Daily Bulletin

In the CMRL pay-off case, the Kerala High Court has directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and son-in-law P.A. Mohamed Riyas. Legal experts have raised concerns that the order was issued without hearing the accused and potentially bypassed Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which mandates prior sanction for such probes. The case is set for a multi-agency investigation, with the Enforcement Directorate and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office also probing related aspects.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a special hearing for Sunday, October 11, 2026, to address petitions challenging a complete shutdown of public transport and mass detentions in Delhi. A Bench will hear pleas against the detention of protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as well as a contempt petition against top officials for allegedly violating a prior court order that mandated proportionate regulation instead of a blanket ban.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has struck down a 2019 state law that increased the reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from 14% to 27%. A division bench ruled that the state government failed to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances required to breach the Supreme Court's 50% reservation ceiling. The judgment protects appointments made under the enhanced quota between March 2019 and September 29, 2022, stating they will be adjusted against future vacancies.

The Supreme Court has ruled that a Hindu widow's limited interest in property, acquired before 1956, became absolute ownership with the enactment of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. A bench of Justice S.V.N. Bhatti and Justice N.V. Anjaria held that succession to such property is governed by the personal law applicable at the time of the woman's death. The ruling clarifies that the property of a widow who died after the Act's commencement devolves upon her legal heirs, not those of her husband.

The Union government has decided to cap trade margins on 110 cancer medicines, including 35 patented ones, to make treatment more affordable. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) approved a proposal for Trade Margin Rationalisation, capping the margin at 30% of the Maximum Retail Price. This measure is expected to reduce the MRP of the selected drugs by 20-70%, leading to estimated annual savings of ₹2,500 crore for patients.

An internet shutdown order has been issued by the Union Home Secretary, suspending mobile internet for 24 hours within a four-kilometre radius of the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing in Delhi from October 9, 2026. The directive was issued under the Telecommunications Rules, 2024, which codify the Supreme Court's 2020 Anuradha Bhasin judgment requiring all such orders to be published with clear reasons and subject to review.

The juvenile justice system must focus on restoration rather than retribution, with institutional confinement used only as a last resort, stated Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant. Inaugurating a national consultation on ten years of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, he called for a dedicated cadre of specialised defence counsel for children. He also urged the establishment of legal aid clinics in all Juvenile Justice Boards under NALSA’s Child-Friendly Legal Services Scheme, 2024.

A review of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, was conducted by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at a conference in Kolkata on October 9. Officials from eight states reviewed progress, noting that while 25 lakh titles have been distributed nationally, 11 lakh claims remain pending as of August 31, 2026. States were directed to prepare time-bound action plans to dispose of pending claims, digitize records, and accelerate the recognition of Community Forest Resource Rights.