Juvenile Justice – Bail – Juvenile not named in FIR – Co-accused’s disclosure – Impugned orders rejecting bail lacked reference to social background report – Bail allowed – Held, both impugned orders failed to reference or consider the social background report – Courts below based rejection on surmises and conjectures without fulfilling the statutory...
Criminal Procedure – Further Investigation – Court quashed the Sessions Court's order directing further investigation by the CID – Held that the Sessions Court erred in directing a different investigating agency (CID) to conduct further investigation – The power to order further investigation under Section 173(8) Cr.P.C. lies with the original investigating agency unles...
Criminal Procedure – Anticipatory Bail – Multiple FIRs – Modification of Bail Conditions – Petitioners, on anticipatory bail in seven FIRs, were ordered by the Trial Court to furnish two sureties each for every FIR – High Court held this requirement highly onerous – Directed that two sureties each for all seven FIRs would suffice – Relied on Supreme Court ...
Criminal Procedure – Regular Bail – NDPS Act – Non-compliance with Section 42 – Petitioner, arrested for possession of 1 kg of heroin and a pistol, sought bail citing non-compliance with Section 42 of the NDPS Act – Court noted failure to document and communicate secret information as required – Bail granted, recognizing potential document fabrication and extend...
Negotiable Instruments – Section 138 Conviction – Compromise – Conviction under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act – Petitioner sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and compensation – Appeal dismissed – During revision, parties reached a compromise – Court observed that as the offence is compoundable and the compromise is bona fide, the conviction...
Criminal Procedure – Quashing of FIR – Section 174-A IPC – Non-appearance in Court – FIR registered against the petitioner for non-appearance in trial proceedings – Petitioner later granted anticipatory bail and acquitted in the main case – High Court held that continuation of proceedings under Section 174-A IPC after acquittal in the main case constitutes abuse...
Regular Bail – Fresh Investigation – Police Jurisdiction – Section 439 Cr.P.C. – Petitioners declared innocent after initial charge sheet – Court held that police have no power to conduct fresh investigation or re-investigation – Converting inquiry report into a supplementary report under Section 173(8) Cr.P.C. is violative of procedural laws – Suo moto ex...
Criminal Law - Murder and Conspiracy – Appeal – Evidence – Conviction challenged due to lack of recovery of material objects – No proof of appellant administering poison – Liquor bottle, residue, and steel tumbler not recovered – Absence of material evidence weakens prosecution case – Conviction set aside – Appellant acquitted. [Paras 1-24]
...
Evidence Law - Disclosure Statements – Criminal Appeal – If no recovery was made pursuant to the disclosure statement, it is hit by Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act and cannot be relied upon – Held that no reliance can be placed on disclosure statements where no recovery was effectuated. [Para 38]
Criminal Procedure - Footprint Evidence – Investigation in ...
Criminal Law – Petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C. for quashing of defamation charges – Accusations against the petitioners (including the Chief Minister of Delhi) for imputing that BJP had orchestrated deletion of voter names from specific communities – The High Court examined the validity of summoning orders issued by the Magistrate and upheld by the Sessions Court – Court...