Supreme Court's Landmark Rulings: Trees, Bails, and Recruitment Policies Take Center Stage

The Supreme Court addressed a variety of critical issues on Monday, including the Delhi High Court’s unusual decision on Arvind Kejriwal's bail in a money laundering case, illegal tree felling in Delhi, Haryana's recruitment policy discrimination, and protection from arrest for an Odisha Administrative Service officer.

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Delhi High Court's uncommon move of reserving its order while granting an interim stay on a trial court's order that granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to an alleged excise scam.

In another significant observation, the court emphasized that the blatant felling of trees in the national capital is a matter of serious concern. The court demanded a definitive statement from the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority regarding whether trees in the ridge area were cut without permission on orders from the lieutenant governor.

Additionally, the court upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision to nullify the Haryana government's policy of awarding extra marks to its residents in recruitment exams. Furthermore, the court granted protection from arrest to Odisha Administrative Service officer Bijay Ketan Sahoo, who is facing charges from the Enforcement Directorate concerning disproportionate assets.