Supreme Court Orders Fast-Track Ruling on Abhishek Banerjee Travel Plea

The Supreme Court of India on Monday requested the Calcutta High Court to decide expeditiously on a pending application by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. Banerjee is seeking permission to travel abroad for specialized treatment of an eye condition. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant noted that no specific date had been fixed for the hearing. The court refrained from examining the merits but emphasized the need for a prompt decision. Banerjee’s travel is currently restricted by a condition in a pending criminal case requiring prior court approval.

In a separate development, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government regarding a contested lamp-lighting tradition at Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai. The state is challenging a Madras High Court order that permitted the lighting of a 'Karthigai Deepam' atop a stone pillar near a Dargah. While the bench agreed to hear the plea, it refused to grant any interim stay on the High Court's directive. The bench questioned the state's delay in filing the petition, noting the order was passed in January while the appeal arrived in June.

These rulings highlight the Supreme Court’s focus on procedural efficiency and the balancing of individual rights with regional sensitivities. In Banerjee’s case, the court pushed for a resolution to a medical necessity without bypassing the High Court’s jurisdiction. Regarding the Madurai dispute, the tagging of the state’s plea with an existing petition by the Hindu Dharma Parishad ensures a consolidated legal review. The court will now examine whether the stone pillar in question holds historical religious significance or is merely a survey stone as claimed by state authorities.