Contempt of Court – Willful Disobedience – Petitioners sought to punish respondents for disobeying orders of the Division Bench of the High Court – Respondents claimed good faith, misunderstanding the status of interim order – Court accepted unconditional apologies considering no further actions were taken post-execution petition – Contempt case closed with direction ...
Bank Accounts – Defreezing – Appeal against the order to defreeze the accounts of CSI West Bengal Branch – Single Judge directed the bank to defreeze accounts and allowed suspended office bearer to operate them – Division Bench upheld defreezing but restricted suspended office bearer’s operation – Allowed West Bengal Branch to nominate new signatories from non-s...
Pension and Gratuity – Withholding of Retirement Benefits – Rule 43(b) and 43(c) of the Bihar Pension Rules, 1950 – Petitioner retired without any pending departmental or criminal proceedings – Withholding 10% of pension and gratuity deemed illegal in absence of such proceedings – Writ petition allowed directing respondents to pay withheld amounts [Paras 2-19].
&nb...
Provident Fund Contributions – Liability of Amalgamated Entity –
Petitioner bank challenged the order imposing damages and interest for delayed remittance of Provident Fund contributions and transfer of past accumulations by the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the amalgamated bank – Contention that BOT is a separate entity and petitioner should not be held liable – High Court...
Entertainment Duty – Definition and Scope – Petitioner organized APSARA award function, argued it did not fall under “entertainment” as per Maharashtra Entertainments Duty Act – Court held the function included performances and thus fell within definition of “entertainment” [Paras 10-12].
Sponsorship as Payment for Admission – Reliance C...
Writ of Mandamus – Regularization of Employment – Petitioners sought declaration as regular employees of the Irrigation Department – Challenge against rejection of regularization claims – Held, petitioners employed by a private contractor (M/s. Gammon India Limited) and not directly by the government – Absorption into departmental rolls for wage payment during a strik...
Environmental Law – Public Interest Litigation – Metro Rail Project – Petition filed by a citizen action group to halt the construction of a metro station near the Victoria Memorial and the Maidan area, citing environmental concerns – The petitioners contended the project would result in the uprooting of approximately 700 trees, with severe ecological impacts &nda...
Easement by Grant – Right of Way – Extent of Pathway – Pathway described in the Will of the testator – Dispute over width and location of the pathway – Trial court limits the pathway width to 3 feet – First Appellate Court expands it to 6 feet – High Court finds lack of substantial evidence for both determinations – Concludes width of pathway to be 1...
Constitutional Law – Reservation Policy – Affirmative Action – The High Court of Patna examined the constitutionality of the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Amendment Act, 2023, and the Bihar Reservation (in Admission to Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2023, which enhanced reservation...
Condonation of Delay – Sufficient Cause – Petitioner sought condonation of delay of 2361 days in filing an appeal – Claimed unawareness of suit and its result till recently – Respondents opposed, alleging falsehood in petitioner’s claims – Court emphasized liberal construction of “sufficient cause” to advance substantial justice – Considered pe...