Busy week ahead for apex court

The Supreme Court will this week hear a series of important cases — the National Registry of Citizens for Assam, a criminal defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, whether or not a film on PM Narendra Modi can be released during the elections, and if the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should be allowed to arrest former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar — in the shadow of sexual harassment charges against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi.

On Saturday, in an urgent hearing by a three-judge bench led by him, CJI Gogoi defended himself and said that the allegations made by a former member of his staff were an attempt “to deactivate the office of the Chief Justice because I am hearing sensitive matters next week”.

A bench headed by the CJI will on Tuesday take up BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi’s petition seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against Gandhi for allegedly twisting a top court order in the Rafale review plea.

Gogoi’s bench will also decide the fate of a Modi biopic, whose release has been stalled by the poll body.

Besides, it will take up a CBI application seeking permission to arrest former Kolkata Police chief Kumar in connection with the Saradha case.

First Published: Apr 22, 2019 02:17 IST