Conviction For Sexual Assault Can Be Based Solely On Reliable Testimony Of Victim Without Corroboration: Allahabad High Court Marriage Dead For All Practical Purposes Can Be Nullified Under Article 142: Supreme Court Grants Divorce Citing Irretrievable Breakdown Senior Officers Accountable For Subordinates' Negligence; State Must Adopt Doctrine Of 'Superior Responsibility' To Combat Corruption: Allahabad High Court Constitutional Principles Of Article 21 Must Override Statutory Embargo Of Section 37 NDPS Act In Prolonged Incarceration: Punjab & Haryana High Court Recording Leasehold Land As 'Pattadar' Instead Of 'Sthitiban' Turns Back The Clock; Violates Right To Property: Orissa High Court Naib Tahsildar Performing Quasi-Judicial Functions Is A 'Judge' Under 1985 Act, Entitled To Protection Against Pension Cuts For Errors Of Judgment: MP High Court Demand Notice Under Section 138 NI Act Must Specifically State Cheque Amount; Failure To Do So Vitiates Prosecution: Kerala High Court Revisional Jurisdiction Under Land Revenue Act Must Be Exercised Within Reasonable Time, Cannot Reopen 20-Year-Old Mutation: J&K&L High Court Specific Performance: Plaintiff Must Prove Financial Capacity; Low Income & Dishonoured Cheques Negate Readiness and Willingness: Karnataka High Court Delay In Pronouncing Reserved Judgments Violates Article 21; Must Be Delivered Within 3 Months: Supreme Court Issues Binding Guidelines For High Courts Professional Independence Does Not Grant License To Abandon Matrimonial Obligations: Supreme Court Dissolves 18-Year Marriage Between Doctors Persistent Denial Of Sexual Intimacy Constitute Mental Cruelty; Supreme Court Dissolves 'Dead' Marriage Invoking Article 142 NDPS Act | High Court Cannot Ignore Mandatory Twin Conditions Under Section 37 While Granting Bail For Commercial Quantity: Supreme Court Contractual Royalty Rates Must Yield To Statutory Amendments; Royalty Payable At Rate Prevailing During Dispatch: Supreme Court Power To Punish For Contempt Must Be Exercised With Restraint But Should Act As Deterrent Against Levity: Supreme Court Public Functionaries Cannot Treat Supreme Court Orders As Matters To Be Addressed At Their Leisure: SC Warns Rajasthan Authorities High Court Can't Reassess Facts Or Substitute Its Interpretation Of Pleadings In Revisional Jurisdiction: Supreme Court Order 12 Rule 6 CPC | Decree On Admission Requires Categorical & Unequivocal Admission; Pleadings Cannot Be Read In Piecemeal: Supreme Court

"NDPS" Digest

Successive Regular Bail – Sections 8(C), 20(B)(ii)(b), and 29 of the NDPS Act – Successive Bail Application Dismissed – The applicant sought regular bail under Section 483 of BNSS in connection with possession of 9.982 kg of ganja under the NDPS Act – The earlier bail application was withdrawn with liberty reserved for refiling in case of delay in trial – The Court fo...

Criminal Law - Section 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(C), 28, and 29 of the NDPS Act – Illegal Possession and Conscious Custody – Conviction Confirmed – Accused intercepted while transporting 150 kg of ganja—Search and seizure compliant with Section 50 NDPS Act—Evidence of P.W.1 and independent witness P.W.3 held credible—Contraband properly seized, sealed, and produc...

NDPS Act – Conscious Possession – Commercial Quantity – Bail Denied – Petitioner found present in vehicle from which 3.575 kg of charas was recovered – Court held that physical presence in a private vehicle carrying commercial quantity of narcotic substance raises presumption of conscious possession under Sections 35 and 54 of NDPS Act – No explanation from peti...

NDPS Act – Joinder of Charges – Section 218 Cr.P.C. Violated – Discharge Granted – Applicant was charged under Sections 8(c), 22(b), 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act based on alleged procurement of 44 grams of mephedrone in small quantities over 18 months – Held: Charges for distinct acts of procurement spread over more than a year could not be tried jointly in the absence ...

NDPS Act – Bail – Prolonged Incarceration – Bail Granted - Petitioner in judicial custody since 23.12.2020 with only two of ten witnesses examined over four and a half years – Held: Inordinate delay in trial infringes the fundamental right to speedy trial under Article 21 – Court relied on Union of India v. K.A. Najeeb and Jitendra Jain v. Union of India to hold that ...

Bail - NDPS Act – Statement of Co-Accused and Financial Transactions – Bail Granted – The prosecution relied on statements of co-accused and financial transfers to implicate the petitioners under Sections 21, 27A, and 29 of the NDPS Act – Held: Statements of co-accused are inadmissible under Sections 25 of the Indian Evidence Act and 162 CrPC – Financial transactions,...

Criminal Law - Sections 27 and 29 of the NDPS - Sections 66(B), 65(A), 81, 116(B) of the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 - Appeal Against Acquittal – Alleged Possession of Liquor Without Permit – Acquittal Confirmed – Accused found with bottles allegedly containing English liquor – Investigating officer failed to send seized bottles for FSL analysis – No sample drawn or ...

NDPS Bail – Section 37 NDPS Act – Alleged Financing of Contraband Purchase – Bail Granted – Petitioner, a woman and sixth accused, allegedly transferred money to her son and driver who were found in possession of MDMA – Prosecution invoked conspiracy under Sections 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act – Held: Mere monetary transfers to family members insufficient to const...

Anticipatory Bail – Sections 65(a), 65(e), 116-B, 81, 83, 98(2) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act - Sections 111(2)(b), 111(3), 111(4) of the BNS - Lack of Conscious Possession – Accused not Found at Scene – Anticipatory Bail Granted – The applicant was implicated based solely on secret police inputs and was not found in conscious possession of liquor during the raid – T...

Writ - Passport Issuance – Pending Criminal Trial – Right to Possess Passport Distinct from Right to Travel – Petition Allowed - Petitioner facing trial under Section 15 of the NDPS Act – Trial Court permitted him to apply for passport but not to travel abroad – Passport authority denied issuance citing absence of departure permission under Section 6(2)(f) of Passport...