Daily Bulletin

The Supreme Court has ruled that a victim can seek a speedy trial, establishing that the right is not the exclusive prerogative of the accused. A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar held that a victim is a definite stakeholder in the criminal justice system. The Court affirmed that a victim can approach a High Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to request expeditious disposal of a trial.

The Kerala High Court has ordered an FIR in the CMRL-Exalogic case against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T Veena, and others. The order on October 9, 2026, directs the state's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register a formal case, overturning the government's decision for a preliminary inquiry. The case involves allegations that Ms. Veena's IT firm, Exalogic Solutions, received illegal payments of approximately ₹2.78 crore from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has limited Form 7 submissions to curb the bulk filing of objections for deleting names from electoral rolls. An individual can now file a maximum of 10 forms during the Special Intensive Revision period and five per month during continuous updation. This new rule, announced on October 9, 2026, applies to both online and offline submissions and empowers officials to act against false complaints.

The Health Ministry has proposed regulating prescription drug advertising by retailers and wholesalers through an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945. The draft notification aims to extend existing advertising restrictions on Schedule H, H1, and X drugs to all entities with sale and distribution licences. This move follows a recommendation from the Drugs Technical Advisory Board to curb unauthorised promotion and reduce self-medication risks.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched a new eight-year strategy for India, the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme for 2026-2033, aiming to reach 3 million rural households. This initiative builds on IFAD's existing $1.5 billion investment and comes as a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report, highlighted by IFAD President Alvaro Lario, estimates that 40.4% of India's population could not afford a healthy diet in 2024.

The Registrar General of India, Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan, has directed officials to ensure the accurate and timely completion of Census 2027, the 16th national census and the first since 2011. Speaking at a conference on October 9, he stated the exercise is crucial for development planning and delimitation. The second phase of population enumeration will follow the house-listing phase completed in Andhra Pradesh in May 2026, with all data protected under the Census Act, 1948.

The Madras High Court strongly condemned a police officer's affidavit suggesting an accused was likely to abscond because he is a 'North Indian'. Justice N. Ramesh stated that a person's origin cannot be grounds for such an apprehension and granted bail, also noting the police failed to provide the grounds of arrest in a language the accused understood. The court has suo motu impleaded the DGP to report on police training regarding mandatory arrest procedures by November 10, 2026.

The government has called for increasing the private sector's share in defence production from its current level of approximately 24% to 50%. Addressing the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers on October 9, 2026, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh urged industry leaders to set progressive milestones to achieve this objective, assuring continued government support to accelerate India's strategic autonomy.