Hijab case, Siddique Kappan bail plea, Gautam Navlakha appeal to be heard by Supreme Court on Monday

The Supreme Court of India will hear two significant cases on August 29, Monday - the bail plea filed by Kerala journalist and UAPA accused Siddique Kappan and the appeals filed against the Hijab verdict of Karnataka High Court, which had upheld the right of educational institutions to ban wearing of hijab in college campus.The bail plea of Siddique Kappan will be heard by a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit and Justice S Ravindra Bhat while the Hijab case will be heard by a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia. Also listed on Monday is an appeal by Bhima Koregaon accused Gautam Navlakha against a Bombay High Court verdict rejecting his plea to be transferred from Taloja Prison and to be placed under house arrest instead.This will also be heard by a bench of CJI UU Lalit and Justice Bhat..The listing of these cases is one of the first development after Justice UU Lalit took oath as CJI on Saturday. At the farewell function organised for former CJI NV Ramana on August 26, Justice Lalit had said that his three main priorities as the CJI would be to deal with the following three issues plaguing the Supreme Court: - listing of cases;- framework for mentioning of urgent matters; - setting up Constitution benches..Hijab case.The Karnataka High Court had on March 15, upheld a Karnataka government order (GO) effectively empowering college development committees of government colleges in the State to ban the wearing of hijab (headscarves) by Muslim girl students in college campus.A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi had held that:- Hijab is not a part of essential religious practices of Islam;- Requirement of uniform is a reasonable restriction on the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a);- The government has the power to pass the GO; no case is made out for its invalidation.At least three appeals including one by All India Muslim Personal Law Board are pending before the top court against the Karnataka High Court verdict..Siddique Kappan bail plea.Kappan, a reporter for Malayalam news portal Azhimukham and secretary of the Delhi unit of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), was arrested along with three others in Uttar Pradesh in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras to report on the gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.The prosecution's case is that Kappan and the co-accused were travelling to Hathras with an intention to disturb harmony in the area. It was stated that they were collecting funds to run a website full of misinformation and to incite violence.All of them have been charged under Sections 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Section 124A (sedition), Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 65, 72 and 75 of the Information Technology Act.A Mathura court had rejected Kappan's bail plea in July 2021 on the ground that there was prima facie case that Kappan and other co-accused were trying to disturb the law and other situation when they were heading to cover the Hathras gang rape incident in Uttar Pradesh.He then approached the High Court.Single-judge Justice Krishan Pahal, however, rejected the plea stating that a prima facie case was established by the prosecution that his travel with co-accused who did not belong to the media fraternity, as well as tainted money being used by him and his colleagues, were crucial circumstances going against him.This has led to the appeal before the top court..Gautam Navlakha pleaNavlakha has moved the top court against Bombay High Court judgment dismissing his plea to be transferred from Taloja Prison and placed under house arrest instead.Navlakha, who is human rights activist and former Secretary of the People's Union for Democratic Rights, was arrested in August 2018, but was initially placed under house arrest.He was later moved to Taloja Central Prison in Maharashtra in April 2020 after a Supreme Court order.Relying upon the Supreme Court judgment in his default bail case, Navlakha moved the High Court pointing out that he was being denied basic medical aid and other necessities in Taloja and was suffering great hardships at his advanced age.A Bench of Justices SB Shukre and GA Sanap, however, rejected the plea prompting the appeal before apex court.