Daily Briefing: The challenge ahead for next SC collegium; Sourav Ganguly out of BCCI; and more

Clearing the decks for the appointment of the 50th Chief Justice of India, CJI U U Lalit recommended the name of Justice D Y Chandrachud, the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court, as his successor. 

If appointed, Justice Chandrachud has a tough task ahead. With the present SC Collegium on hold, the crucial task of recommending 18 judges to the top court, including four current vacancies now, awaits the next CJI.

The challenge: Currently, against a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court has a working strength of 29 judges. This is set to drop to 27 judges before the next CJI takes over.  So far, only one recommendation made by the Collegium for appointment as judge of the Supreme Court – that of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta – is pending with the government. The recommendation was made on September 26.

The next collegium will also have to make recommendations to ensure potential CJI candidates after 2028. 

Only in the Express 

The Interpol has rejected India’s second request to issue a Red Corner Notice on terror charges against Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Canada-based founder and legal advisor of pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), stating that Indian authorities failed to provide sufficient information to support their case.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is about to become a former BCCI president and unlikely to be the cricket board’s choice for the post of ICC chairman, either — even as secretary Jay Shah is expected to continue with his “team” set to take charge of key positions. Roger Binny, a member of 1983 World Cup-winning team, is set to become the new BCCI chief “unopposed”.

In the eye of the storm for attending an event last week where thousands converted to Buddhism, ultimately leading to his resignation as a minister in Delhi’s AAP government, Rajendra Pal Gautam told The Indian Express that he had done nothing wrong. Read his interview. 

The careers of RJD leader Sharad Yadav and SP party supremo Mulayam Singh ran parallel for about five decades. In an interview with The Indian Express, Sharad spoke about his personal relationship with Mulayam, the Janata Parivar alliance and its split, and the future of socialist politics in the country.

From the Front Page

Dedicating Phase I of the Mahakaal Lok project to the nation, including a 900-metre corridor at the Mahakaaleshwar temple site in Ujjain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “where there is innovation, there will be renovation”, underlining that “the divinity of India will pave the way for a peaceful world”.

Must Read 

Thousands of people descended on Saifai mela ground in Etawah Tuesday to pay their last respects to Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Indian Express spoke to a few of them who recollected their memories of “Netaji”. “He considered me as a sister and touched my feet whenever we met,” said 58-year-old Shridevi.

Two women in Kerala were allegedly abducted, beheaded and buried as part of a suspected ‘witchcraft ritual’ to gain financial prosperity. According to police, the two women sold lottery tickets for a living and were subjected to inexplicable torture. We go in-depth on how the accused lured the victims, and how the police zeroed in on the suspects.

And Finally 

With the T20 World Cup getting underway this week, South Africa are left with more questions than answers after their trip to India. Their batsmen seem to be struggling in anything other than flat batting conditions, while their bowlers didn’t put enough pressure on the Indian batsmen for sufficiently long periods of time. ‘Resting’ their pace spearhead for a series decider showed Africa had other concerns at the forefront of their minds than the immediate game in front of them.

Delhi Confidential: In Andhra Pradesh, the state unit of BJP is faced with a strange dilemma: how to deal with YSRCP, the party that governs the state. Although the state BJP holds agitation and protests frequently against the AP government, his party’s stance in Parliament — a friendly party at the Centre — often weakens its opposition in Andhra Pradesh.

In today’s episode of the ‘3 things’ podcast, we talk about Mulayam Singh Yadav’s legacy, and how he changed UP politics, the two recent military mishaps, and the Mahakal corridor that PM Narendra Modi inaugurated last day.

Until tomorrow,

Rahel Philipose and Anandu Suresh