Animal Welfare – Custody of Seized Cattle – Appellant challenged the High Court’s order granting interim custody of seized cattle to private respondents – Supreme Court held that prima facie evidence indicated cruelty in transportation conditions – Held, under the proviso to Section 8(3) of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, pending trial, seized cattle sh...
Criminal Law – Conviction Based on Circumstantial Evidence – Appeal against conviction under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC – High Court upheld trial court's decision – Supreme Court set aside the conviction – Held, reliance on voluntary statements made to police inadmissible under Section 161 Cr.P.C. and Article 20(3) of the Constitution – Lack of dir...
Criminal Procedure – Revisional Court Powers – Re-appreciation of Evidence – Petition challenging the revisional court's order which directed the trial court to reconsider the framing of charges. Held, the revisional court does not have the power to re-appreciate existing evidence but can only interfere if there is procedural irregularity or if material evidence was overlooke...
Negotiable Instruments Act – Imposition of Compensation – Retrospective Application – Petition challenging the imposition of compensation under Section 148 NI Act for a complaint filed before the amendment. Held, the amendment aimed at addressing undue delay in cheque dishonor cases applies retrospectively to appeals against convictions even if the complaint was filed prior to th...
Maintenance – Section 125 CrPC – Husband's Duty to Provide – Husband is required to earn money even by physical labor if he is able-bodied and cannot avoid his obligation except on legally permissible grounds – The Court directed the husband to pay a maintenance amount of Rs. 10,000 per month to the wife [Paras 9-13].
Social Justice – Section 125 CrPC...
Criminal Law – Conviction Based on Circumstantial Evidence – Appeal against conviction and death sentence for rape and murder – Prosecution relied solely on circumstantial evidence without medical examination of the accused – Failure to obtain Forensic Sciences Laboratory report on blood/semen stains – Prosecution’s failure to provide medical evidence critical w...
Constitutional Law – Right to Life and Personal Liberty – Article 21 – Extension of Investigation Period – It is mandatory to produce the accused either physically or virtually when the Court considers an application for extension of the investigation period under Section 167(2) CrPC and Section 20(2) of the GCTOC Act – Failure to do so is not a mere procedural irregu...
Criminal Procedure – Quashing of FIRs – FIRs/complaints arising from the Newshour Debate telecasted on Times Now on 26.05.2022 were transferred to the IFSO unit of Delhi Police – Supreme Court holds that there cannot be two investigating agencies for the same incident involving different co-accused – Petitioner permitted to approach the High Court under Article 226 of the C...
Criminal Law – Bail Cancellation – High Court granted bail to the respondent based on parity with co-accused – Supreme Court finds that bail granted to co-accused was previously disapproved – Bail order found to suffer from illegality and impropriety – High Court failed to consider the gravity of the offense and relevant factors – Impugned order set aside [Paras...
Criminal Law – NDPS Act – Bail – Conscious Possession – Recovery of narcotics from a polythene bag thrown on the ground by the petitioner when the police approached – Bail granted – Court found it debatable whether the petitioner was in conscious possession of the contraband – The petitioner was not involved in any other case, and all prosecution witnesses...