Medical Report Missing Injured's Signature, Unexplained 9-Hour FIR Delay Fatal To Prosecution Case: Allahabad High Court Acquits Attempt To Murder Convicts Fresh Notice Mandatory To Ex-Parte Defendants If Plaint Is Substantively Amended: Madhya Pradesh High Court Divorce | Initial Bickering Between Spouses During Early Marriage Does Not Constitute Cruelty: Madras High Court Sports Council Cannot Dissolve Registered Society Or Conduct Its Elections; Can Only Withdraw Recognition: Kerala High Court Incarceration Without Trial Amounts To Punishment: Himachal Pradesh HC Grants Bail To Murder Accused Denied Medical Care In Jail Compliance Is Not Protection: Kerala High Court Holds Local Authority Cannot Deny Industrial License Merely Over Unscientific Public Protests Allotment Of Seat By Bypassing Higher-Ranked Candidates In Merit List Results In Gross Injustice: Calcutta High Court Dismisses LLM Admission Plea Blacklisting Not An Automatic Consequence Of Contract Termination, Requires Specific Show-Cause Notice: Supreme Court Power Of Attorney Cannot Operate As Mode Of Succession To Religious Office Of Sajjadanashin: Supreme Court Higher-Ranking Employees Cannot Claim Parity In Punishment With Subordinates Under Article 14: Supreme Court Waqf Board Lacks Jurisdiction To Appoint 'Sajjadanashin', Civil Court Can Decide Dispute As Office Is Distinct From 'Mutawalli': Supreme Court 144 BNSS | Husband Cannot Directly Challenge Ex-Parte Maintenance Order In High Court, Must Apply For Recall: Allahabad High Court No Absolute Bar On Relying Upon Post-Notification Sale Deeds For Determining Land Acquisition Compensation: Bombay High Court 138 NI Act | Plea That Cheque Was Stolen Is An Afterthought If No Police Complaint Is Lodged: Orissa High Court Upholds Conviction Cannot Expect Claimant To Preserve Every Bill: P&H High Court Enhances Accident Compensation From Rs 95,000 To Rs 7.7 Lakhs Auction Sale Remains 'Inchoate' If 75% Balance Paid Beyond Statutory Time, Borrower Can Redeem Property: Supreme Court

"CRIMINAL LAW" Digest

Domestic Violence Act – Section 12 Application – Maintainability of Petition under Section 482 CrPC – Petitioners sought to quash D.V. Case No. 1 of 2025 filed by daughter-in-law alleging dowry demand and domestic abuse – Held: Proceedings under Chapter IV of D.V. Act are civil in nature and do not constitute criminal proceedings until breach of protection order under Secti...

Dowry Harassment and Cruelty – Accusations of dowry demands, physical and emotional abuse by the appellant and his family – FIR lodged by the wife (Respondent No. 2) listing extensive mistreatment, including physical harm and emotional torture related to dowry demands – Chargesheet filed against appellant after police investigation, while other family members were absolved in the...

Criminal Law – Negotiable Instruments Act – Section 138 – Acquittal – Appellant filed complaint against accused for dishonour of cheque for Rs. 20 lakhs – Cheque returned with endorsement "Drawer’s Signature Differs" – Legal notice claimed to be sent, but original acknowledgment card not produced – Trial Court refused to mark photocopy and ...

Criminal Law – Section 314 IPC – Illegal Abortion Causing Death – Conviction Confirmed – Appellant, an unqualified person, attempted to terminate pregnancy of deceased (8 months pregnant) using root-like object and fishing hook – Deceased died due to hemorrhage and septicemia following crude and unhygienic abortion – Eyewitness PW-1 (sister-in-law) and PW-3 (dau...

Criminal Procedure – Leave to Appeal Against Acquittal – Right of Victim – Appellant sought leave under Section 378(4) Cr.P.C. against acquittal in complaint involving serious offences under IPC – Supreme Court in M/s Celestium Financial v. A. Gnanasekaran held that victims have an unconditional right to appeal under proviso to Section 372 Cr.P.C. – High Court followe...

Criminal Law – Bail Application – Conspiracy and Murder – Rejection – Appellants accused of providing finance and dangerous weapons to co-accused for eliminating the deceased (Santhosh Kumar @ Kanuma) – Charged under BNS, Arms Act, and SC/ST Act – Trial court rejected bail application filed under Section 483 of BNSS – High Court affirmed the rejection, not...

Criminal Law – Quashing of FIR – Alleged Inflammatory Social Media Message – Communal Harmony – FIR registered under Sections 299 and 353(3) BNS alleging that petitioner circulated an inflammatory WhatsApp message after arrest of his brother under the Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 – Petitioner contended that the message merely expressed resentment over bro...

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 – Section 138 – Dishonour of Cheque – Conviction – Revisional Jurisdiction – Petitioners convicted for dishonour of cheque amounting to Rs. 25,00,000/- issued as partial refund for unfulfilled property sale agreement – Defence pleaded coercion in obtaining the cheque and refund agreement, and denied receipt of original considerat...

Land Acquisition – Market Value Determination – Comparable Sale Evidence – Appellants challenged the compensation awarded by the Reference Court for land acquired for Gas Cracker Project – Reference Court enhanced land value from ₹1,00,000 to ₹3,00,000 per bigha but declined to accept sale instance (Exh. 47) showing ₹6,00,000 per bigha as comparable – Held: Sale...

Criminal Law – FIR Quashing – Section 482 Cr.P.C. – Cognizance Taken – FIR lodged in 2024 for alleged sexual harassment incidents dating back to 2018–2020 – FIR registered under Sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 IPC – Charge sheet later filed under Sections 354 and 354A IPC – Held: FIR not barred merely due to Section 468 Cr.P.C. which limits cogniza...