Section 138 NI Act | Cheque Bounce Complaint Cannot Be Dismissed At Threshold Merely For Non-Production Of Postal Track Report: Madhya Pradesh High Court Departmental Dismissal Based On Identical Evidence Discarded By Criminal Court Amounts To 'No Evidence': Orissa High Court Kerala Lok Ayukta Amendment Upheld: High Court Rules Lok Ayukta Is Not A Court, Its Declaration Can Be Changed To Recommendation Subsidized Industrial Plots Are Meant To Generate Employment, Allottees Must Strictly Adhere To Timebound Project Schedules: Supreme Court Allottees Cannot Keep Subsidised Land Unutilised: Supreme Court Upholds Cancellation Of Piaggio's UP Industrial Plot CAG Audit Cannot Substitute Criminal Investigation To Trace Money Trails: Supreme Court Supreme Court Directs CBI To Probe Arunachal Pradesh Public Contracts, Says Constitutional Violation Not Diluted By Statistics Common Intention Under Section 34 IPC Cannot Be Presumed Merely Because Multiple Accused Participated In A Sudden Fight: Supreme Court Mere Use Of Abusive Word 'Bastard' Does Not Amount To Obscenity Under Section 294(b) IPC: Supreme Court Independent Medical Board's Opinion Crucial To Prevent Harassment Of Doctors In Consent Disputes: Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Case High Court Can Examine Questions Of Fact Under Section 482 CrPC To Prevent Abuse Of Process: Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Case Against Surgeon 'Every Link Must Be Conclusively Established': Supreme Court Acquits Constable In Murder Case, Reiterates Strict Standard For Circumstantial Evidence Murder Conviction Cannot Rest Solely On Voice Identification In Darkness: Supreme Court Acquits Police Constable After 12 Years CCTV Footage Belies Assault Claims: Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Case Against Neighbours Karta Cannot Gift Entire Joint Family Property To One Coparcener Without Consent; Settlement Void Ab Initio: Madras High Court Fresh Application For Return Of Plaint Barred By Res Judicata Despite Favourable Supreme Court Ruling On Jurisdiction: Bombay High Court Registration Of Adoption Deed Not Mandatory For Compassionate Appointment Under Hindu Adoptions Act: Madhya Pradesh High Court Insurance Company Cannot Claim Contributory Negligence Without Examining Driver Or Challenging Charge Sheet: AP High Court Accused In Child Pornography Cases Cannot Be Discharged Merely Because Age Of Unidentified Victims Cannot Be Conclusively Proved: Delhi High Court Kerala High Court Denies Relief To Petitioner Suppressing Facts, Orders Enquiry Into Allotment Of Govt Scheme Houses On Puramboke Land Candidate Missing Physical Test For Minor Illness Has No Enforceable Right To Rescheduling: Supreme Court Prolonged Incarceration And Parity Constitute Valid Grounds For Regular Bail: Supreme Court Accused In Cheque Bounce Cases Cannot File Evidence-In-Chief By Affidavit Under Section 145 NI Act: Orissa High Court

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law - DNA Testing in Rape Case – Quashing of Sessions Court Order – Mandatory DNA Sampling Upheld – The petitioner, prosecutrix, filed a petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C. seeking to quash the order of the Additional Sessions Judge which had set aside the Magistrate’s order permitting DNA sampling of Respondent No.2 in a case registered under Section 376 IPC. The D...

Criminal Law - Bail Cancellation – Abuse of Official Position – Sections 376, 328 IPC and Sections 3/4 IT Act, SC/ST Act – Bail Cancelled - The Supreme Court considered an appeal filed by the victim against the grant of bail to respondent No.2, who was accused of serious offences including sexual exploitation and torture of female inmates under her care as Superintendent of a wom...

Custodial Torture – Illegal Detention – Registration of FIR Directed – Investigation Transferred to CBI – Counter FIR Quashed – ₹50 Lakhs Compensation Awarded – In a case involving shocking custodial torture of a serving police constable, including mutilation of genitalia during illegal detention, the Supreme Court reversed the High Court’s judgment refu...

Criminal Law - Anticipatory Bail – Cancellation of Pre-Arrest Bail – Sections 143, 147, 149, 323, 387, 427, 452, 504, 506, 406, 403, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B, 34 of the IPC -Grave Offences of Property Trespass and Threatening Complainant – Anticipatory Bail Cancelled – The appeals arose from the grant of anticipatory bail to the accused, including the estranged husband of t...

Criminal revision against conviction under Section 138 of NI Act – Petition challenging concurrent judgments convicting petitioner for dishonour of cheque due to i Cheque Dishonour – Presumption under Section 139 NI Act – Conviction Upheld – The petitioner challenged concurrent findings of conviction under Section 138 of NI Act alleging that the cheque was lost and misus...

Cheque Dishonour – 'Account Closed' – Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act – Conviction Restored - The Trial Court acquitted the accused on the ground that dishonour for ‘account closed’ does not attract Section 138 NI Act and no presumption arose due to denial of signature – Held: The Hon’ble High Court held that dishonour of cheque on ground...

Bail – Non-appearance of Accused – Scope of Judicial Discretion – Bail Restored – The appellants, accused under Section 353 IPC and Sections 3(1)(r)(s) of SC/ST (PoA) Act, were earlier released on regular bail but remanded to custody due to non-appearance on a hearing date – High Court held absence was not deliberate, matter was pending for charge framing, and appella...

Matrimonial Law - Maintenance – Section 12, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 23 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (D.V. Act) - Interim Maintenance – Enhancement – Financial Capacity of Husband – Maintenance Upheld – The petitioner-husband challenged the enhanced maintenance of ₹1,00,000/- per month fixed by the Additional Sessions Judge on the ground of...

Criminal Contempt – Publication of Scandalous Remarks – Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act – Conviction Upheld – The respondent posted a series of derogatory and scurrilous statements on Facebook targeting sitting Judges of the Kerala High Court, alleging political bias, improper motives, and judicial dishonesty – The Court held that attributing such motives t...

Criminal Law - NDPS - Forfeiture of Property – Dismissal of Appeal Due to Procedural Defect – Remedy Restored – The petitioners challenged the order of Appellate Tribunal dismissing their appeal under Section 68(O) NDPS Act on grounds of non-removal of defects, where petitioner No.2 could not file a signed affidavit due to incarceration – The High Court held that the Appell...