Tata Trust Board, CJI’s “Cockroach” Remark, Increased Strength of Supreme Court and More

“It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation. Not only am I proud of our present and future human resources, but every youth of India inspires me.”

— Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issues a clarification days after his oral remark comparing sections of the media professionals, activists with cockroaches. 

The Abrupt Beginning and End of a Lawsuit Against Tata Trust
The legal case against the composition of the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust ended as abruptly as it began. Just as a crucial board meeting of the SRTT was inching closer to deliberate on the issue of the trust’s nominees on the Tata Sons board, a lawsuit to potentially stall or stop this meeting was filed before the Bombay High Court. 

Alleging violation of Maharashtra Public Trust Act, the petitioner claimed that the number of life trustees on SRTT’s board exceeds the permissible limit. As such, the board should be barred from holding its meeting, this petition by Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede said. Roping in a retired Madras High Court judge to argue his case, the petitioner asked for an urgent hearing but this request was rejected by the high court on grounds that the matter was not urgent.

The case did come up before a vacation bench of the court sitting during summer break which raised questions about the locus standi of the petitioner in the case. Ultimately the suit was withdrawn and the case ended removing any possible impediment for the SRTT board to convene its meeting. But it is intriguing to note that the case was closed on the question of right of the litigant to file the suit and not on whether the trust is indeed in compliance with the law. Regardless, in a matter of 10 days, the lawsuit came and went but with a message from courts that governance issues of large, or any, institutions can only be brought up by related or affected parties.

Courts: 

• Delhi court refuses to lift ban on media reporting connecting Manoj Sandesara to Sterling Biotech bank fraud case

• Delhi High court quashes lookout circular against former director of Jaypee Sameer Gaur

• Supreme Court sets aside Karnataka High Court order which allowed Winzo’s subsidiary to use frozen funds for salary payments

• Karnataka High Court asks Enforcement Directorate to explain its arrest of Gameskraft founders

• Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma recuses from hearing Arvind Kejriwal’s excise case following protest from the former Delhi chief minister, initiates contempt proceedings 

• Delhi High Court asks Competition Commission of India to not pass any final orders against Apple Inc in its investigation

• Petition moved before Bombay High Court challenging the board composition of Sir Ratan Tata Trust; withdrawn days after court refuses urgent hearing

• Delhi High Court rejects PIL seeking tax on agricultural income, terms it misconceived

Others:

• President promulgates ordinance to increase Supreme Court’s strength from existing 34 judges to now 38 including the Chief Justice of India

• Supreme Court orders fully virtual proceedings for twice a week in the wake of Modi government’s austerity measures

• Supreme Court launches one case one data system for ease of judicial data access 

The Big Listings:

• Jun 23: Securities Appellate Tribunal to hear appeal by Jane Street challenging SEBI’s move to allegedly refuse access to important documents to the firm in the case against it

• Jul 15: Delhi High Court to hear Apple Inc.’s plea against India’s competition law’s provisions on global turnover-based penalties on MNC

• July: Supreme Court to hear PIL petition seeking tighter probe into Anil Ambani’s fraud allegations

• Jul 27: Delhi High Court to hear Anil Ambani’s defamation lawsuit against NDTV

* The dates of hearing can change and a concrete list is prepared just a day before

Legal Moves: 

• Rohit Tiwari leaves Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas to join Trilegal in Bengaluru

• Abhilash Pillai of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas leaves to join Trilegal

• Mehak Dhingra elevated to partnership in Obhan Mason

• Sandeep Ghosh made first CEO at Trilegal

• Shashank Garg appointed member of the London Court of International Arbitration 

• DMD Advocates appoints Anand Mohan as Head of Strategy