Thackeray-Shinde standoff, Mallya sentencing and Abu Salem's challenge to life term: Big cases in Supreme Court today

The Supreme Court is set to hear and pronounce verdicts on some crucial cases on Monday, including the ones around the political crisis that unfolded in Maharashtra recently. 

The top court has directed that all the petitions, filed by Team Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camp, will be heard on July 11, including the one which challenges Shinde’s appointment as chief minister of Maharashtra. 

Let’s take a look at the three big cases which are scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on July 11: 

Team Thackeray challenges appointment of Eknath Shinde as CM

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has opposed the Maharashtra governor’s June 30 decision to invite rebel Sena MLAs supported by the BJP to form a government in the state. 

Shinde was sworn-in as Maharashtra CM on June 30, while former CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis became the deputy chief minister.

The petition contends that the Governor’s decision to call upon Shinde to become CM of the new coalition and head of the rebel camp is “ex-facie unconstitutional” as the rebel MLAs have not merged with the BJP, making them liable to be disqualified under the Tenth Schedule.

The Supreme Court on June 27 kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings against 16 rebel MLAs till July 12. 

Verdict against Vijay Mallya

The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on July 11 its order on the quantum of sentence against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, accused in bank loan default case of over Rs 9,000 crore involving his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in a contempt case where he has been found guilty.

As per the cause list of July 11 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit would pronounce the order. On March 10, a bench comprising Justices Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha had reserved orders on the sentence.

The apex court had accepted the contentions of amicus curiae and senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, who was assisting the court in the matter, that on the issue of quantum of sentence Mallya is given the last opportunity to make his stand in the case.

Abu Salem’s plea challenging life term

The top court will pronounce tomorrow its verdict on gangster Abu Salem's plea challenging his life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case on the ground that his sentence could not exceed 25 years as per a solemn assurance given by India to Portugal for his extradition in 2002.

As per the cause list of July 11 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices S K Kaul and M M Sundresh would pronounce the verdict on that day. 

The top court had on May 5 reserved its judgement in the matter in which the Centre had argued that the judiciary is independent of the solemn sovereign assurance given to the Portugal government during the extradition of Salem in 2002 and it is up to the executive to take a call on it at an appropriate stage.