Maintenance – Proof of Marriage – Decree Reversed – Plaintiff filed suit for maintenance claiming to be legally wedded wife of defendant – Defendant denied marriage altogether – Trial Court relied solely on oral testimony of P.W.3 (defendant’s brother-in-law) and decreed maintenance – Appellate Court found no documentary proof of marriage, no evidence of c...
Bail – BNSS Ss. 480 & 483 – Grant of Bail with Stringent Conditions – Petition Allowed – Accused allegedly conspired with co-accused to steal phones, debit card, confine complainant, attempt strangulation, and extort money; already faced multiple arrests in connected crimes in 2024–25 – Held: Considering detention of 67 days, completion of major investigatio...
Criminal Law – Section 482 CrPC – Quashing of FIR & criminal proceedings – High Court’s powers are not limited by bar under Section 320 CrPC – Where matrimonial disputes are settled amicably, FIR or complaint under Sections 498A/406 IPC can be quashed to secure ends of justice – Hyper-technical view would defeat purpose of law meant to protect women [Paras 2...
Criminal Law - Criminal Conspiracy – Circumstantial Proof – IPC Ss.120-A, 120-B – Agreement sufficient – Conspiracy can be inferred from conduct and surrounding circumstances – Secrecy and routing of MUL funds through BRs and pay orders while masking them as MUL-UCO transactions established concert between A-1, A-3 and A-5 – Held: conspiracy proved, though A-2 n...
Murder – Circumstantial Evidence – Acquittal Ordered – Prosecution case rested on circumstantial evidence of accused hiring taxi, staying at hotel, recovery of ornaments, and letter allegedly written by accused – Hotel waiter, the sole direct witness, not examined – Register entries not legally proved – Recovery of common ornaments not connected to deceased &nda...
Criminal Law - Murder – Ocular Testimony vs. Medical Evidence – Appeals Dismissed – Sessions Judge acquitted accused of strangulating deceased; High Court reversed and convicted under Section 302/34 IPC – Supreme Court upheld conviction – Eyewitness testimony of police constables on patrol duty fully corroborated by medical and documentary evidence – No inconsis...
Criminal Law - Murder – Right of Private Defence – Conviction Partly Modified – The accused were acquitted by the trial court for causing two deaths and injuries in a group clash near their residence—High Court reversed acquittal and convicted all under Sections 302 and 149 IPC—Supreme Court held that the incident originated near the house of accused, and evidence sho...
Criminal Law – Quashing - Drugs and Cosmetics Act – Sale of Drugs Without Valid License – Petitioner (Accused No.2), a licensed drug distributor, alleged to have supplied allopathic drugs to Accused No.1, a non-registered practitioner running a clinic without drug license – Proceedings initiated under Sections 18(a)(vi) and 27(d) of the Act of 1940 – Court held that s...
Criminal Revision – Discharge – BNSS Ss. 438 & 442 – PC Act S. 13(1)(c), (d) r/w 13(2) – IPC Ss. 409, 420, 120B – Refusal to Discharge Upheld – Allegation that Board-level approval enabled supply of limestone at ₹689.87/MT against an earlier ₹621/MT with inferior quality/quantity, causing loss to Malabar Cements Ltd – Held: On materials placed, a p...
Family Law - Maintenance – Award of ₹21,000 to Wife/Mother – Challenge under Section 438 r/w 442 BNSS – Petitioners (husband and sons of respondent) contended that respondent left matrimonial home voluntarily in 2015 and filed maintenance petition only in 2019 – Petitioners alleged their own lack of income and claimed respondent had sufficient means and was living indepen...