The Supreme Court has ruled that a court hearing a dowry-related case cannot force a man to pay alimony to his estranged wife as a pre-condition for anticipatory bail.

The judgment is significant as it cautions trial and high courts across the country against unnecessarily harassing husbands and their parents in dowry cases. Such conditions are "onerous and excessive", a bench headed by justice RV Raveendran said.

The apex court quashed a Delhi high court's two-year-old order directing a man to pay Rs12,500 in maintenance to his wife as a condition for anticipatory bail.

VS Gohil files application in sessions court, hearing deferred till Wednesday

Former second inspector of the Naroda police, VS Gohil, applied for bail in the city sessions court on Monday. The metropolitan court had earlier sent Gohil to judicial custody after rejecting an application submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking his remand.

The SIT had sought Gohil’s remand on the ground that, though he was a responsible police officer, he had not fired at the mob when riots had broken out in the area on February 28, 2002.

Will continue investigation, apex court wants further report

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was set up by the Supreme Court to reinvestigate the 2002 post-Godhra riots, submitted its report before the apex court on Monday.

The SIT, headed by former CBI director RK Raghavan, is investigating nine cases, including the Sabarmati Express carnage incident and the subsequent Naroda Patia, Naroda Gaam and Gulbarg society massacres. The team submitted its report before a bench comprising justices Arijit Pasayat, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam.

The Supreme Court widened the scope of death penalty, saying killing more than one innocent people or killing through organised crime could attract capital punishment.

The apex court said this while reversing the verdict of the Allahabad high court, which had reduced the death sentence of two men in the case of alleged murder of six of a family in 1994.

The two men were part of a six-member group that had entered a house and murdered the inmates due to a family feud.

Advocates to decide next step after SC hearing

Advocates of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have decided to continue their agitation till March 4 though retired Supreme Court judge justice B Srikrishna, who is inquiring into the February 19 incident, requested them to call off the strike.

A Lok Adalat on Sunday ruled that even a second wife has the right to maintenance for herself and the couple's child. The court dealing with pending matrimonial cases asked a Delhi police constable to pay his second wife Rs4,000 per month as maintenance.

The court also asked him to include the name of his second wife's daughter in his official documents, including the Central Government Health Scheme, so that the child can avail of the medical facility.

The policeman had married the woman in 2003 even though his first marriage was alive. He has three children from the first marriage.

"The court decided that my wife will keep her and I will pay her Rs4,000 a month. I am happy with the decision," he said.