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 Borrowers Have No Right To Personal Hearing Before Fraud Classification, But Full Forensic Audit Report Must Be Supplied: Supreme Court Pendency Of Matrimonial Dispute With General Allegations Not A Valid Ground To Deny Public Employment: Allahabad High Court Minimum Five Persons Mandatory To Prove 'Preparation For Dacoity' Under Section 399 IPC: Gujarat High Court Suit For Specific Performance Not Maintainable Without Prayer To Set Aside Termination Of Agreement: Madras High Court Voluntary Retirement Deemed Accepted If Positive Order Of Refusal Is Not Communicated Within Notice Period: Supreme Court Court Cannot Convict One Accused And Acquit Another On Same Evidence: Supreme Court Acquits Murder Convict Suspicion Cannot Replace Proof: Supreme Court Acquits Murder Convict Due To Unreliable Last-Seen Evidence And Principle Of Parity 138 NI Act | Accused Cannot Rebut Presumption Of Legally Enforceable Debt At Pre-Trial Stage In Cheque Bounce Cases: Supreme Court More Meritorious PWD Candidates From Reserved Categories Can Claim Unreserved PWD Posts In Open Competition: Supreme Court Meritorious Reserved Candidates Can Claim Unreserved Horizontal Vacancies Based On Merit: Supreme Court Employee Not Entitled To Gratuity Until Conclusion Of Both Departmental And Criminal Proceedings: Supreme Court Stamp Duty Recovery Against Legal Heirs Is Strictly Limited To The Extent Of Inherited Estate: Allahabad High Court Single Lathi Blow On Head During Sudden Altercation Amounts To Culpable Homicide Under Section 304 Part II IPC, Not Murder: Madhya Pradesh High Court Habeas Corpus Maintainable For Child Custody Against Father; Cannot Be Dismissed Merely Due To Alternate Remedy: Allahabad High Court "Plea Of Ignorance In Digital Era Inexcusable": Punjab & Haryana HC Imposes Rs 10K Cost On Accused For Hiding Prior Bail Dismissal Discrepancies In Name And Age On Monthly Pass Fail To Establish 'Bona Fide Passenger' Status In Railway Accident Claim: Delhi High Court "Last Seen" Theory A Weak Link If Time Gap Is Wide: Bombay High Court Acquits Man Sentenced To Life For Murder Failure To Conduct Pre-Anaesthetic Check-Up Prima Facie Amounts To Gross Medical Negligence Under Section 304A IPC: Kerala High Court

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law - Dowry Harassment and Attempt to Murder – Evidentiary Standards – Conviction Reversed – Accused Acquitted – Allegations of dowry harassment, assault, and attempt to murder by pouring kerosene and setting fire – Evidence of P.W.1 (complainant) insufficient as she neither witnessed the act nor directly implicated the accused – No corroboration from n...

Criminal Law – Circumstantial Evidence – Acquittal Upheld – The appeal challenged the trial court's judgment acquitting the accused under Sections 302 and 379 read with Section 34 IPC based on circumstantial evidence – The appellate court emphasized the principle that the prosecution must establish a complete chain of circumstances that leads only to the guilt of the ac...

Bail Application – Repeated Regular Bail Plea – Filing of Chargesheet Not a Substantial Change of Circumstances – Application Rejected - The applicant sought regular bail on the grounds of completion of investigation, delay in filing the FIR, absence of medical evidence, and alleged non-involvement in the crime – Held: Filing of the chargesheet does not constitute a substan...

Multiple Bail Applications – Consolidated Disposal – Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita – Bail Granted – The petitioner was accused in multiple cases for non-payment of dues to victims for cardamom purchases. He had been in custody since 29.05.2024. The Court held that indefinite incarceration was unnecessary and released the petitioner on bail subject to str...

Criminal Law – POCSO and Rape  – Conviction Reversed – Appellant convicted under Section 376 IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act for alleged rape of a minor victim, who later delivered a child – Trial Court relied on the victim's birth certificate and statement recorded under Section 164 CrPC to conclude the victim's minority and convict the accused – High...

Divorce by Mutual Agreement – Recognition of Mubara’at – Declaration of Divorce Granted – The appellant sought a declaration of matrimonial status after claiming to have given triple talaq. The matter was resolved through a mubara’at (mutual agreement) dated 15.06.2024, wherein both parties agreed to dissolve the marriage subject to payment of Rs.30,00,000/- by the ap...

Criminal Law – Bail under PMLA – Allegations of Money Laundering – Petitioners accused of raising funds for unlawful activities under the guise of donations for Popular Front of India (PFI) – Alleged proceeds of crime were used to incite violence, disturb communal harmony, and fund terrorism – Petitioners in custody for over 2 years – Held: No prima facie case u...

Criminal Law – Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act – Bail Application – Rejection – Bail under Section 37 – Stringent Conditions – Petitioner Amritpal Singh filed for regular bail in a case registered under Sections 8(c)/21(c)/23(c)/29 of the NDPS Act for alleged involvement in drug trafficking. The case involved smuggling of 102.784 kg of heroin conc...

Public Servant – Necessity of Sanction for Prosecution – Section 19 of PC Act and Section 197 of CrPC – Charges Quashed – The petitioner, who was the Sarpanch at the time of the alleged offense, was charged under Sections 13(1)(c)(d) and 13(2) of the PC Act, and Sections 409 and 467 IPC, for misappropriation of public funds and forgery in connection with the construction of...

Negotiable Instruments Act – Quashing of Complaint Based on Compromise – Petition Allowed – The petitioner sought quashing of a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, citing a mutual settlement between the parties – Held: Continuation of proceedings after a mutual compromise amounts to abuse of process of law – It was observed that the co...