Retrospective Withdrawal Of Tax Exemption Valid But No Penalty Or Interest For Past Period: Supreme Court Inclusion Of Royalty, DMF & NMET In 'Sale Value' To Compute Mining Dues Is Not Arbitrary Or Ultra Vires: Supreme Court Retracted Confession Cannot Form Foundation Of Conviction Without Strong Independent Corroboration: Supreme Court "Denial Of Legal Representation Strikes At The Root Of Fair Trial": Supreme Court Quashes Death Penalty In 1996 Samleti Blast Case, Orders De-Novo Trial Meaningful Pre-Prosecution Opportunity Notice Under FERA Is Mandatory, Cannot Be Mere Notional Compliance: Supreme Court Keeping Accused In 'Suspended Animation' Indefinitely Violates Article 21: Supreme Court Quashes 23-Year-Old FERA Complaint Over Inordinate Delay Interlocking Settlement Clauses Must Be Read Harmoniously; General Obligation To Maintain Child Cannot Rewrite Consent Decree: Supreme Court General Obligation To Maintain Cannot Be Invoked In Execution To Rewrite Concluded Settlement Terms: Supreme Court Wrong Statement" Not Always A "False Statement": Supreme Court Quashes Perjury Prosecution Over Typographical Errors In Pleadings High Court Cannot Improve Lower Court's Defective Section 340 CrPC Order In Appeal Filed By Aggrieved Party: Supreme Court Supreme Court Slams MHA's 'Apathetic Pen-Pushing' And Misinterpretation Of UPSC Advice, Grants Relief To Retired CRPF Officer Tenant Cannot Dictate Landlord's Choice Of Premises, Subjective Choice Over Alternative Accommodations Must Be Respected: Supreme Court "One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure": Supreme Court Says Landlord's Choice Of Accommodation Must Be Respected, Revisional Court Can't Reappreciate Evidence

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law – Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – Sanction for Prosecution – Effect of Departmental Exoneration – Held: Exoneration in departmental proceedings does not automatically lead to discharge in criminal cases, especially trap cases, due to different standards of proof; matter remitted to trial court to determine the competent sanctioning authority for the accuse...

Drugs and Cosmetics Act – Sale of Spurious Drug – Dealer Acquitted – Conviction set aside – Appellant, a licensed medical store owner, convicted for stocking and selling substandard chloroquine tablets – High Court held that appellant had discharged his burden under Section 19(3) by disclosing full chain of purchase from licensed dealer (M/s Bhuvan Pharma) and license...

Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 – Section 12 – Bail to Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) – Gravity of Offence vs. Statutory Mandate – Held: While the alleged offence (RPG attack on Police Station) is grave, Section 12 mandates bail as a rule for juveniles, irrespective of the nature of the offence (bailable or non-bailable) – Bail can only be denied if there are reasonable ...

Cybercrime – Bail Denied – Elderly Victims – Digital Arrest – Accused impersonated Cyber Police officials and placed 84-year-old couple under illegal 'digital arrest' – Extorted ₹2.02 crore between 30.04.2025 and 08.05.2025 – Petitioners received ₹45 lakh – Bail applications rejected due to gravity and corroborated financial trail – Court...

Criminal Law – Identification of Accused – Dock Identification vs. TIP – Held: Dock identification of an accused, who is a stranger to the witness, without a prior Test Identification Parade (TIP), is a weak piece of evidence. Where the complainant failed to identify the appellant in the TIP proceedings but identified him in Court after a gap of more than 3 years, such identifica...

Criminal Law – Prohibitory Order – Section 163 BNSS (erstwhile Section 144 Cr.P.C.) – Legality of ex-parte order restricting a Pontiff's entry into a district – Held: Order quashed for being disproportionate, lacking emergent justification for its ex-parte nature, and violating fundamental rights, especially when based on a prior order clarified by the Apex Court not to...

Criminal Law – Assault – Section 325 IPC – Section 324 IPC – Appellant Lalit Mahto assaulted the victim on the head with a spade causing grievous injury – Appellant Titu Mahto hit the victim on his back with the blunt side of the spade causing simple injury – Conviction under Sections 325 and 324 IPC respectively held proper – Trial court rightly acquitted...

PCPNDT Act – Cognizance only on complaint by “Appropriate Authority” – FIR under Section 154 CrPC impermissible – Complaint filed by unauthorised officer invalid – FIR and complaint quashed [Paras 9–19, 27–31].   PCPNDT Act – FIR Under Section 154 CrPC – Not Permissible – Court held that offences under PCPNDT Act are cogn...

Criminal Law – Dowry Death – Presumption under Section 113A and 304B IPC – Suicide within 7 Years of Marriage – No Proof of Cruelty or Dowry Demand – Presumption Not Attracted – Deceased committed suicide by consuming Celphos poison within 7 years of marriage – No specific, consistent, or credible evidence of cruelty or dowry demand – Presumption und...

Criminal Law – Dowry Death – Cancellation of Bail – Respondent No. 1 (husband) accused of poisoning wife within four months of marriage after dowry harassment – Post-mortem showed ante-mortem abrasion and FSL confirmed aluminium phosphide poisoning – Dying declaration made to family members disclosed forcible administration of toxic substance – Held: High Court ...