The Maharashtra Government on Friday (August 21) urged a Court in Mumbai to prosecute in asbentia (in their absence) the six absconding Pakistani nationals including the handlers of banned outfit 'Lashkar-e-Taiba' - Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the main masterminds behind the deadly 26/11 terrorist attacks in the city.

Sessions Judge Satyanarayan Navandar has granted time till September 17 to the State to serve formal legal notices about the prosecution to the six accused - Saeed, Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Alqama, Asim aka Abu Qahafa and Major Abdur Rehman Pasha, in Pakistan, through Interpol. 

Confirming the development, Rajya Sabha MP and Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told Live Law that a formal report was submitted on Friday evening to the court, informing it that public proclamation orders have already been affixed at various public placed in Mumbai including High Court and Sessions Court. 

"We have affixed the public proclamation orders in several public places across Mumbai including High Court and Sessions Court... Further, we have also written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to serve the proclamation order through Interpol. We are yet to hear from the Ministry on this but once they respond, the proclamation order will be served through Interpol... Court has granted us time till September 17," Nikam said. 

Nikam further explained that once the proclamation order is served through Interpol, the court would wait further for 90 days and then ask the prosecution to file a fresh plea for officially proceeding with the trial in absentia. If the absconders do not respond to the Interpol notice, legal aid lawyers would be appointed to represent them and accordingly the trial will commence. 

According to the plea under section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), submitted before the court, Nikam said, the State has primarily relied on the evidence that comes from the testimony of terrorist Ajmal Kasab and US-based approver David Coleman Headley. Notably, both Kasab and Headley had given detailed roles of Saeed and the five other fugitives, who are presently living in Pakistan. 

The matter will now be heard again on September 17.

National Green Tribunal, Central Zone Bench directed systemic removal of encroachments on central verges of roads in Bhopal using wire fencing, afforestation and geo-tagging and has further prohibited concretization in the green belt area. 

The tribunal further directed Bhopal's Collector and the Divisional Forest Officer to undertake a joint survey and demarcate entire recorded forest land within the district preferably through GIS(Geographic Information System)/GPS and satellite imagery, submit the consolidated report and wherever illegal encroachment is found and there is no lawful impediment, the authorities have been directed to remove the same as per law within three months. 

A bench of judicial member Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi issued a slew of directions after noting that Percentage of district area under forest cover is less than 12% in Bhopal as per Indian State Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 and as compared to 2021 to 2023, there is a decline of approximately 0.54 sq.km. in Bhopal District only. The tribunal also remarked this was national data from ISFR which shows that the enhanced area of forest was "wrongly calculated" by the Forest Department.

It thus directed:

• Encroachments on the site and central verges of the roads in Bhopal should be removed in a systematic way and year-wise followed by wire fencing, afforestation and geo-tagging in a phased manner. This exercise should be carried out in the other areas in coordination and cooperation with Ward Level Green Committee to be constituted by the Collector and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation.
• A high resolution satellite imagery such as – bird's eye view or pic bird or high resolution drone survey should have been used followed by ground truthing for calculating the green belt and its encroachment.
• The Respondents are directed to ensure that long lasting multi-purpose native species are to be selected for carrying out plantation to restore the area such as - Vad, Pipal, Khati Amli, Jamun, Desi Mango, Neem, Sesam, Kadam, Saj and Arjun to be given priority while carrying out plantation, considering their ecological importance for side verge and block plantation. For central verge of ornamental species of local origin of lower and middle canopy should be preferred for plantation for beautification and enhancement of greenery.
• Similarly, for gaps in the forest area in the city, the Forest Department shall take up the plantation using saplings of local native forestry species as per working plan of the area from their own funds.
• The order of Supreme Court with regard to removal of encroachments, must be strictly complied with within a time frame as directed by the Supreme Court and the Commissioner and Collector, Bhopal, shall monitor it through the committee and submit the compliance report to the Registrar of this Bench within three months. In case violations are found, the Registrar may place the matter for necessary orders.
• No concretization allowed in green belt area which should be maintained as green belt only to act as lungs for the local residents.
• The Principal Secretary, Forest Department, and PCCF & HoFF, are directed to monitor the efforts made by the Forest Department for removal of encroachments on quarterly basis. Details of the forest review be submitted to Registrar of this Bench for consideration.
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, is directed to call and collect the report from the District Headquarter and to submit the report within three months with regard to the encroachments and total area of the forest in a following proforma – “Sl. No./Name of the District/Total Forest Cover/Details of Encroachment/Protected Forest/Reserve Forest/ Deemed Forest/Sanctuaries and Protected Areas/ Any other Forest/Total Encroachments Upto June, 2026/ Action Taken For Removal of Encroachment Year-wise/ Actual Area Removed From Encroachment/ and Percentage Loss of Forest As On Date”.
• The Collector, Bhopal, and the Divisional Forest Officer, Bhopal, are directed to undertake a joint survey and demarcation of entire recorded forest land within the district preferably through GIS/GPS and satellite imagery and submit the consolidate report and time bound action proceeding and where encroachment is found to be illegal and there is no lawful impediment, the concerned authorities shall take action for removal in accordance with law within three months.
• The area should not only be removed from encroachers but it should be demarcated and protected by permanent boundary pillars, fencing wherever appropriate, entered correctly in the revenue records. Area freed from the encroachments should not be left open to invite future encroachment and, therefore, entire area is to be restored ecologically by taking up plantation by the Divisional Forest Officer. The Forest Department to carry out plantation in entire area to be converted into green cover within 12 months. The PCCF is directed to monitor the progress for the same.
• The Committee duly constituted by the Collector will periodically monitor the encroachments and prepare a list on quarterly basis with regard to the name of the area, khasra khatoni number, if any, total area under encroachments, action taken for removal of encroachment alongwith date and remark column. This data should be collected and placed before the Collector for taking necessary actions. After submission of the data and compiling it, the District Magistrate/Collector concerned shall send a copy of this to the Registrar of the NGT Bench for taking further action.

The tribunal was hearing a plea seeking a direction to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Collector, Divisional Forest Officer and others to remove all types of encroachments (permanent or temporary) carried out on Central verges, side verges of all roads and parks in Bhopal and to carry out a time bound afforestation of local (indigenous) shrubs and trees on the areas designated for it to maintain minimum forestry and ecology of the city.

The tribunal further directed the respondent authorities to comply with the Madhya Pradesh Vrakshon Ka Parirakshan Nagriya Kshetra Adhiniyam (Tree Preservation (Urban Areas) Act) 2001 and if the number of trees for any development projects are required to be felled are more than the prescribed in the notification issued by the State Government then the matter may be referred to the High Level Centrally Empowered Committee constituted by the State. 

It has also directed that Rules with regard to the compensatory plantation, compulsory afforestation, maintenance, green policy, plantation, transplantation, beautification and maintenance policy, 2015, must be complied with ensuring the survival of the trees according to the existing rules of the Forest Department and the Department shall monitor it.

Further, compensatory plantation within the municipal area will be monitored for 15 years by the committee comprising of the members of the Forest Department, Municipal Corporation, Horticulture Department and State PCB for ensuring better survival and establishment of the plantation. 

The tribunal has also called for GIS mapping of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation area including central and side verges of roads inside the city as well as a tree census of the area.  Bhopal Municipal Corporation is directed to prepare a futuristic planned afforestation strategy for conservation of trees and greenery in the area with identification of indigenous and endangered tree species to be planted with a minimum height of two meters.

With respect to wastewater, the Tribunal directed the Corporation to identify Sewage Treatment Plants in close proximity to plantation areas so that treated water could be effectively utilised to support plant growth. It also directed ward-wise mapping of the entire BMC area.

Further ward-wise public participation is of utmost importance to make the entire project successful for conservation and protection of local forestry and greenery and the BMC may organise the annual function for distributing the prize to those persons who maintain the greenery. This may promote the interest of the citizens and the units residing around the green belt.

The Corporation is directed to reconsider suitably amending the following relevant rules on certain aspects:

(a) All vacant land parcels over 200 sq. meters owned by BMC, Smart City Bhopal, or BDA must allocate at least 25% of their footprint to Miyawaki plots.

(b) The Bhopal Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is mandated to engineer vertical modular green facades across all concrete pillars along elevated lines.

(c) All active metro rail stations, depots, and public BRTS bus terminals must construct a 5-meter deep perimeter green buffer to capture vehicular emissions and reduce localized heat build-up.

(d) All new commercial, educational, and multi-family residential structures (Plot Area > 500 sq. meters) must cover at least 40% of unshaded roof space with living green roofs.

(e) Residential plots below 500 sq. meters must coat all exposed roof spaces with high-albedo, solar-reflective cooling paints exhibiting an initial Solar Reflectance Index (SRI). 

The plea was disposed of. 

Case title: Dr. Subhash C. Pandey v/s Bhopal Municipal Corporation & Others

Original Application No.17/2023(CZ)

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As many as 97 pending cases involving murder and other serious offenses have been 'recalled' from the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar in Muzaffarnagar district, days after he awarded 22 death sentences in 10 different cases over a 4-month period.

The cases were recalled through an administrative order issued by Muzaffarnagar District & Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh. The cases include offences punishable with death or life imprisonment.

The development comes shortly after Diwakar's recent judgments awarding record capital punishments made to headlines. Between April and August 2026, he awarded death sentences to 22 convicts in 10 separate cases.

The administrative order pertains to 97 pending files relating to murder and other heinous offences. Now, the matters will be dealt with by District & Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Singh himself.

Though the administrative order does not state any reason for the recall of the cases, the timing of the development is crucial as it comes amidst reports highlighting the unusually high number of death sentences awarded by Judge Diwakar.

It may be noted that the first of these judgments was pronounced on April 6, when 3 accused were sentenced to death in connection with the murder of lawyer Sameer Saifi. 4 more death sentences were awarded on April 28 in another murder case pertaining to the year 2019.

On May 30, he awarded the death penalty to a 50-year-old man for killing a woman and her six-year-old son in a case dating back nearly 15 years.

Thereafter, on June 20, he sentenced 2 persons to death in connection with the murder of one Rajendra Saini. On July 2, he convicted a man of murdering a home guard on duty and awarded him the death sentence.

On July 6, he sentenced a former village head and his associate to death in a 2010 murder case over panchayat elections' enmity. Then, on July 17, he sentenced 4 other men to death for the murder of a farmer in 2011 during an attempted robbery in the Shamli district.

On August 12, he awarded the death penalty to a man for kidnapping and killing a wood trader for ransom nearly 27 years ago. On August 13, 4 people were sentenced to death in a 12-year-old murder case.

By August 13, the number of death sentences awarded by Judge Diwakar's court (since April) had reached 22.

It is important to note, however, that a death sentence imposed by a Sessions Court is not final and the same must be confirmed by the High Court before it can be executed, as per Sections 407 to 412 of the BNSS.

Judge Diwakar has been posted in Muzaffarnagar since November 2025. He first came into the spotlight in 2022 while serving as a civil judge in Varanasi when he ordered a videographic survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi.

Judge Diwakar came back into the spotlight in March 2024 when he hailed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a prime example of a “religious person” holding a seat of power in the State. He also likened CM Adityanath to the idea of a 'Philosopher King' as outlined by Plato in his Socratic dialogue, Republic.

These observations were made by Judge Diwakar while summoning a Muslim cleric and politician, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, to face the trial for serious criminal charges, including 'attempt to murder', in connection with the communal violence that took place in Bareilly in the year 2010. He added that in India, rarely has the mastermind who instigated a riot been punished.

Judge Diwakar further underscored that accused Maulana Tauqeer would have incited yet another riot in Bareilly if there were no Yogi Adityanath Government in the state.

However, just days later, the Allahabad High Court EXPUNGED these remarks by observing that it is not expected of the judicial officer to express or depict his personal or preconceived notions or inclinations in the matter.

" The judicial order is meant for public consumption and such type of order is likely to be misconstrued by the masses. It is expected from judicial officer that he should use a very guarded expression while focusing upon the issue in hand and should not use any observation which are tangent or alien to the core issue," the HC had remarked adding that his unwarranted remarks contained Political over-tones.

In June 2024, a Special Judge of the NIA Court wrote to the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court, seeking security for Additional District Judge (Fast Track Court), Bareilly, Ravi Kumar Diwakar. 

" ...from the investigation so far (in the FIR against Khan), the fact is coming to light that a conspiracy is being hatched by Islamic fundamentalist forces to kill the Additional District Judge, Mr. Ravi Kumar Diwakar by declaring him an infidel, which is a very sensitive matter”, the letter stated.

In December 2024, Judge Diwakar, as Additional Sessions Judge (FTC), Bareilly, sentenced a father-son duo to death for killing the father's brother over a property dispute by referring to the selfless love between Lord Rama and Bharata in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The court observed that while Lord Rama's brothers Lakshman and Bharata fulfilled their duties as brothers, setting an example of great sacrifice and devotion, the actions of the accused, on the other hand, starkly contrast with this ideal.

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has got a newly constructed waiting facility for litigants. The facility was inaugurated by Chief Justice Arun Bhansali at Gate No. 8 of the court premises on August 20.

The facility has seating arrangements for around 172 litigants and has been equipped with fans, drinking-water facilities and a utility block.

The initiative was taken after the newly elected executive committee of the Oudh Bar Association approached the senior judges of the Lucknow Bench to request a dedicated space for litigants to sit while waiting in court.

According to the Bar Association, there was previously no such dedicated facility for litigants at the Lucknow Bench.

The request was made on September 15 by the newly elected executive body, with Oudh Bar Association General Secretary Lalit Kishore Tiwari taking up the matter with the senior judge.

Following the request, an inspection of the proposed site was carried out and the matter was placed before the High Court's Building Committee.

The proposal was subsequently considered by the Building Committee headed by Justice Rajan Roy. After the proposal was approved, funds were sought from the State Government. The required funds were subsequently released, following which construction of the facility was undertaken and completed within the stipulated time.

The newly inaugurated facility is intended to provide litigants visiting the Lucknow Bench with a dedicated place to sit and wait during court proceedings. With a capacity of approximately 172 persons, the facility also has arrangements for drinking water and ventilation.

Chief Justice Arun Bhansali inaugurated the facility in the presence of judges of the Lucknow Bench, including Justice Rajan Roy, as well as other members of the judiciary and office-bearers of the Oudh Bar Association.

Speaking on the occasion, Oudh Bar Association General Secretary Lalit Kishore Tiwari expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice and the judges of the High Court for facilitating the project.

He said the facility was a significant step towards addressing litigants' needs and improving their experience on the court premises.

The inauguration was attended by members of the Oudh Bar Association's executive committee and other members of the Bar.

A Jammu Court has directed a preliminary inquiry into a complaint alleging that the incumbent BCCI President Mithun Manhas furnished different dates of birth in records connected with his cricket career and thereby obtained an advantage in participating in sub-junior and junior-level cricket tournaments.

An Ernakulam Court on Thursday (August 20) granted a temporary injunction restraining the release and circulation of web series “Anali” on the OTT platform JioHotstar, which is allegedly inspired by the Koodathayi murders.

Third Additional Munsiff (RCC) Smt. Reeja R. Nair passed the order in a suit filed by Jollyamma Joseph @ Jolly Joseph, who is an undertrial prisoner accused of the murders.

Jolly is accused of murdering six of her family members, including her first husband Roy Thomas, using cyanide, with the motive to take control of the family property. Her trial is under progress before the Additional District Court (Special Court for Trial for Maradu Cases), Kozhikode.

Earlier this year, the High Court had refused to entertain her plea seeking to restrain the release of the series and had asked her to pursue the statutory remedy available. Thereafter, the present suit was moved by her.

The Munsiff court issued summons to the defendants, Jio Hotstar, media tech company Asiaville, director Midhun Manuel Thomas, Meta, X, and Google.

" this Court doth order that an interim injunction be awarded to restrain the respondents, their agents and any person claiming through them from releasing, publishing, promoting, exhibiting, streaming, circulating, uploading, hosting, reproducing, sharing or otherwise disseminating the web series “ANALI” or any other promotional material or any content relating thereto insofar as the same identifies the petitioner with the principal female character and thereby creating an impression that the petitioner is the actual perpetrator or culprit of the alleged offences forming subject matter of the case," the court ordered.

The suit is moved by Advocates Arun V.G., Neeraj Narayan and Harikrishnan R.

Case No: OS/957/2026

Case Title: Jollyamma Joseph @ Jolly v. Jiohotstar Pvt. Ltd Star House and Ors.

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