cases.

* SC extended by two weeks the interim bail granted earlier on medical grounds to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case.

* SC refused to entertain a Delhi Medical Association plea seeking directions for the protection of doctors from violence, saying laws already exist to deal with such instances. PTI ABA DIV DIV