Justice UU Lalit delivered several key verdicts during 74-day stint as CJI

PTI

New Delhi, November 8

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, the second head of judiciary to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court Bench from the Bar, delivered several important verdicts during his 74-day tenure and initiated steps such as live-streaming of proceedings and changing the process of listing of cases.

On the last working day, the CJI-led Constitution Bench, by a majority view of 3:2, upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to EWS in admissions and government jobs.

Popular among lawyers for his polite demeanour, the CJI made most of his short tenure by hearing and disposing of as many cases as possible and starkly being strict in not granting adjournments to lawyers in matters listed for consideration.

The CJI-led Bench paved way for hanging of LeT terrorist Mohammad Arif by dismissing his plea seeking review of its verdict awarding death penalty to him in the 2000 Red Fort attack case that left three Army jawans dead.

The CJI-led Bench granted bail to activist Teesta Setalvad, arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame “innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riots cases, and journalist Siddique Kappan, arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped.

#Justice UU Lalit #Supreme Court