Highlights: Bail For Godhra Train Burning Convicts, Govt's Answer To Kunal Kamra

The Supreme Court also granted protection from arrest to OpIndia Editor and CEO in a case by the Tamil Nadu police.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Is the current compensation policy for mob lynching victims fair? That was only one of the many cases that the Supreme Court deliberated on Friday, 21 April.

The top court also granted bail to eight convicts in the Godhra Train Burning Case, while the government told the Bombay High Court that its upcoming (widely contested) fact-checking unit will not interfere with satire or artistic work.

What else happened in our courts today? Here are the top 5 highlights.

8 Godhra Train Burning Convicts Get Bail But...

The Supreme Court granted bail to eight convicts in the 2002 Godhra Train burning case, while refusing to do the same for four others who are on death row in the same case.

Earlier this year, the court had asked for details of the convicts in order to make a decision regarding the bail applications moved by them.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Gujarat government, had strongly objected to the Gujarat High Court's 2017 decision of turning the death sentence given to 11 convicts into life imprisonment.

Previously, the top Court had granted bail to one of the 31 convicts in the case and remarked that his role had only been that of pelting stones.

OpIndia Editor & CEO Get Protection from Arrest

OpIndia Editor Nupur Sharma and CEO Rahul Roushan were granted protection from arrest for four weeks by the Supreme Court in a case registered by the Tamil Nadu Police.

The complaint was related to an allegedly fake story published on the news website over the torture of Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.

However, the court refused to consider quashing the case against them and asked them to approach the High Court for that.

SC Asks Centre, States To Respond On PIL Over Compensating Mob Lynching Victims

In a petition seeking a uniform and fair compensation policy for mob lynching victims, the Supreme Court has sought a response from the Union and State governments.

The plea has said that the current approach towards compensation for hate crime victims is 'whimsical, discriminatory and arbitrary', 'meagre' and has 'glaring discrepancies.'

Gyanvapi: After Govt's Assurance, SC Disposes Plea Seeking 'Wuzu' Arrangements

As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud disposed of an application seeking arrangements for performing wuzu in the Gyanvapi Mosque complex where a Shiv Linga was allegedly found last year.

This was done only after Solicitor General assured the top court that requisite tubs of water would be provided by the district administration at the place where wuzu is performed in the mosque tomorrow.

New IT Rules Not About Satire: Govt Tells Court After Kunal Kamra Plea

The government has told the Bombay High Court that its upcoming fact-checking unit will not tamper with satire or artist impression and will only seek removal of false or misleading information regarding government policies.

This comes in response to stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's petition in the Bombay High Court outlining his apprehensions regarding the new IT Rules that mandate a fact-checking unit moderated by the government.

Kamra has said that he is a political satirist who relies on social media platforms to share his content and these rules could potentially lead to his "content being arbitrarily blocked, taken down, or his social media accounts being suspended or deactivated, thereby irreparably."