SUPREME COURT HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) Following are the top Supreme Court stories on Wednesday: LGD21 SC-PLEA-UPI CHARGE (5.59 PM) **** A public interest litigation (PIL) matter has been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the Centre’s decision to impose a merchant discount rate (MDR) on specified UPI person-to-merchant transactions of above Rs 2,000, saying the levy has been introduced without adequate statutory safeguards, transparency or public consultation. **** LGD18 SC-UNITECH (5.35 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Enforcement Directorate and Delhi Police to submit details of cases against directors of ailing Unitech Ltd to ensure speedy trial and said no inconvenience should be caused to the homebuyers. **** LGD16 SC-SHIV SENA-SYMBOL

(4.59 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned whether a legislative majority could be considered a “safe test” to determine the ownership of a political party, particularly when disqualification proceedings were pending against the very MLAs who constituted that majority. **** LGD15 SC-FORESTS (4.55 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would confine itself to the challenge to the constitutional validity of definition of “forests” under the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act of 2023 and made it clear that disputes related to individual parcels of land will be dealt with by high courts. **** LGD14 SC-CRICKET-BIHAR-ADMINISTRATOR (4.46 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed former Patna High Court judge Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh as the administrator of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA). **** LGD11 SC-MUMBAI-PROJECT (4.07 PM) **** Describing the project as one of “eminent national importance”, the Supreme Court sought the responses of the Maharashtra government and others on Wednesday on a plea seeking permission to fell and transplant trees for the construction of a proposed institute of creative technology at Mumbai’s Film City. **** LGD7 SC-FAKE DRUG NETWORKS-PIL (2.42 PM) **** A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive national framework to curb the manufacture and sale of counterfeit and adulterated medicines, including vaccines and cough syrups. **** LGD6 SC-GUJ-INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT (12.26 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court to register a suo motu case to identify victims of the 2022 industrial accident at a pesticide plant operated by PSU Bharat Rasayan Ltd in Gujarat for payment of compensation to those affected. **** LGD5 SC-FAKE DOCTORS (12.21 PM) **** The Supreme Court on Wednesday junked a plea raising the issue of fake and forged medical degrees while reprimanding the petitioner for routinely “piling” the court with such petitions. **** LGD4 SC-NEET-PROTESTS (12.17 PM) **** The Supreme Court has refused to reconstitute a five-member high-powered committee set up to examine alleged police excesses against student protesters in Delhi, underlining that allegations against the panel were conjectures and preconceived notions. **** PTI ABA RHL