Important cases heard in Supreme Court on Thursday

Important cases heard in the Supreme Court on Friday, November 11: * SC directed the premature release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, serving life term in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, noting that the Tamil Nadu government has recommended remission of their sentence. * The Supreme Court extended till further orders the protection of the area where a 'shivling' was claimed to have been found in Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque complex.

* SC expressed displeasure over the delay by the Centre in clearing the names recommended for appointment as judges in the higher judiciary, including those reiterated by the apex court Collegium, and said keeping them pending is ''something not acceptable''.

* SC said it will step back from the ''actual arena of political conflict'' between the Delhi government and the Centre and only deal with the constitutional issue related to the control of services in the national capital.

* SC quashed an Allahabad High Court order granting bail to two men accused of firing at AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi's vehicle in Uttar Pradesh in February and gave them one week to surrender.

* SC discharged the Uttarakhand government and the police chief from a list of parties in a contempt plea filed by activist Tushar Gandhi pertaining to alleged inaction in cases of hate speeches made at religious assemblies in Haridwar in the state and the national capital last year.

* SC asked the Centre to provide details of those medical students of Ukraine who availed its academic mobility programme under which they could complete their courses in universities or colleges of other countries.

* SC directed all the states and union territories to conclude by November 16 the second round of counselling for admissions in post-graduate medical courses and submit the data the same day with the medical counselling committee.

* SC sought reports from the district collector and the deputy conservator of forests of Satara in Maharashtra on the demolition drive conducted to remove alleged unauthorised structures on government land around the tomb of Afzal Khan, the commander of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur.