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

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law – Investigation under Section 156(3) CrPC – Magistrate’s Power – Validity of referral for police investigation – JMFC referred private complaint alleging forgery of E-Stamp and Rent Agreement for police investigation – High Court quashed the referral on the ground of non-application of mind and irregular order – Held: JMFC’s referral was...

Criminal Law – Corruption – Discharge – Prevention of Corruption Act – Accused public servants (Chairman and General Manager, HLL Lifecare Ltd.) alleged to have entered into criminal conspiracy with private party (M/s Rama Shipping Services) in awarding contract for export of iron ore – Advance of ₹2 crore released without bank guarantee, contrary to earlier agreeme...

Criminal Law – Quashing - Defamation – News Broadcast – Section 499 IPC – Criminal Intent – Mens Rea – Debate telecast on “Times Now” dated 19.02.2016 hosted by Arnab Goswami described respondent as “Gunda Lawyer”, “Hooligan” and “Rogue Lawyer” – Complaint alleged imputations harmed reputation – Held: O...

Criminal Procedure – Section 482 CrPC – Inherent Powers – Witness Examination via Video Conferencing – Material witness (PW-46), a 79-year-old foreign national with health issues and threats to safety, sought to be examined by CBI through video conferencing – Trial Court rejected plea citing VC Rules and risk to secrecy under Official Secrets Act – Held: Section...

Criminal Law – Quashing - Rape – Consent obtained on false promise of marriage – Applicant sought quashing of charge-sheet under Section 376 IPC on ground that relationship with victim was consensual and based on mutual love – FIR alleged repeated sexual acts on assurance of marriage by applicant and his family’s approval – Victim’s statements under Sectio...

Criminal Law – Murder – Acquittal – Appeal by State against acquittal of accused under Section 302/34 IPC for alleged murder of Vijay Kumar by head injury inflicted during a drunken altercation over unpaid debt – Prosecution relied on oral dying declarations made to family members – Medical evidence (PW2, PW3, PW6) confirmed deceased had 276.79 mg% blood alcohol and w...

Criminal Law – Cheque Dishonour – Appeal Against Acquittal – Appellant/complainant alleged supply of export garments worth ₹24.20 lakhs to accused partnership firm – Two cheques (₹2,37,785/- total) issued by accused were dishonoured for insufficient funds – Trial Court convicted all three accused under Section 138 NI Act – Lower Appellate Court acquitted acc...

Criminal Law – House Trespass – Assault with Firearm – Conviction – Appellant convicted under Sections 452, 324 and 506(ii) IPC for unlawfully entering complainant’s residence at night and threatening with a country-made pistol – Prosecution established recovery of firearm, live and fired cartridges – Eyewitness accounts by daughter (PW-2) and complainant ...

Anticipatory Bail – Forged Judicial Summons – Circulation via WhatsApp – Petitioner sought pre-arrest bail in FIR alleging conspiracy with co-accused to create and circulate forged summons purporting to be issued by Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Hisar, demanding ₹10 lakh as “maintenance” – Co-accused’s disclosure and recovered WhatsApp screenshots ...

Criminal Law – Anticipatory Bail – Limited Role – Parity – FIR for offences under BNS, POCSO Act, and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act – Allegation against appellant limited to driving the vehicle – Other co-accused granted bail – High Court rejected anticipatory bail – Held: Appellant had no overt act vis-à-vis victim – Anticipatory ba...