Suit For Declaration Involves All Co-Owners; Limitation Plea Cannot Be Decided At Interlocutory Stage Of Impleadment: Telangana High Court Mere Proof Of Proper Dispatch Sufficient: Bombay High Court Says Trade Marks Registrar Need Not Prove Actual Delivery Of Renewal Notice Casteist Remarks Inside Private Office Without Independent Witnesses Do Not Attract SC/ST Act: Delhi High Court Private Property Transfer Not Void Under Section 64 CPC If Made Before 'Effective' Execution Of Attachment Warrant: Karnataka High Court Statement Under Section 164 CrPC Is Not Substantive Evidence, Cannot Be Sole Basis For Conviction When Victim Turns Hostile: Madras High Court Murder Simpliciter Is Not A Motor Accident; Claim Under Motor Vehicles Act Requires Causal Link Between Death And Vehicle: Supreme Court Mere Involvement Of Car In Chain Of Circumstances Leading To Death Doesn't Attract Motor Vehicles Act: Supreme Court Proclaimed Absconder Cannot Seek Quashing Of Criminal Proceedings Under Section 528 BNSS: Allahabad High Court Magistrate Cannot Mechanically Discharge Accused Without Recording Reasons Under Section 239 CrPC: Calcutta High Court Trial Courts Must Strictly Follow Mandate Of Section 43D(5) UAPA To Record Prima Facie Finding Before Granting Bail: Delhi High Court Executive Cannot Impose Additional Eligibility Criteria For Statutory Appointments Beyond What Is Prescribed In Parent Act: Karnataka High Court Major Married & Earning Sons Entitled To Compensation For Father’s Death; Dependency Evaluated At Time Of Filing Claim: Gujarat High Court Remaining Extent Of Bequeathed Property After Prior Conveyances Can Be Partitioned Among Legal Heirs: Kerala High Court Exchanging Garlands Not A Recognized Mode Of Marriage; Notary Cannot Act As Marriage Officer: Madhya Pradesh High Court Suspends License

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law - Custodial Death – Sections 302, 302/149, 147, 148, and 120-B of the – Appeal Against Acquittal - Eyewitness Credibility – Acquittal Upheld – The prosecution alleged that the accused, including a police constable, were involved in the murder of an undertrial prisoner after taking him out of judicial custody – The two eyewitnesses presented by the prosecu...

Facie Case Under Section 289 IPC – Quashing Denied – Complaint alleged attack by 10–12 unchained pet dogs resulting in injury to complainant – Petitioner disputed ownership and claimed possession of only one dog – Court held that allegations indicated potential negligent omission attracting Section 289 IPC – Charge-sheet based on witness statements including Nit...

Criminal Law – Murder Conviction – Acquittal – Appellants convicted under Sections 302 and 307 read with Section 149 IPC and Section 3(1) of Tamil Nadu Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act – Trial Court and High Court upheld conviction based on testimonies of PW-1, PW-2 and PW-9 and corroborative material including fingerprint and recovery evidence – Supreme Co...

Criminal Law  – Supplementary Evidence – Production of CDs at Trial – Permissible Omission – Upheld – CDs seized before filing of original chargesheet but not produced due to inadvertence – Supplementary chargesheet filed with forensic report but without CDs – Supreme Court held omission not fatal – CDs could be produced later with court’s...

Criminal Law – Legality of Arrest – Habeas Corpus – Grounds of Arrest Provided – Appeal Dismissed - Appellant challenged arrest of his son as illegal under Article 22(1) and Section 47 of BNSS – Alleged non-disclosure of meaningful grounds of arrest and absence of sanction under Section 17A of PC Act – Supreme Court held: Grounds of arrest were communicated in s...

NDPS Act – Scope of Section 8 – Buprenorphine Hydrochloride Held to Fall Within Prohibited Substances – Interpretation Upheld – Dealing in psychotropic substances listed under the Schedule to the NDPS Act is prohibited, irrespective of their absence from Schedule I of the NDPS Rules – Sanjeev V. Deshpande clarified the true intent of the legislature and correctly over...

Matrimonial Law – Transfer of Matrimonial Case – Divorce by Mutual Consent – Petition under Section 25 CPC – Allowed in part - The Supreme Court exercised its power under Article 142 to dissolve the marriage between the parties despite pending transfer petition – Mutual consent for divorce recorded, and transfer petition was accordingly disposed of [Paras 1-3, 10-11, ...

Criminal Law - Rash and Negligent Driving – Conviction under Section 304A IPC – Sentence Modified – The appellant was convicted for causing death by rash and negligent driving – Trial Court sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment – Conviction affirmed by the First Appellate Court and High Court – Supreme Court upheld conviction but modified sentence by a...

Criminal Law - Juvenile Justice Act – Quashing - Applicability of Section 75 – Actual Charge or Control Requirement – Charge Quashed – The appellant, Chairman of the Managing Committee of a school, was summoned under Section 75 of the JJ Act for failure to install CCTV cameras as per Guidelines issued by the Directorate of Education following an incident of sexual assault o...

Criminal Law - Juvenile Justice – Conflict of Jurisdiction – JJ Act Overrides NIA Act – Trial by Children’s Court – Juvenile charged under UAPA and other severe laws—Despite being tried as adult under Section 18(3) JJ Act, Court held: JJ Act, 2015 has overriding effect over all laws including NIA Act—Trial must proceed before Children’s Court, not Sp...