Criminal Procedure - Protest Petition Against Final Report – Magistrate’s Discretion – Section 190(1)(b) Cr.P.C. – No Error in Accepting Closure Report – A magistrate has four options when considering a final report: (i) accept and drop proceedings, (ii) take cognizance and issue process, (iii) order further investigation, or (iv) treat the protest petition as a compl...
NDPS - Interim Custody of Seized Vehicle – Confiscation Not Automatic – Section 457 Cr.P.C. – Order Denying Custody Set Aside – The trial court erred in rejecting interim custody of the seized vehicle merely on the ground that it may be confiscated if the offence is proved – Confiscation is subject to trial and can only be ordered upon proof of guilt beyond reasonable...
Criminal Law – Dishonour of Cheque – Appeal Against Acquittal - Validity of System-Generated Cheque Return Memo – Section 146 of NI Act – The trial court rejected the cheque return memo (Exhibit-2) on the ground that it did not bear an official seal or signature of the bank. However, Section 146 of the NI Act presumes a bank’s slip or memo denoting dishonour to ...
Rape Case – Age Determination – School Records – Standard of Proof – Acquittal – Appeal allowed – The appellant was convicted under Sections 376(1) and 450 of IPC for allegedly committing rape on a prosecutrix aged 12 years – Prosecution relied on the school register to establish the prosecutrix's age – Held: School register entries are inadmissi...
Criminal Law – Murder - Appeal against Conviction - Murder vs. Culpable Homicide – Exception 1 to Section 300 IPC – Grave and Sudden Provocation – The accused, deceased, and their friend had been drinking alcohol throughout the day. The deceased misbehaved with the accused’s wife in the presence of her family members, leading to a confrontation. In the heat of the mom...
Quashing of Criminal Proceedings – Section 482 CrPC – Summoning Order Lacks Reasons – The appellants were charged with manufacturing and distributing a drug declared as ‘Not of Standard Quality’ – The trial court issued summons without assigning reasons – The Supreme Court reiterated that a summoning order must reflect application of judicial mind and must...
NDPS Act – Bail – Stringent Conditions under Section 37 – The accused was found in a passenger bus with a carton containing heroin concealed inside an inverter—Held: Under Section 37 of the NDPS Act, bail cannot be granted unless the Court is satisfied that the accused is not guilty and is unlikely to commit any offence while on bail—No prima facie material establishi...
Bail – Offences Under BNS & JJ Act – Principles for Granting Bail – Petitioner accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old girl, taking her to different locations, and intoxicating her—Prosecution contended that petitioner was involved in an NDPS Act offence—Held: The only non-bailable offence alleged is Section 77 of the JJ Act, which carries a maximum punishment of 7 ye...
Criminal Law – Appeal Against Acquittal – Injuries by Firearm – Trial court acquitted respondents Nos. 2 to 6 of charges under Sections 307/149, 147, 148, 324/149 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act – Prosecution proved that Respondent No. 2 (Dilip Singh) fired with a double-barrel gun causing simple injuries to the informant and his son – Medical evidence confirmed mu...
Quashing of FIR – Civil Dispute with Elements of Criminality – FIR Not Quashed – The petitioners sought quashing of the FIR on the ground that the dispute was purely civil in nature and related to non-compliance with contractual obligations – Allegations included siphoning of ₹6.32 crore from complainants under false assurances of timely completion of a real estate projec...