Wife Is Absolute Owner Of Streedhan, Taking It Away Does Not Attract Criminal Breach Of Trust Under Section 406 IPC: Allahabad High Court Government Need Not Adjudicate If Employee Is 'Workman' Before Referring Dispute To Labour Court: Gujarat High Court Bidder Cannot Be Disqualified For Submitting Certificate From Unspecified Agency If Tender Document Is Silent: Delhi High Court Driver Clicking Selfies With Licensed Firearm Doesn't Make Owner Liable Under Arms Act: Punjab & Haryana High Court Quashes FIR High Court Imposes Blanket Ban On Tree Felling In Haryana, Cites Impending Ecological Catastrophe Due To Dismal Forest Cover No Fresh Summons Needed For Legal Heirs If Suit Was Already Proceeding Ex-Parte Against Deceased Defendant: Allahabad High Court Serving Judicial Officer's Anticipatory Bail Denied in Theft From Deceased Judge's Home: "No Person, Whatever His Rank, Is Above Law" Missing Murder Weapon Not Fatal When Eyewitnesses Are Reliable - Brother Stabs Brother: Tripura High Court Advocate and Cop Conspired to Frame Innocent Witness in Fake Gang Rape Case: Delhi High Court Upholds Conviction, Calls It "Clear Abuse of Process of Law" Direction To 'Act In Accordance With Law' Does Not Determine Substantive Rights, Non-Impleadment Not A Ground For Review: Chhattisgarh High Court State Cannot Grab Citizen's Land For Road Construction Pleading Delay And Laches: Himachal Pradesh High Court "Bail Is Rule, Jail Is Exception" Principle Does Not Apply Post-Conviction: Jharkhand High Court

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Capsule – Section 498A IPC/Dowry Act – Omnibus allegations – Bhajan Lal applied – FIR vague, lacking specifics – Criminal proceedings quashed against brother-in-law – Parties free to pursue other remedies. Section 498A IPC/Dowry Act – Quashing – Omnibus allegations – Allegations in FIR against brother-in-law vague and lacking time, place, or...

Criminal Law – Sections 406 & 420 IPC – Failure to perform contract – Civil breach dressed up as criminal case – FIR after 8 years held mala fide – Quashed under Bhajan Lal. Criminal Law – Cheating and Criminal Breach of Trust – Quashment – Dispute arose out of a sale agreement executed in 2013 for property transfer – Complainant paid â‚...

Criminal Procedure – Pre-Arrest Bail – Maintainability – Petition under Section 482 BNSS filed directly before High Court without first approaching Sessions Court – Petitioner sought anticipatory bail in a case involving alleged fraud and cheque dishonour related to ₹16.46 lakhs in unpaid dues for maize – Held: Though High Court has concurrent jurisdiction under Sec...

Criminal Law – Dismissal for Default – Acquittal – Petitioner filed complaint under Sections 500, 195, 120B IPC against a developer alleging defamation and conspiracy – Complaint was dismissed for default on 22.07.2024 after petitioner failed to appear due to confusion in reading the next date as 07.08.2024 instead of 07.03.2024 from cause list – Application for resto...

Criminal Law – Misappropriation by Public Servants – Quashment – Petitioners, employees of BEVCO, were prosecuted for misappropriating foreign liquor stock worth ₹27,92,523 during 01.04.2018 to 30.07.2018 – Contended that remittance of the loss amount in accordance with BEVCO’s circular dated 20.12.2017 absolved them of criminal liability – Held: Circular subs...

Bail – Fraudulent Availment of Input Tax Credit under CGST Act – Compliance with BNSS – Bail Order Set Aside – Accused allegedly availed fraudulent ITC of ₹8.27 Cr and ₹8.26 Cr respectively – Petitioner challenged bail granted by CJM, Kamrup (M), Guwahati, based on omission of Section 47 and 48 headings in Arrest Memo and Notice to Relatives – Held: Arrestin...

Criminal Law – SC/ST Act – Anticipatory Bail – Maintainability – Where the allegations in FIR do not disclose a prima facie offence under the SC/ST Act, bar under Sections 18 and 18A of the Act does not apply – In such cases, anticipatory bail is maintainable under Section 438 CrPC [now Section 482 BNSS] before the High Court – Held: High Court retains concurren...

Criminal Revision – Further Investigation – BNSS Ss. 438 & 442 – Petition Allowed – Petitioner, also victim of ₹50,000 job fraud, challenged Magistrate’s refusal to order further investigation despite final report (FRT) filed – Held: Magistrate retains discretion under S.173(8) CrPC to direct further probe at any stage before trial; impugned order set asid...

NDPS Act – Possession of 1 Kg Opium – Section 18 – Sentence Modified – Conviction affirmed – Appellant convicted in 2011 for offence under S.18 NDPS Act, sentenced to 2 years R.I. and ₹10,000 fine – Having already undergone over 3 months’ custody and trial prolonged for 21 years, High Court reduced sentence to period already undergone while enhancing fin...

Murder – Conviction under Section 302/34 IPC based on credible eyewitness testimony of related witnesses – Conviction upheld; appeal dismissed [Paras 2–4, 27–33]. Criminal Appeal – Murder in Furtherance of Common Intention – Conviction Upheld – High Court affirmed conviction under Section 302/34 IPC where appellant fired on deceased during marriage func...