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1. West Bengal sets up SIT headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati to probe Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede

West Bengal sets up SIT headed by retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati to probe Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede

The West Bengal government on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) issued an order setting up a six-member Special Investigation Team to conduct a comprehensive, impartial and thorough inquiry into the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal on October 17, which claimed 19 lives. The SIT will be headed by Justice (Retired) Anindita Roy Saraswati and will include several state government officials and a representative of the National Disaster Response Force. After the incident, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the SIT would be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. However, on October 20 a Division Bench presided by Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge said a sitting High Court judge could not be appointed to head an inquiry, in accordance with a Supreme Court directive. The notification, signed by State Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, said the SIT shall submit its report with findings and recommendations to the State Government within three months from the date of the order. The SIT will ascertain the time, location and manner in which the initial crowd surge occurred and developed into a stampede; examine weather conditions, including meteorological reports and rainfall or thunderstorm bulletins, and their possible impact on crowd movement; inspect and assess passages, barricades, stairways, gates, emergency exits and other structural and access arrangements at the pandal; and examine whether permissions were granted under applicable rules and whether adequate crowd-management and disaster-management plans existed. The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal, inaugurated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, drew large crowds this season until the tragedy on the evening of October 17. Most of the deceased were women and children. Seven persons, including organizers of the pandal, have been arrested. Questions have been raised over the role of Kolkata Police, which was responsible for crowd management at the pandal; the SIT does not have a Kolkata Police member. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, for the second consecutive day, met families of the deceased, visited New Barrackpore and New Town areas and handed over a cheque for ₹25 lakh to the kin of the deceased. The state government has promised compensation of ₹25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. Kunal Ghosh, spokesperson of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, said that unless BJP leaders who were in charge of the Durga Puja pandal are arrested, the SIT has no real purpose, and that poor home guards and members of a private security agency are being made scapegoats in the stampede incident.

2. Allahabad High Court acquits three men in 1983 gang rape case over evidence gaps and FIR delay

Allahabad High Court acquits three men in 1983 gang rape case over evidence gaps and FIR delay

The Allahabad High Court has acquitted three men convicted in a 43-year-old gang rape case, citing serious inconsistencies in the prosecution's evidence, a six-day delay in filing the FIR and discrepancies in witness statements. Justice Abdul Shahid observed that while a survivor's testimony carries significant weight in sexual offence cases, it cannot be accepted as the ultimate truth without scrutiny, and its credibility, consistency and compatibility with surrounding circumstances must be assessed. The case dates to the night of October 17, 1983, when two women, one the other's sister-in-law, were allegedly gang-raped at their home in the Bindki area of Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh. According to the prosecution, four named accused and two other men entered the house, threatened family members with a country-made pistol and committed the offence. The FIR was registered on October 23, six days after the alleged incident, and a trial court convicted and sentenced the accused on April 22, 1985. During the appeal, the defence questioned the delay in filing the FIR, inconsistencies in the women's statements, the failure to hand over the clothes they were wearing at the time of the alleged incident, and the absence of medical evidence supporting the allegations. The accused also claimed they had been falsely implicated due to prior enmity. The High Court found that the initial complaint did not name two of the alleged perpetrators, whose involvement was mentioned later, and the investigating officer testified that the first survivor had not named the two men during questioning. The court further noted significant discrepancies between the women's accounts regarding the sequence of events, the roles of the accused and how family members were restrained, and that the clothes worn by the women were not handed over to police. Medical examinations found no fresh external or internal injuries on either woman, though the court clarified that the absence of injuries or medical corroboration alone was not sufficient to dismiss allegations of sexual assault, and that a delay in filing an FIR does not automatically undermine the prosecution's case. In this instance, the delay remained inadequately explained and the inconsistencies raised doubts about the prosecution's account, so the court concluded the charges had not been established beyond reasonable doubt. The court held that a conviction in a sexual offence case can rest solely on a survivor's testimony if it is reliable and trustworthy, but where contradictions in the statements of key witnesses affect the prosecution's central narrative, the evidence must be assessed in its entirety. On these grounds the court allowed the appeals filed by Sirajul, Chhotelal and Fakku and acquitted them. The appeal filed by the principal accused, Mohammed Anees Khan, had already been disposed of on March 16, 2026, following his death.

3. J&K High Court seeks Srinagar Deputy Commissioner's personal appearance over PSA detention order

J&K High Court seeks Srinagar Deputy Commissioner's personal appearance over PSA detention order

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has sought the personal appearance of the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar on Thursday in a preventive detention case under the Public Safety Act. Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal passed the order while hearing a petition concerning an accused from the Valley, whose detention was based on allegations of purported association with terrorist elements and activities allegedly prejudicial to the security of the State. The court ordered the Deputy Commissioner to explain why he recklessly and mechanically passed the impugned detention order without due application of mind. Justice Nargal observed that personal liberty occupies a paramount position in the constitutional scheme, and deprivation even for a single day cannot be undone by mere restoration of liberty. He further held that preventive detention is an exceptional departure from the ordinary criminal process and must be exercised with utmost circumspection and strict adherence to the safeguards prescribed by the Constitution and applicable law. The court also found that the nature of the allegations, the apparent absence of specific material particulars on the grounds of detention and the prima facie concern over how the order was formulated warranted further examination, and said the issue concerns not only the individual grievance but also how the extraordinary power of preventive detention is exercised and whether independent application of mind is reflected in the record. The case has been listed on Thursday.

4. Kochi pharma firm allegedly duped of ₹99 lakh in WhatsApp CEO impersonation; cyber police register FIR

The Kochi City Cyber police have registered a case after a pharmaceutical company based in Kochi was allegedly duped of ₹99 lakh by an unidentified fraudster who impersonated the firm's chief executiv

5. J&K and Ladakh high court summons Srinagar DC over vague PSA detention order

J&K and Ladakh high court summons Srinagar DC over vague PSA detention order

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court has summoned the Srinagar deputy commissioner for a personal appearance over a preventive detention order under the Public Safety Act that accused a 28-year-old man of supporting "aforementioned terrorists" without identifying any of them, prompting the court to question whether the officer had independently assessed the case or merely reproduced a police dossier. A single bench of Justice Wasim Nargal said preventive detention, which allows authorities to deprive a person of liberty without a regular criminal trial, demands the "highest degree of constitutional responsibility and procedural diligence". The court said the safeguards embodied in Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution are not empty formalities and that the detaining authority must independently assess the material and satisfy itself that the legal conditions for detention are met. The court directed the deputy commissioner to appear with the detention order, the police dossier, the material placed before him and records showing his consideration of the case and subjective satisfaction before ordering detention under the PSA. The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Zubair Amin Bangroo of Srinagar challenging his detention under an order dated January 13, 2026. His counsel Nida Nazir said the allegations were vague, no FIR had been registered against him and the detention order appeared to have been passed hurriedly. The order accused Bangroo of developing close links with terrorists, supporting them logistically and morally, and allowing his home and other safe locations to be used as hideouts, but Nazir said it neither identified the terrorists nor named the network or associates with whom Bangroo was allegedly in contact. The high court found that the detention grounds referred to "aforementioned terrorists" without any preceding reference identifying a terrorist. The court said the phrase raised a compelling question about whether the deputy commissioner had independently formulated the grounds or simply reproduced the police dossier. It observed that personal liberty occupies a position of paramount importance in the constitutional scheme and that its deprivation, even for a single day, constitutes an injury which cannot subsequently be undone by the mere restoration of liberty.

1. Nagendra Ray vs. State of Bihar and Ors. (16.10.2026 - SC)(MANU/SC/1196/2026)

The Supreme Court of India addressed the appeals by Nagendra Ray challenging the Patna High Court's orders granting bail to Kamakhya Singh, Ram Pratap Singh, and Ramakant Solanki, accused in a murder

2. Mahesh Chandra Joshi vs. State of Rajasthan (16.10.2026 - SC)(MANU/SC/1195/2026)

The Supreme Court of India addressed the appeals of Mahesh Chandra Joshi and Mukesh Pathak against the Rajasthan High Court's denial of bail in a case involving alleged tender irregularities under the

3. Satinder Pal Singh and Ors. vs. Bedi Hospital and Ors. (16.10.2026 - SC)(MANU/SC/1194/2026)

The Supreme Court of India addressed the dispute between Satinder Pal Singh and others versus Bedi Hospital and others, concerning the cancellation of a bid contract for a nursing home site by the Cha

4. Just Rights For Children Alliance and Ors. vs. S. Harish and Ors. (15.10.2026 - SC)(MANU/SC/1192/2026)

The Supreme Court of India addressed the issue of the circulation of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) on social media platforms, involving Just Rights For Children Alliance and oth

5. Tejaram vs. State of Rajasthan (16.10.2026 - SC)(MANU/SC/1191/2026)

The Supreme Court of India addressed the appeal by Tejaram against the State of Rajasthan, challenging the framing of charges under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, without prior a

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