No Work No Pay Is Not a Universal Rule: Punjab & Haryana High Court Dock Identification Without Prior TIP Is Absolutely Useless: P&H High Court Upholds Acquittal in Attempt to Murder Case Filing Forged Court Pleadings in Union Government’s Name is Criminal Contempt: Karnataka High Court Sentences Litigant to Jail Execution of Will Proved, But Probate Justly Denied Due to Concealment of Property Sale: Delhi High Court Mere Designation Doesn’t Establish Criminal Liability: Bombay High Court Quashes Proceedings Against ICICI Officials in Octroi Evasion Case Law of Limitation Binds All Equally, Including the State: Allahabad High Court Dismisses Review Petition with 5743 Days’ Delay Once Selected, All Are Equals: Allahabad High Court Slams State for Withholding Pay Protection From Later Batches of Ex-Servicemen Constables Non-Compliance With Section 42 of NDPS Act Is Fatal to Prosecution: Punjab & Haryana High Court Acquits Two Accused In 160 Kg Poppy Husk Case Unregistered Agreement Creating Right of Way Inadmissible in Evidence: Punjab & Haryana High Court Summary Decree in Partition Suit Denied: Unequivocal Admissions Absent, Full Trial Necessary: Delhi High Court No Court Can Allow Itself to Be Used as an Instrument of Fraud: Delhi High Court Exposes Forged Writ Petition Filed in Name of Unaware Citizen "Deliberate Wage Splitting to Evade Provident Fund Dues Is Illegal": Bombay High Court Restores PF Authority's 7A Order Against Saket College and Centrum Direct Identification Vitiated, Diamonds Not Produced, Last Seen Theory Unreliable: Bombay High Court Acquits Two in 2011 Diamond Courier Murder Deposit of ₹5100 Crores Brings Quietus to Entire Criminal Web of Proceedings: Supreme Court Exercises Extraordinary Powers to Quash All Cases Against Hemant Hathi in Landmark Settlement-Driven Order Presumption Under Section 139 Can't Be Rebutted Pre-Trial: Supreme Court Restores Cheque Bounce Complaint Quashed By Patna High Court Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 to End Discrimination Against Ad-Hoc Employees in Allahabad High Court: Orders Reinstatement and Regularization Supreme Court Declares CSR a Constitutional Duty to Protect Environment: Orders Undergrounding of Powerlines in Great Indian Bustard Habitat A Minor’s Sole Testimony, If Credible, Is Sufficient for Conviction: Supreme Court Upholds Child Trafficking Conviction Under IPC and ITPA You Can’t Invent Disqualifications After the Bid: Supreme Court Holds Joint Venture Experience Can’t Be Ignored in Tenders High Court Can't Re-Appreciate Evidence or Rewrite Contract to Set Aside Arbitral Award: Supreme Court Reinstates Award Under Quantum Meruit Once Arbitration Invoked, Criminal Prosecution Cannot Be Weaponised in Civil Disputes: Supreme Court Quashes FIR Against Former Director in Rent Row Section 319 CrPC | Pursuing Legal Remedies in Higher Forums Is Not ‘Evasion of Trial’; Custody Not Required for Summoned Accused: Supreme Court Order 21 Rule 90 CPC | Undervaluation or Procedural Lapses Constitute ‘Material Irregularity’, Not ‘Fraud’; Separate Suit to Bypass Limitation Impermissible: Supreme Court Order 21 CPC | Separate Suit Challenging Auction Sale Barred for Pendente Lite Transferees; Remedy Lies in Execution Proceedings: Supreme Court Non-Signatories Cannot Force Arbitration: Supreme Court Blocks Claim by Sub-Contractor Against HPCL Resignation Forfeits Pension Rights, But Gratuity Is Statutory: Supreme Court Partly Allows Appeal of DTC Employee’s Legal Heirs Appellate Courts Can’t Blanket-Exempt Convicted Directors from Deposit under NI Act Merely Because Company Wound Up: Supreme Court Refers Interpretation of Section 148 to Larger Bench Inordinate Delay Cannot Be Condoned Without Reasons: Supreme Court Slams Madhya Pradesh High Court for Casual Approach in Condoning 1612 Days’ Delay Constitutional Rights & Witness Protection | State Authorities Cannot Victimise Litigants for Approaching Court: Supreme Court Review Jurisdiction is Not an Appeal in Disguise: Supreme Court Dismisses Konkan Railway’s Plea Over Employee’s Resignation Withdrawal Agreement to Sell Does Not Create Any Right in Property, Hence No Right to Compensation on Acquisition: Allahabad High Court Sexual Harassment Complaint Can Be Inquired by ICC at Woman’s Workplace Even if Accused Works Elsewhere: Supreme Court Settles Jurisdiction Under POSH Act Mandate Expired, Arbitrator Functus Officio: Supreme Court Orders Substitution After Delay in Arbitral Award

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law – Rape – Kidnapping – Appeal Against Acquittal - Appreciation of Evidence – Statement of Prosecutrix – Material Contradictions – Acquittal Upheld – The prosecution case was based primarily on the testimony of the prosecutrix – Contradictions in her statements regarding date and place of rape undermined credibility – The prosecutrix...

Criminal Law – Quashing - Money Laundering – Predicate Offence Quashed – PMLA Case to Proceed – Petition to quash proceedings under PMLA rejected – Telangana High Court held that quashing of predicate offence against one accused does not terminate PMLA proceedings if the offence still exists against others – PMLA is a standalone offence focused on proceeds of ...

Criminal Law – Quashing of Cognizance - Custodial Violence Allegation – Police Officers Summoned – Cognizance Quashed - Petitioners, senior police officers, challenged summoning order in a complaint case alleging police excess during a bandh protest in 2014 – Held: Proceedings initiated after an unexplained delay of 10 years, during Model Code of Conduct, are manifestly mal...

Criminal Law – Economic Offence – Bail in ₹24.74 Crore - Misappropriation Case – Petitioners accused of misappropriating funds from a co-operative society in conspiracy with staff – Allegations relate to period 2021–2024 – Petitioners are Grama Panchayat and District Panchayat members – Held: Despite gravity, bail granted due to absence of custodial inte...

Criminal Law – Quashing - Domain Name Dispute – Criminal Charges Quashed – Civil Dispute Mischaracterized – The petitioner was accused of impersonating the Chancellor of Alliance University and fraudulently attempting to take control of the university’s domain name – Held: Allegations arise from civil dispute over institutional control post-termination – E...

Criminal Law - Quashing of Criminal Proceedings – Section 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 - Lack of Prima Facie Evidence – Case based on CDRs and Transcripts – Quashing Allowed - The petitioners challenged the FIR, charge sheet, and summoning order alleging conspiracy and illegal gratification to obtain a loan from Sy...

Criminal Law - Framing of Charges – Abetment of Suicide – Ingredients Not Made Out – Charges Quashed – The petitioner, a constable, was accused of abetting his wife's suicide by poisoning – Court found no specific evidence of dowry demand or cruelty – Multiple statements revealed only ordinary domestic discord, not instigation or cruelty sufficient to frame ...

Criminal Law - Exemption from Personal Appearance – Routine Rejection of Section 317 CrPC Petitions – Held Arbitrary – Trial Court rejected exemption petition on grounds of repeated past defaults – High Court held that discretionary powers must be exercised judicially, especially when supported by justifiable medical reasons – Rejection without considering circumstanc...

Criminal Law – Rape – Appeal against conviction – Delay in FIR and Unexplained Silence – Conviction Set Aside – The prosecutrix reported repeated sexual assault months after the alleged incidents, only after pregnancy was discovered – No complaint made earlier despite residing with family – Held: Unexplained delay in filing complaint and absence of disclos...

Criminal Procedural Law - Magistrate’s Power to Take Cognizance – Sections Not in Charge-Sheet – Magistrate Not Bound by Police Opinion – Held: Magistrate under Section 190(1)(b) CrPC (now Section 210 BNSS) is empowered to take cognizance of any offence disclosed by materials on record, even if not included in the charge-sheet – Reiterated that material, not the label...