Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday

     Important matters heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday, May 8:

     * Observing Indian high courts have more than 7 lakh criminal appeals pending, the SC asked the Centre to expeditiously clear names for judges' appointments to mitigate issues of vacancies and pendency.

     * Calling it a sorry state of affairs, the SC chided governments of Delhi and adjoining states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan for not filling vacancies in their pollution control boards.

     * Observing that a liberal approach must be adopted while construing beneficial provisions, the Supreme Court has granted disability pension to an army man who was relieved from the service as he was suffering from "Schizophrenia."

     *The SC ordered West Bengal government to grant prosecution sanction against the co-accused in the cash-for-jobs case involving former minister Partha Chatterjee.

     * The SC relaxed the bail condition imposed on Ashish Mishra, son of former union minister Ajay Mishra, in the 2021 Lakhimpur violence case and allowed him to visit his family on weekends.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)