Cognizance Is of the Offence, Not the Offender: Madras High Court Rejects Challenge to ED’s Supplementary Complaint in PMLA Case Acquittal in Rajasthan No Bar to Trial in Madhya Pradesh: MP High Court Rejects Double Jeopardy Plea in Antiquities Theft Case 20% Deposit Isn’t Automatic in Cheque Bounce Appeals: Right to Appeal Can’t Be Priced Out: Punjab & Haryana High Court Checks Mechanical Use of Section 148 NI Act A Child Is Not a Non-Earner: Punjab & Haryana High Court Sets New Benchmark in Compensation for Minors’ Deaths 90 Days Is Not Sacrosanct – Courts Can Permit Reply to Counter-Claim Even Beyond Prescribed Time in Interest of Justice: Punjab & Haryana High Court Magistrate Can Proceed Only for Offences Committed in India Until Sanction Is Obtained for Acts Outside India: Orissa High Court on International Financial Fraud Award Is Vitiated by Non-Consideration of Material Evidence: Orissa High Court Sets Aside Industrial Tribunal’s Wage Award in IMFA Case POCSO | Absence of Child's Name in Birth Certificate Not Fatal: Kerala High Court No One Has the Right to Impute Illicit Motives to Judges in the Name of Free Speech: Karnataka High Court Jails Man for Criminal Contempt DV Complaint Cannot Be Quashed at Threshold Under Article 227: Madras High Court Refuses to Interfere, Directs Accused to Seek Remedy Before Magistrate Recovery Wasn't From Accused's Exclusive Knowledge — Cylinder Already Marked in Site Plan Before Arrest: Allahabad High Court Acquits Man in Murder Case Setting Fire to House Where Only Minors Were Present is a Heinous Offence – No Quashing Merely Because Parties Settled: Calcutta High Court No Exclusive Possession Means Licence, Not Lease: Calcutta High Court Rules City Civil Court Has Jurisdiction to Evict Licensees Defendant's Own Family Attested the Sale Agreement – Yet She Called It Nominal: Andhra Pradesh High Court Upholds Specific Performance Renewal Not Automatic, No Evidence Of Notice Or Mutual Agreement: AP High Court Dismisses Indian Oil’s Appeal Against Eviction When Death Is Caused by an Unforeseeable Forest Fire, Criminal Prosecution Cannot Be Sustained Without Proof of Rashness, Negligence, or Knowledge: Supreme Court Proof of Accident Alone is Not Enough – Claimants Must Prove Involvement of Offending Vehicle Under Section 166 MV Act: Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal for Compensation in Fatal Road Accident Case Income Tax | Search Means Search, Not ‘Other Person’: Section 153C Collapses When the Assessee Himself Is Searched: Karnataka High Court Draws a Clear Red Line License Fee on Hoardings is Regulatory, Not Tax; GST Does Not Bar Municipal Levy: Bombay High Court Filing Forged Bank Statement to Mislead Court in Maintenance Case Is Prima Facie Offence Under Section 466 IPC: Allahabad High Court Upholds Summoning Continued Cruelty and Concealment of Infertility Justify Divorce: Chhattisgarh High Court Upholds Divorce Disguising Punishment as Simplicity Is Abuse of Power: Delhi High Court Quashes Dismissals of Civil Defence Volunteers for Being Stigmatic, Not Simpliciter Readiness and Willingness Under Section 16(c) Is Not a Ritualistic Phrase — Plaintiff Must Prove It With Substance, Not Just Words: Karnataka High Court FIR in Disproportionate Assets Case Quashed: Patna High Court Slams SP for 'Non-Application of Mind' and 'Absence of Credible Source Information' Ownership of Vehicle Linked to Commercial Quantity of Heroin – Custodial Interrogation Necessary: Punjab & Haryana High Court Denies Anticipatory Bail under Section 482 BNSS Death Caused by Rash Driving Is Not a Private Dispute — No FIR Quashing on Basis of Compromise in Section 106 BNS Cases: Punjab & Haryana High Court No Bank Can Override Court Orders: Rajasthan High Court Slams Axis Bank for Unauthorized Withdrawal from Court-Ordered FD"

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law – Custodial Death – Acquittal – Appellants, police officials, convicted for custodial torture and death of one Shama @ Kalya while in illegal detention – Trial Court convicted appellants under Sections 304 Part II, 330, 331, 348, 387, and 201 IPC, and sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment – High Court upheld convictions except under Section 201 IPC r...

Criminal Law - Further Investigation – Scope of Section 173(8) Cr.P.C. – High Court’s Jurisdiction to Direct Further Investigation Post-Trial – Application of Legal Principles – The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court's direction for further investigation was legally justified, especially after the trial court had already rejected an application for summ...

Criminal Law - Cruelty and Abetment of Suicide – Section 498A and 306 IPC – Conviction Set-aside -  The appellants were convicted of harassing the deceased (Amrita Hazra) and abetting her suicide by administering poison – Held: The sister-in-law and her husband (appellants in CRA No. 17 of 2023) were visitors to the matrimonial home with no proven role in the alleged cruelty...

Criminal Law - Section 210 CrPC – Clubbing of Complaint and Police Case – The petitioners sought quashing of orders, arguing that Section 210 CrPC mandates the clubbing of a complaint case with a police report where both pertain to the same offence – Held: Section 210 CrPC requires the Magistrate to stay the complaint proceedings when an FIR has been registered regarding the same...

Criminal Law – Prevention of Corruption Act – Demand and Acceptance of Illegal Gratification – The appellant, State of Gujarat, challenged the acquittal of the respondent, a Clerk in the SRP Group, who was accused of demanding and accepting ₹200 for fixing the pay and leave salary of the complainant – The trial court acquitted the respondent on the grounds of insufficient...

Criminal Law – Conviction Based on Circumstantial Evidence – Appeal Allowed – Appellant, Raj Kumari, challenged her conviction for murder and robbery, arguing that the prosecution's case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence, which failed to establish an unbroken chain of events leading to her guilt – Held: The prosecution failed to prove the 'last seen' th...

Criminal Law – Kidnapping for Ransom – Procedural Lapses – Conviction of appellants under Sections 364A, 392, and 120B IPC for kidnapping a minor for ransom and subsequent recovery of ransom money challenged. Supreme Court noted significant procedural lapses, inconsistencies in witness statements, and failure to follow proper identification procedures. The delayed filing of FIR a...

Suo Motu Criminal Revision – High Court Powers Under Section 397 CrPC – The petitioner challenges the Madras High Court’s decision, which invoked its suo motu criminal revision powers under Section 397 of the CrPC, to interfere with a final closure report filed by the DVAC – Held: The High Court overstepped by effectively directing the framing of charges, a power that lies ...

Criminal Law – Sections 279, 337, 338, and 304(A) of IPC – Conviction and Sentence – Modified – The appellant was convicted of causing death by rash and negligent driving under Sections 279, 337, 338, and 304(A) of the IPC, related to a road accident resulting in the death of a pillion rider – The trial court sentenced him to simple imprisonment and fines for each off...

Criminal Procedure – Section 311 of CrPC – Recall of Witnesses – Judicial Discretion – The petitioners sought to recall and re-examine several prosecution witnesses, claiming that their previous lawyer had not conducted a proper cross-examination – The trial court rejected this application, and the High Court affirmed the decision – The Supreme Court held that t...