Important cases heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 22: * SC agreed to hear next week a plea which flagged BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s recent criticism of the apex court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and sought removal of derogatory videos from social media platforms.

* Irked over the nature of relief sought in a plea, SC imposed Rs 5 lakh costs on a lawyer for filing the petition as a petitioner and said he “spoiled the atmosphere of the court”.

* SC took exception to Delhi government’s stand that a convict serving a 20-year jail term without remission in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case could not be released even after the completion of his detention.

* SC found it “disturbing” that road accident victims were deprived of compensation despite orders of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunals.

* SC directed the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute to conduct an assessment of the nearby glass industries impacting the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh.

* SC held that a Muslim member of a state bar council ceases to be eligible to serve in the state Waqf Board if he is no longer holding the position in the bar body.

* SC stressed on striking a balance so that neither the state machineries could misuse their powers nor the accused could take advantage of court’s observations over furnishing grounds of arrest.

* SC said it would examine whether the recent judgement on a plea of Tamil Nadu, fixing timelines for the grant of assent to bills, covered the issues raised by the Kerala government in its pleas.

* SC fixed next week to hear a batch of pleas seeking a probe into the alleged unauthorised use of Pegasus spyware for the surveillance of journalists among others.

* SC expressed concern over impending loss of jobs especially drivers with the advent of Artificial Intelligence in the automotive industry.

* SC dismissed a plea which sought the power of the top court under Article 142 of the Constitution to be granted to the high courts. PTI PKS NB