The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment in the reference made by the President of India under Article 143, raising questions related to timelines for granting assent to Bills by the President and Governor. 

The matter was heard for 10 days, during which the Court clarified repeatedly that it would not be entertaining the appeal of the TN Governor's judgment and would only answer constitutionally-driven questions. 

The Court commented that if the Governors can withhold bills, it will place the government at the mercy of the Governor.

[Jupally Lakshmikantha Reddy v State of Andhra Pradesh & Anr.]

The Bombay High Court has held that where there exists an ambiguity in the terms of an insurance policy, the principle of contra proferentem shall be applied to interpret.

The case concerned a writ petition filed by insurance company, TATA AIG General Insurance, against an Insurance Ombudsman award directing payment of ₹27 lakh to a widow whose husband died of a sudden cardiac arrest.

The Court noted that the absence of diagnostic tests could not invalidate a genuine claim and emphasised that insurance linked to housing loans must serve their intended purpose, and rebuked the insurer for acting without bona fides.

[TATA AIG General Insurance Ltd. v Vinay Sah]

The Rajasthan High Court dismissed petitions challenging the District Collector's order of cancelling licenses of meat shops within 50 metres of a temple, citing Sections 269 and 340 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009.

The Court opined that every temple is public property, unless proved otherwise. Furthermore, the temple, in this case, was situated in a marketplace, making it accessible to all. 

The Court also emphasised that maintaining harmony and respect towards places of worship and educational institutions is of significant importance.

The petitions and pending applications were found meritless and dismissed.

[Aayush Narania v State of Rajasthan & Ors.]

The Supreme Court has clarified that the police are not required to ensure the credibility or authenticity of information at the stage of registering an FIR. If the complaint is of a cognisable offence, then the police are bound to register it. 

The Court reiterated the statement which was previously made in Ramesh Kumari v State (NCT of Delhi).

The Bench made these observations while upholding the order of the Delhi High Court to register the FIRs against former Commissioner and Inspector of the Delhi Police over alleged intimidation, falsification of records and forgery during their CBI deployment.

[Vinod Kumar Pandey & Anr. v Seesh Ram Saini & Ors.]

The Delhi High Court has declined interim relief to the Embassy of Peru in its geographical indication (GI) dispute with Chile over the liquor name “Pisco.”

The case concerns a long-running dispute between Peru and Chile over the right to use the name PISCO for their grape-based spirits. The petition pertains to a July 7 judgment that rejected Peru’s claim for exclusive rights. 

The court clarifies that Peru may still apply for GI protection, but the use of “Pisco” without geographic qualifiers is problematic given Chile’s usage.

[Embassy of Peru v Union of India]

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate claims that advocate Ankush Dhanerwal received over ₹5 lakh from a litigant, promising to bribe a Government Pleader and a Judge for a favorable order. 

Dhanerwal had sought protection from an ex-Sarpanch who, having lost the case, allegedly demanded a refund of his fees. While police recorded that parts of the fee were paid via Google Pay and instalments, the names of the supposed Government Pleader and Judge were not identified.

Justice Sandeep Moudgil described the claims as serious, highlighting threats to the lawyer’s life and concerns regarding judicial integrity.

[Ankush Dhanerwal v State of Punjab and Others]

The Supreme Court has acquitted YouTuber, motivational speaker and business coach Dr. Vivek Bindra of all cases against him. 

Several fraud cases were filed against him and his venture 'Bada Business' in different parts of the country. The complainants had accused him of misleading them, promising them high income through projects. 

Cases were also filed questioning his courses, such as one offering a 10-day MBA.

Following the verdict, Dr. Bindra described the judgment as a victory not just for him but also for the lakhs of youth who have trusted and followed his guidance over the years.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) approves a special relief scheme for bar associations in Punjab and Haryana damaged by recent floods and excessive rainfall.

The scheme, formulated under Rule 44A (5) of the BCI Rules, came into effect with the approval of the Bar Council of India and aims to support the legal fraternity in this region. 

Under the scheme, district-level associations are eligible for one-time grants up to ₹2,00,000, while sub-divisional associations can receive up to ₹1,00,000 to help restore infrastructure. An additional grant is available for environmental restoration, ₹10,000 for district bars and ₹5,000 for sub-divisional bars, to fund tree plantation and upkeep.

Associations must submit applications within 60 days with damage certificates and supporting documents. Funds are non-refundable and will be transferred directly to admissible bank accounts upon approval.

The Rajasthan High Court has stayed the investigation in a cheating FIR against actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone for endorsing the Hyundai Alcazar car, allegedly defective.

The FIR, filed in Bharatpur under Sections 406, 420, and 120-B IPC, also names Hyundai Motor India officials.

The court observed that the actors lack nexus to the car’s manufacturing defects and suggested the complainant approach consumer forums instead.

The stay remains in force, with the next hearing scheduled for September 25.

The Telangana High Court quashed three FIRs against a Twitter user for critical posts about the state Congress government, holding that while the comments were harsh, they fall within political expression protected under Article 19(1)(a).

Justice N. Tukaramji issued detailed guidelines for police and magistrates before registering FIRs over social media posts on political matters.

These include verifying if the complainant is the “person aggrieved,” conducting a preliminary inquiry, requiring prima facie materia, especially in cases of alleged public disorder or defamation, and obtaining legal opinion from the public prosecutor.

[Nalla Balu @ Durgam Shashidhar Goud v. State of Telangana]

The Supreme Court has clarified that the 30-day period under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, for raising a dispute regarding a dishonoured cheque is mandatory.

Any filing beyond this timeline must be accompanied by a formal application explaining the delay, which will be carefully scrutinized by the court.

In the present case, no such application or judicial recording justifying the delay was filed.

Consequently, the Supreme Court set aside the Delhi High Court’s order issuing summons, emphasizing that complaints filed outside the statutory period without explanation cannot be entertained.

[H.S Oberoi Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. and Ors. v M/S MSN Woodtech]

The Supreme Court declines an urgent hearing of a PIL seeking cancellation of the India vs. Pakistan T20 Asia Cup match scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. Four law students filed the petition under Article 32. 

The plea cited the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, saying holding the match undermines national sentiment and the sacrifices of armed forces.

A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi refuses the request for expedited listing, observing “the match must go on.”

The court emphasized that the game should proceed as scheduled, declining any interim relief.

The Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, restraining unauthorised use of her name, image, and AI-generated likeness.

Justice Tejas Karia observed that such exploitation harms both reputation and dignity, emphasising the need to protect personality rights.

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi highlighted instances of AI-morphed images and merchandise falsely portraying Rai’s endorsement.

The court ordered the e-commerce to remove specific URLs, block commercial use without consent within 72 hours of receiving notice of this order. It involved the Ministry of Electronics and IT to act against infringing content. 

A Delhi court has ordered NDTV journalist Gargi Rawat to pay ₹10,000 in damages to commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra after holding that her act of “liking” a tweet falsely accusing him of rape amounted to republication.

Iyer-Mitra had sought ₹20 lakh in damages, but the court, citing his history of controversial remarks online, awarded a reduced amount.

Rawat has also been directed to remove the offending tweet from her Twitter/X profile, with 6% interest applicable if damages remain unpaid within two weeks.

[Abhijit Iyer Mitra v Dushyant Arora and Anr]