• NATIONAL NEWS

CCI asked to provide NSE an information based on which show cause notice was issued

The Delhi High Court while disposing of the writ petition have directed Competition Commission of India to provide information to National Stock Exchange within a week, based on which it concluded that NSE was abusing its dominant position.

Facility of merchant payments through mobile phones

About 20 Banks are due to roll out the facility in next three months on pilot basis by using the Inter bank mobile payment service platform - a service currently available to person-to-person payments. The RBI has allowed banks to make merchant payments through mobile phones.

MRO Facilities to be provided by MAS-GMR Aerospace, a joint venture of GMR to attract Service Tax : AAR

AAR has ruled that the GMR-led joint venture to provide maintenance, repair and overhauling (MRO) facilities to domestic and foreign airlines in SEZ will be liable to Service Tax. The ruling was given by the Authority of Advance Rulings (AAR) on an application filed by the MAS-GMR Aerospace Engineering Company, a joint venture of GMR, Hyderabad International Airport Limited, Hyderabad and Malaysian Aerospace Engineering, SDN-BHD, Malaysia

CBDT Instructions regarding Issuance of TDS certificates and authentication by digital signature

The Board has issued instructions regarding issuance of TDS Certificate in Form No. 16 A for deduction of tax at source made on or after 1-4-2011and authentication of the same by Digital Signature Authentication of TDS Certificate in Form No. 16A . The deductor, issuing the TDS certificate in Form No.16A by downloading from the TIN Website shall authenticate such TDS certificate by either using digital signature or manual signature.

Delhi HC: It is for the CCI to decide whether to treat information provided to it as confidential

The Delhi High Court dismissed the writ petition filed by SAIL challenging order of the CCI on the premise that it is for the CCI to be satisfied about the reasons furnished for treating the information as confidential. The opinion has to be formed by CCI.

CBEC's clarification on Service Tax Refund relating to SEZ

The Department has issued clarification to various doubts raised after the issuance of Notification No. 17/2011 dated 1st March, 2011 regarding exemption of Taxable Services received by Unit located in SEZ.

Defiant Tenants to be evicted with Police help: SC

The Apex Court has ruled that tenants can be forcibly evicted with the help of Police if they fail to meet the deadline given by the Court. A bench of justices Markandeya Katju and Gyan Sudha Mishra said that it was passing the extraordinary order as it was vexed with the increasing number of cases in the country where tenants are refusing to vacate despite orders.

Appeal only for gross-injustice in acquittal cases HC tells Government

The Delhi HC said that the State Government should be very careful and choosy in appealing against the Orders of acquittal of the lower courts and appeal only against cases where there has been "glaring miscarriage of justice". A division bench comprising Justice Ravindra S Bhat and Justice G P Mittal dismissed an appeal filed by the state government against a verdict acquitting a family of the charges of dowry harassment.

Bajpai committee expected to submit its report on National Pension Scheme (NPS) by end of this month

The G.N. Bajpai-headed Committee entrusted with the task of analysing fee structure and suggesting changes in the NPS, set up to fast track and popularize retirement scheme for individuals, is expected to submit its report by the end of this month. They are having their last meeting on May 17 and by the end of this month, I'm expecting the report", Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Chairman Yogesh Agarwal said

Fake 'encounters' are nothing but cold blooded, brutal murder: SC

SC has opined that in cases where a fake encounter is proved against policemen in a trial, they must be given death sentence, treating it as the rarest of rare cases calling for harsher punishment. A bench headed by justice Markandey Katju, which recently also favoured death penalty for "honour killings", said that "We are of the view that in cases where a fake encounter is proved against policemen in a trial, they must be given death sentence, treating it as the rarest of rare cases.

Ensure no starvation deaths occurs, SC to Centre

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to allocate additional five million tonnes of food grains to 150 poorest districts of the country, in order to ensure there is no starvation death in the country. Ensure no starvation deaths occurs, SC to Centre. A bench of justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma said that "Our anxiety is that there shall be no starvation deaths in a country like ours. We don't think there is anything more important than this,"

SC sets aside Karnataka HC Order upholding the Speaker's decision to disqualify 16 MLAs

The Apex Court has quashed Assembly Speaker's decision to disqualify 16 MLAs ahead of the no confidence motion last year which had ensured survival of the Yeddyurappa government while setting aside the Karnataka High Court order. A bench headed by justice Altamas Kabir while quashing the speaker's decision said basic constitutional values and principles of natural justice were not observed by Speaker K G Bopaiah in disqualifying the 11 rebel BJP and five independent legislators.

NGOs cannot use PIL as a tool to address their vested interest through judicial process: SC

The Apex court has imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on the NGO, Kalyaneshwari, and sentenced its secretary D K Sharma for a day's simple imprisonment holding that the PIL was filed with the ulterior motive of causing industrial imbalance and financial loss to the industry of asbestos.

SC scraps 100% reservation for army kids in ACMS, terming it unconstitutional

SC has struck down the 100 per cent reservation for children of armed forces in Army College of Medical Sciences in Delhi ruling that non-minority educational institutions have no right to admit students of their choice & if they were given such rights it would be detrimental to the true nature of education

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 brought into force w.e.f 01.05.2011

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 enacted to consolidate the law regulating the acceptance & utilization of foreign contributions in India has been brought into force w.e.f 01.05.2011. Consequently, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 stands repealed.

PIL to Decriminalize bid to commit suicide

PIL seeking to decriminalize attempt to suicide, which is right now a criminal offence, punishable with imprisonment, has been filed in the Delhi High Court. The Court has sought the govt's response on what steps it had taken on similar recommendations made by the Law Commission in its report in 2008

SC rejects CBI's plea seeking restoration of stringent charges against Bhopal tragedy accused

The Apex court has dismissed the CBI's curative petition seeking restoration of stringent charges against Bhopal tragedy accused saying that no satisfactory explanation given by CBI and MP Govt. on filing curative petition after lapse of 14 years. The bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia observed that both CBI and the Madhya Pradesh government had not provided satisfactory explanation on filing curative petition after a lapse of 14 years.

Supreme Court lifts its gag order on media on publishing taped conversations of Amar Singh

The Apex Court has lifted its gag order on the media restraining it from broadcasting and publishing contents of the taped conversations of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh with top politicians and Bollywood stars. A bench Justice GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly vacated the interim order restraining the media, while dismissing the petition by Amar Singh on ground that there has been suppression of facts by Amar Singh in the case but allowed Amar Singh to proceed against the telecom operator for illegally tapping his phone.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russian President points to danger of attempts to impose one country's laws on others

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned against the attempt by one country to spread its jurisdiction over to other countries. He further stated that, "In my view, it is dangerous to attempt to spread one's jurisdiction to the surrounding states, i.e. to turn a national jurisdiction into global," Medvedev said at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on Friday.

The harmonization of legislations "cannot be substituted by direct spread of the rules by one state onto another's territory. That is to become a mechanical copying of laws. We all have our own history, our ideas about justice, and finally, our own traditions," he said. In the global legal sphere "there are international courts, whose potential is not exhausted; there are arbitration proceedings," he said.

"The thesis that one legal system is better or more transparent than some other from the outset is absolutely wrong and very alarming," Medvedev said.

The Australian & International Pilots Association to vote on legal action

The Australian & International Pilots Association, which represents long-haul pilots at Qantas Airways, is expected to hold a secret ballot vote on whether to approve legally protected industrial action, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review. The move comes following the expiration yesterday of a deadline the union gave Qantas to respond to job security demands.

Pakistan Government to eliminate Tax exemptions in budget

The Government of Pakistan is likely eliminate tax exemption apart from keeping standard General Sales Tax (GST) at 17 per cent, the government would likely to eliminate tax exemptions on fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceutical, poultry feed, tractors and others under the Plan-B against Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) in the upcoming budget 2011-2012. As agreed with International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government would adopt Plan-B against the non-introduction of RGST in the annual budget for next financial year.

Panasonic Enters into Patent License Agreement with Klausner Technologies and Settles Outstanding Litigation

Panasonic Corporation has entered into a patent license agreement with Klausner Technologies, Inc., in accordance with Klausner Technologies' U.S. Visual Voicemail patents, for Panasonic consumer and enterprise visual voicemail products, which include Panasonic's "Choicemail" DECT cordless telephone answering devices. The parties have settled their outstanding litigation and the case has been dismissed.

Panasonic is the 31st company to license Klausner Technologies' Visual Voicemail patents. Current licensees of the Visual Voicemail patents include major U.S. and European mobile operators, handset manufacturers, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)/cable operators, and other providers of Visual Voicemail services.