Criminal Law - Section 482 CrPC - Quashing of Summoning Order – Civil Dispute Given Criminal Colour – Abuse of Process – Complaint held to be a counterblast to earlier FIR – The applicants, including a 101-year-old man and a disabled individual, filed a Section 482 CrPC application to quash a complaint instituted nearly 9 months after an FIR lodged by them regarding the sam...
Criminal Law – Quashing of FIR and Criminal Proceedings – Prima Facie Case Made Out – Petition Dismissed – The petitioner, a former UD Clerk in Kerala Water Authority, sought to quash proceedings in C.C. No. 9/2022 alleging inordinate delay and absence of prima facie material – Allegations involved misappropriation of ₹24,755 by forging cheque counterfoils and falsi...
Domestic Violence Act - Limitation – Application under Section 12 DV Act – Not Barred by Limitation – Application Maintainable - Petitioner sought quashing of complaint filed under Section 12 DV Act on the ground that the incident of domestic violence dated back to July 2019 and complaint was filed in February 2022, allegedly beyond the period of limitation under Section 468 CrPC...
Criminal Law - Rape – Consent under Misconception – No Deceit Proven – Conviction under Section 376 IPC Set Aside – Allegation that appellant concealed existing marriage and had sexual relations with complainant – Evidence showed complainant and her family were aware of appellant's first marriage – Held: Since no concealment occurred, consensual physical rel...
Anticipatory Bail – Maintainability under SC/ST Act – Section 14A(2) Appeal Allowed – The appellant, father of the victim, challenged denial of anticipatory bail on grounds that SC/ST Act provisions did not prima facie apply as both accused and victim belonged to the same community – Held: In light of Shajan Skaria v. State of Kerala, anticipatory bail under Section 438 CrP...
Criminal Bail – Section 302 IPC – Delay in Trial – Bail Granted - The petitioner was accused of murdering the deceased Devinder Kumar with bamboo sticks and had been in custody since 11.04.2023 – Despite filing of the chargesheet on 03.07.2023, only 12 out of 52 witnesses had been examined – Held: Given prolonged incarceration, constitutional guarantee under Article 2...
NDPS Act – Interim Bail on Humanitarian Grounds – Bail Denied – The petitioner sought interim bail for six weeks under Section 22 NDPS Act on the ground that his widowed mother required urgent medical intervention for cardiac issues – Medical certificate indicated surgery was advised but not undertaken – Status report revealed availability of petitioner’s wife a...
Criminal Law - Victim Appeal Right – Substitution of Legal Heir – Proviso to Section 372 CrPC – Substantive Right Recognised – The son of deceased appellant (an injured victim) sought to substitute himself to continue the appeal against acquittal – Held: Under Section 2(wa), legal heirs of victims are also recognised as victims – The right to “prefer an ap...
Environmental Law - Environmental Clearance – Sand Mining – District Survey Report – Supreme Court reiterated that replenishment studies are mandatory for valid DSRs and therefore essential for granting Environmental Clearance (EC) – Following Deepak Kumar v. State of Haryana (2012) 4 SCC 629, and reaffirming Satendra Pandey v. MoEFCC, 2018 SCC OnLine NGT 2388, the Court he...
Criminal Contempt – Attack on Advocate Commissioners – Interference with Administration of Justice – Held Guilty – Court-appointed Advocate Commissioners were assaulted by a mob while executing commission in CS(OS) 4024/2014 concerning counterfeit Samsung products – Several Advocates sustained grievous injuries and were forced to abandon commission – Held: Obstr...