Mere Reproduction Of Evidence Can Never Be Equated With Appreciation: Karnataka High Court Quashes Penalty Against Govt Employee Accused Cannot Repeatedly Send Cheque To FSL Till Favourable Report Is Obtained: Kerala High Court In NI Act Case Succession Certificate Cannot Be Issued For Gold Jewels Pledged With Bank, Applies Only To Debts And Securities: Madras High Court Order 11 Rule 14 CPC | Court Cannot Direct Production Of Documents Without Ascertaining They Are In Party's Possession: Calcutta High Court Undertrial Prisoners Don't Suffer 'Civil Death', Retain Fundamental Right To Alienate Property From Jail: Rajasthan High Court Direction For Reasonable Annual Enhancement Of Maintenance Under Section 125 CrPC Merely Preserves Its Real Value Against Inflation: Delhi High Court Testimony Of Sole Interested Witness Must Be Of 'Sterling Quality' To Base Conviction: Patna High Court Acquits Murder Convict Failure To Communicate Written Grounds Of Arrest Renders Arrest Constitutionally Infirm, Accused Entitled To Bail: Punjab & Haryana High Court Section 482 CrPC Petition Not Maintainable Against Order Framing Charge Under SC/ST Act, Appeal Lies Under Section 14A: Tripura High Court Disputed Questions Of Fact Regarding Title And Forged Documents Cannot Be Decided Under Article 226: Telangana High Court Matter To Be Enquired By Bar Council: Madhya Pradesh High Court Dismisses Lawyer's PILs With Costs For Suppressing Attorney-Client Relationship BDA Cannot Arbitrarily Reverse Resolutions Passed To Comply With Judicial Directives: Karnataka High Court Section 52A NDPS Act: Mere Non-Compliance Does Not Automatically Vitiate Trial Unless Evidence Is Doubtful: Punjab & Haryana High Court Seniority Must Be Determined From Date Of Substantive Appointment, Not Ad-Hoc Service: Allahabad High Court Uncorroborated Testimony Of Drug Inspector Cannot Form Sole Basis For Conviction Under Drugs Act: Andhra Pradesh High Court Suppression Of Adverse Facts Strikes At Root Of Equitable Jurisdiction: Bombay High Court Denies Injunction In HUF Property Dispute

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Criminal Law – Murder – Acquittal Upheld – Eyewitness Testimonies – The prosecution’s case relied on the testimonies of two eyewitnesses, PW 11 Sudip Mukhopadhyay and PW 12 Abdul Rashid, along with circumstantial evidence – PW 11 initially claimed to have seen the respondent firing the shots but contradicted himself during cross-examination, stating that he only...

Criminal Law – Quashing of Proceedings – Petition to quash criminal proceedings against the petitioner who was accused of quid pro quo investments and receiving undue benefits from government projects – The High Court dismissed the petition, emphasizing the limited scope of Section 482 CrPC and the need for trial to determine the factual disputes and criminal liability [Paras 1-6...

Criminal Law – Culpable Homicide – Section 304 Part II IPC – Defense of Private Defense – The appellant was convicted under Section 304 Part II IPC for pelting stones at the deceased, resulting in fatal injuries. The incident occurred during a scuffle over a monetary dispute where the deceased was under the influence of alcohol and attempted to snatch money from the appella...

Criminal Law – Transit Anticipatory Bail – Sought for offences under Sections 498A, 323, and 504 of IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act – The petitioners filed for anticipatory bail in Karnataka while the case was registered in Uttar Pradesh – Held: Granted transit anticipatory bail for three weeks to enable petitioners to seek anticipatory bail from the j...

Criminal Law – Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) – Bail Granted – The appellant, Manik Bhattacharya, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly receiving Rs. 7,00,000 from 44 candidates – Charged under Section 3, read with Section 70, and punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002 – His bail applications were denied twice by the trial cou...

Family Law – Maintenance – Quantum of Maintenance – Reduce Maintenance - The wife filed an application under Section 125 Cr.P.C. seeking maintenance, claiming the husband, employed as a vice president in Citi Bank Dubai, was earning a substantial income – The Family Court awarded interim maintenance of ₹60,000 per month to the wife – The husband contested the amount...

Maintenance under Section 125 Cr.P.C. – Revision against Family Court order – Respondent wife and son filed application for maintenance alleging dowry harassment, cruelty, and non-consensual acts – Family Court directed revisionist to pay 25,000/- to wife and 20,000/- per month to son – Revision dismissed, upholding Family Court’s order [Paras 1-9, 26-29].   ...

Criminal Law – NDPS Act – Acquittal - Section 52A compliance – Whether the procedure for sampling under Section 52A was followed. Held, the samples were drawn on the spot without the presence of a Magistrate, which contravenes the NDPS Act. As per the Supreme Court's decisions in Mohanlal and Yusuf, samples must be drawn in the presence of a Magistrate, and the inventory must...

Criminal Law – Quashing -  Dowry Death – Section 304-B IPC – Whether the absence of a dead body (corpus delicti) nullifies the charges of dowry death – Held, the lack of recovery of a body does not invalidate the case, and sufficient circumstantial evidence, including the applicant's illicit relationship and the victim's harassment, supports a prima facie case ...

Criminal Law – Dishonour of Cheque – Appeal Against Acquittal – Application against the acquittal judgment in a case involving the dishonour of a cheque under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act – The respondent was acquitted by the trial court on the grounds that he successfully rebutted the presumption under Section 139 of the NI Act – The applicant-appell...