PM announces 4-member Expert Committee to look into GAAR; AG Vahanvati says Presidential Reference maintainable; Calcutta High Court issues contempt notice to PM in Vishva Bharati case; PIL filed to curb adjournments; Two more judges implicated in cash-for-bail scam and much much more.PM announces 4-member Expert Committee to look into GAAR.The Prime Minister has approved the constitution of a four-member committee to prepare guidelines aimed to bring “greater clarity” with respect to GAAR. The committee, to be headed by ICRIER chief and taxation expert Parthasarathi Shome is expected to “undertake stockholder consultations and finalise the guidelines for GAAR”. The committee will have N. Rangachary, former Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, Ajay Shah, Professor at economic think-tank NIPFP and Sunil Gupta, Joint Secretary, Revenue Department, as members..AG Vahanvati says Presidential Reference maintainable.Countering the various arguments raised by both, CPIL and Subramaniam Swamy, the Attorney General told the Supreme Court that the Presidential Reference was maintainable. Vahanvati stated that the questions raised in the reference were of “far reaching importance” and also stated that doubts over the correctness of judgments have been “the subject of Presidential References in the past”..Calcutta High Court issues contempt notice to PM in Vishva Bharati case.The Calcutta High Court has issued a contempt notice to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a PIL related to the Visva Bharati incident where a 9 year old student of a varsity school had been made to lick her urine as punishment for bed wetting. The PIL was filed alleged that the imposition of corporal punishment was in clear violation of the Court’s earlier prohibition on corporal punishment..Helmet for women: HC notice to Delhi govt on contempt plea.Justice Rajiv Shakder of the Delhi High Court issued notice in a contempt petition regarding the exemption given to women from wearing helmets while riding pillion on two-wheelers. The notice has been issued to the Chief Secretary, Delhi for failure to amend the laws granting such an exemption..PIL filed to curb adjournments. “A Mumbai-based activist has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court demanding a curb on repeated adjournments sought by lawyers during proceedings in various courts.”.Two more judges implicated in cash-for-bail scam.Two sitting judges in Andhra Pradesh have been arrested for their role in the granting of bail to mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy. The judges have been remanded to judicial custody after the Anti-Corruption Bureau produced them in a local court..Panel allows mortgage of 2G spectrum. “The reconstituted Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on telecom, which met here for the first time, have in principle decided to allow the mortgage of spectrum by telecom operators so that they can raise finances.”.Pakistan Supreme Court gives PM Ashraf time till July 25 to reopen graft cases against Zardari.The Supreme Court of Pakistan has given Prime Minister Ashraf a “deadline” of July 25 to approach Swiss authorities in relation to graft cases against President Zardari. A 5-judge bench has directed the government to write to the Swiss authorities and submit its compliance report before the next date of hearing, that is July 25, 2012.
