Wrap-up: Supreme orders

Thakur may face perjury charges

The Supreme Court on Thursday threatened to initiate contempt and perjury proceedings against BCCI President Anurag Thakur for asking the ICC CEO for a letter but denying it on oath, warning he may have to go to jail if found guilty. The court reminded the BCCI top brass that Thakur as President of the board had asked for a letter from ICC CEO Dave Richardson that the appointment of a CAG nominee in the cricket body would compromise with autonomy and amount to government interference.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice T. S. Thakur, Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, pulled up the BCCI for trying to mislead the court and warned Thakur that he may land in jail if the SC pronounces its order in perjury proceedings. “Why are you trying to mislead the court? If you want to escape perjury charges, you ought to apologise. At every stage you have been trying to obstruct. Everyone wants to go around and continue to hold the post even after 70 years. This is such a lucrative business that everyone wants to go on forever,” the court said.

No beard for IAF men, says top court

IAF personnel cannot sport a beard on religious grounds, the Supreme Court said on Thursday making it clear that policies on personal appearance are “not intended to discriminate against religious beliefs” but to “ensure uniformity and discipline” which are indispensable to every armed force. The apex court observed that for the effective functioning of a large combat force, the members must bond together by a sense of espirit-de-corps, “without distinctions of caste, creed, colour or religion” and while on duty, every member of the Indian Air Force is required to wear uniform and not display any sign distinguishing one from another.

“Regulations and policies in regard to personal appearance are not intended to discriminate against religious beliefs nor do they have the effect of doing so. Their object and purpose is to ensure uniformity, cohesiveness, discipline and order which are indispensable to the Air Force, as indeed to every armed force of the Union,” a bench headed by Chief Justice T.S.Thakur said while dismissing appeals of two Muslim personnel of IAF. Airmen Mohammed Zubair and Ansari Aaftab Ahmed had challenged dismissal of their plea by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in which they had sought setting aside of the Air Force order directing them to shave off their beard.

No liquor vends on highways, says SC

The Supreme Court has  ordered a ban on all liquor shops on national as well as state highways across the country and made it clear that licenses of existing shops will not be renewed after March 31 next year. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur also directed that all signages indicating presence of liquor vends will be prohibited on national and state highways. The bench also comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao said the existing licenses of liquor shops across the highways will not be renewed after March 31, 2017. Last week, the apex court had expressed concern over 1.5 lakh fatalities every year in road mishaps, saying it may direct closure of liquor vends on national and state highways across the nation, besides removal of the signages indicating their location.

The apex court, while reserving verdict on December 7 on a batch of pleas seeking a direction to amend excise laws to ensure that no liquor is sold alongside highways, came down heavily on the Punjab government for seeking relaxation and permitting liquor shops near highways if they are “elevated” ones and the vend are under or near it. The bench had also expressed unhappiness over alleged inaction by various states in removing liquor shops alongside roads which give rise to drunken driving and consequential fatalities.