State Can’t Block SARFAESI Sale by Late Revenue Entries: Secured Creditor’s Charge Prevails Over Tax Dues: Punjab & Haryana High Court Slams Sub-Registrar’s Refusal Providing SIM Card Without Knowledge of Its Criminal Use Does Not Imply Criminal Conspiracy: P&H High Court Grants Bail in UAPA & Murder Case Importer Who Accepts Enhanced Valuation Cannot Later Contest Confiscation and Penalty for Undervaluation: Madras High Court Upholds Strict Liability under Customs Act "Allegations Are Not Proof: Madras High Court Refuses Divorce Without Substantiated Cruelty or Desertion" When FIR Is Filed After Consulting Political Leaders, the Possibility of Coloured Version Cannot Be Ruled Out: Kerala High Court Mere Allegations of Antecedents Without Conviction Can't Defeat Right to Anticipatory Bail: Kerala High Court Section 106 Of Evidence Act Cannot Be Invoked In Vacuum – Prosecution Must First Lay Foundational Facts: Karnataka High Court Acquits Wife And Co-Accused In Husband’s Murder Case Parity Cannot Be Claimed When Roles Are Different: Karnataka High Court Refuses Bail to Youth Accused of Brutal Killing Injured Wife Would Not Falsely Implicate Her Husband: Gauhati High Court Upholds Conviction in Domestic Stabbing Case Disputed Bids, Missing Evidence and No Prejudice: Delhi High Court Refuses to Intervene in Tender Challenge under Article 226 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 Marriage Cannot Be Perpetuated on Paper When Cohabitation Has Ceased for Decades: Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 to Grant Divorce Despite Wife’s Opposition Ownership of Trucks Does Not Mean Windfall Compensation: Supreme Court Slashes Inflated Motor Accident Award in Absence of Documentary Proof Concealment of Mortgage Is Fraud, Not a Technical Omission: Supreme Court Restores Refund Decree, Slams High Court’s Remand State Reorganization Does Not Automatically Convert Cooperative Societies into Multi-State Entities: Supreme Court Rejects Blanket Interpretation of Section 103 Indian Courts Cannot Invalidate Foreign Arbitral Awards Passed Under Foreign Law: Madhya Pradesh High Court Enforces Texas-Based Award Despite Commercial Court’s Contrary Decree Sudden Quarrel over Mound of Earth — Not Murder but Culpable Homicide: Allahabad High Court Eligibility Flows from Birth, Not a Certificate Date: Delhi High Court Strikes Down Rule Fixing Arbitrary Cut-Off for OBC-NCL Certificates in CAPF (AC) Recruitment Bar Under Order II Rule 2 CPC Cannot Be Invoked Where Specific Performance Was Legally Premature Due To Statutory Impediments: P&H High Court Once a Court Declares a Department an Industry Under Section 2(j), State Cannot Raise the Same Objection Again: Gujarat High Court Slams Repetitive Litigation by Irrigation Department “How Could Cheques Issued in 2020 Be Mentioned in a 2019 Contract?”: Delhi High Court Grants Injunction in Forged MOA Case, Slams Prima Facie Fabrication Calling Wife by Her Caste Name in Public Just Before Suicide is Immediate Cause of Self-Immolation: Madras High Court Upholds Husband’s Conviction Under Section 306 IPC Sole Testimony of Prosecutrix, If Credible, Is Enough to Convict: Delhi High Court Upholds Rape Conviction Cheque Issued as Security Still Attracts Section 138 NI Act If Liability Exists on Date of Presentation: Himachal Pradesh High Court After Admitting Lease, Defendant Cannot Turn Around and Call It Forged—Contradictory Stand at Advanced Trial Stage Impermissible: Punjab & Haryana High Court Dismisses Revision Against Rejection of Amendment Plea Dismissed Employee Has No Right to Leave Encashment Under Statutory Rules: Punjab and Haryana High Court Section 13 of Gambling Act Is Cognizable — Magistrate Can Take Cognizance on Police Report: Allahabad High Court Clarifies Surveyor’s Report Not Sacrosanct, Arbitral Tribunal Has Jurisdiction to Apply Mind Independently: Bombay High Court Dismisses Insurer’s Challenge to Award in Fire Damage Dispute Auction Purchaser Has No Vested Right Without Sale Confirmation: Calcutta HC Upholds Borrower’s Redemption Right Under Pre-Amendment SARFAESI Law Mere Breach of Promise to Marry Doesn’t Amount to Rape: Delhi High Court Acquits Man in False Rape Case Father Is the Natural Guardian After Mother’s Death, Mere Technicalities Cannot Override Welfare of Child: Orissa High Court Restores Custody to Biological Father Assets of Wife and Father-in-Law Can Be Considered in Disproportionate Assets Case Against Public Servant: Kerala High Court Refuses Discharge

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Foreign Exchange Regulation – Contravention Allegations – ITC Limited challenged proceedings initiated under FERA for alleged unauthorized foreign exchange transactions – Key allegations include remittance of funds generated through counter trade and failure to repatriate amounts to India – Searches at ITC premises and recording of statements of executives supported allegat...

Criminal Law – Bail – Dowry Death – Petitioner sought bail in case registered for dowry harassment and death – FIR based on statements from deceased’s family alleging dowry demands and harassment – Charge-sheet filed, petitioner in custody for over a year – No evidence of petitioner’s ability to tamper with evidence or threaten witnesses – Bail...

Kerala Police Act – Section 119(1)(a) – Quashing of Proceedings – Petition to quash proceedings under Section 119(1)(a) of the Kerala Police Act for alleged sexual gestures in public degrading the dignity of women – Accused’s actions not specified in FIR or Final Report – No evidence of discernible sexual gestures – Court found the prosecution case to b...

Criminal Law – Murder Conviction – Appellant convicted and sentenced for the pre-meditated murder of his wife – Trial court’s judgment affirmed by High Court – Court dismisses the appeal, emphasizing the consistent chain of circumstantial evidence proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt – Issues of procedural deficiencies in the trial court regarding witness ident...

Bail Application - Petitioner seeking release as an undertrial in a case under the NDPS Act - Original FIR filed against unknown individuals - Petitioner's counsel contends no substantial link between petitioner and the alleged offense, emphasizing innocence and fabricated FIR - Lack of evidence against the petitioner - Trial anticipated to be lengthy - No useful purpose served in detaining pe...

Criminal Conspiracy - Quashing of charges against the applicant - Allegation of giving a false opinion in a criminal conspiracy - Charges under Sections 120B (Criminal Conspiracy), 420 (Cheating), 406 (Criminal Breach of Trust) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) - Cognizance and summoning order challenged - Lack of Specific Conspiracy Details - Bald and Omnibus Nature of Allegation - No Mention of a C...

Quashing of FIR – Offences under Sections 406, 420, 120-B, and 114 of IPC – Common judgment for multiple petitions – Pertains to M/s. Finquest Financial Solutions Private Limited and M/s. Manpasand Beverages Limited – Allegations of financial mismanagement, fraud, and loan disbursement – Detailed narration of the events leading to the filing of FIR – Quashing so...

  Criminal Law - Writ of Mandamus and Transfer of Investigation -  Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking to transfer investigation of Crime No. 212/2024 from Mannanthala Police Station to a higher-ranking officer, preferably of IPS cadre - Petitioner, a healthcare professional, alleges biased investigation due to political influence - Court finds o...

Motor Accident Compensation – Appeal against an award by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal – Appellant, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co. Ltd., challenges the award granting compensation to the claimants – Dispute related to the calculation of compensation. [Para 1-8] Calculation of Compensation – Appellant argues that excessive compensation was awarded – Disagreeme...

Criminal Appeal – Conviction under Section 6 of the POCSO Act – Allegations of penetrative sexual assault on a child – Appellant convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment – Appeal against conviction – Medical examination of victim reveals no injury or signs of sexual assault – Prosecution's case questioned on grounds of falsity and improbability &ndas...