Motor Vehicles Act – Liability of Insurance Company – Delay in Lodging FIR – Appeal against compensation award on grounds of delay in FIR lodging and non-examination of deceased’s father. Held, delay in lodging FIR due to attending injured cannot be fatal. Non-examination of deceased’s father inconsequential as the accident and injuries were established by eyewitness and medical testimony. Tribunal's finding of driver’s negligence upheld. [Paras 1-15]

Evidence of Accident – Analysis – Held, credibility of eyewitness cannot be dispelled due to not being cited by police. Accident occurred in a busy market, so multiple witnesses were possible. Lack of rebuttal from driver and vehicle owner supports Tribunal's finding of rash and negligent driving. [Paras 11-13]

Decision – Appeal Dismissed – Court dismisses the appeal, affirming the Tribunal's decision on the driver’s liability and involvement of the offending vehicle. Insurance company held liable to pay compensation. [Paras 14-15]

Criminal Law - Quashing of FIR - Settlement Between Parties - FIR under Section 174-A IPC quashed after settlement in complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act - Continuation of prosecution not justified - FIR and all consequential proceedings quashed subject to cost payment. [Para 10]

Section 138 NI Act - Withdrawal of Complaint - Impact on FIR under Section 174-A IPC - Analysis - Complaint under Section 138 of the NI Act withdrawn based on settlement - FIR under Section 174-A IPC registered due to non-appearance of the accused - Quashing of FIR justified as continuation of prosecution would be abuse of process. [Paras 3-5, 10]

Judicial Precedent - Similar Cases - Reference to decisions in similar cases where FIR under Section 174-A IPC was quashed following settlement in Section 138 NI Act complaints - Courts emphasized on substantive justice over technical continuation of proceedings. [Para 6]

Decision - FIR and Proceedings Quashed - FIR No. 878 dated 09.07.2015 and all consequential proceedings quashed - Subject to payment of Rs. 10,000/- to Poor Patients' Welfare Fund at PGIMER, Chandigarh. [Para 10]

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act – Regular Bail – Individual vs. Collective Recovery – Petition for bail where 1 kg opium was recovered from petitioner and 9 kg from co-accused. Held, the total quantity should not be considered collectively when individual recovery is effected. Individual recovery from petitioner is non-commercial quantity, making Section 37 of NDPS Act inapplicable. Petition allowed. [Paras 1-8]

Custody Duration and Trial Commencement – Petitioner in custody since April 14, 2022, with the trial yet to commence. No involvement in other cases. Further detention would not serve any useful purpose. Bail granted. [Para 8]

Decision – Bail Granted – Court allows the petition for regular bail with conditions, noting that collective consideration of recovered quantities is inappropriate for determining applicability of Section 37 NDPS Act. [Para 9]

Criminal Law – Acquittal – Arms Act Sanction Requirement – Appeal challenging the acquittal of respondents for charges under Sections 307, 326, 452 read with Section 34 IPC, and Section 27 of the Arms Act. Held, as per the mandatory provisions of the Arms Act, prosecution requires prior sanction from the District Magistrate, which was absent in this case. The trial court's acquittal was upheld due to lack of evidence and procedural deficiencies. Appeal dismissed. [Para 8]

Hostile Witnesses – Impact on Prosecution Case – The primary witnesses, including the complainant and other eyewitnesses, turned hostile and did not support the prosecution’s case. This lack of corroborative evidence significantly weakened the case. [Paras 7-9]

Decision – Appeal Dismissed – The appeal by the State is dismissed, and the acquittal judgment by the Additional Sessions Judge, Panipat, is upheld. No interference warranted due to absence of evidence and procedural compliance. [Paras 10]

Civil Procedure – Breach of Injunction Order – Appropriate Remedy – Petition challenging criminal complaints for breach of an ad-interim injunction. Held, breach of an injunction should be remedied through Order 39 Rule 2A CPC. Recourse to Section 340 CrPC and Sections 191, 193 IPC is not appropriate for such breaches. Complaints and consequential proceedings quashed. [Paras 8-10]

Jurisdiction and Authority – Handling Perjury and False Documents – The offences under Sections 191 and 193 IPC related to perjury and false documents are within the jurisdiction of the court where the alleged acts occurred. The complainant cannot independently pursue these allegations without an order from the jurisdictionally empowered court. [Para 8]

Decision – Petition Allowed – Complaints and all consequential proceedings related to the breach of injunction order are quashed and set aside. [Paras 10-12]

Criminal Law - Bail - Principles for Granting Bail – Criminal petitions for bail under Section 439 Cr.P.C. by individuals accused of economic offenses involving significant tax evasion through the creation of fake firms – Court reaffirms that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, emphasizing personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution – Held that refusal of bail must not be punitive but should consider factors such as the likelihood of the accused tampering with evidence, the gravity of the offense, and the length of pre-trial detention. The Court grants bail considering these principles and the significant period of custody already undergone by the petitioners​​.

Economic Offenses - Gravity of Offense – Analysis – Held – Economic offenses, despite their serious nature, do not automatically justify the denial of bail. The Court must balance the need for public justice with the individual rights of the accused. Economic offenses must be weighed with considerations of the accused’s potential to tamper with evidence or flee justice. The documentary nature of the evidence and the significant custodial period already served are critical factors favoring the grant of bail​​.

Decision - Granting of Bail – The Court grants bail to the petitioners Maninder Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Sunny Mehta, and Sandeep Singh, subject to the satisfaction of the trial court, considering the extended period of pre-trial custody, the nature of the evidence, and the absence of any serious risk of the accused tampering with evidence or fleeing. The Court orders the petitioners to surrender their passports and stipulates that any attempt to intimidate witnesses will result in bail cancellation​​.

Criminal Law - Bail - Factors for Granting Bail - Section 439 Cr.P.C. -

Petitions for regular bail in a case of alleged tax evasion through fake firms and fraudulent transactions—Petitioners argued that continued detention was unjustified—Held, bail is the rule and committal to jail an exception—Refusal of bail is a restriction on personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21—Bail should not be denied to satisfy collective sentiments of the community or as a punitive measure—Petitioners' continued incarceration not necessary for further investigation—Granted bail with conditions. [Paras 1-11]

Economic Offences - Analysis -Petitioners involved in creating a network of fake firms and defrauding the state exchequer of Rs. 122.28 crores—Prosecution evidence primarily documentary in nature and in state custody—No serious apprehension of flight risk or tampering with evidence—Grant of bail justified with stringent conditions to ensure compliance and non-interference with the investigation. [Paras 2-9]

Decision:Petitions allowed—Petitioners granted bail subject to furnishing personal bonds, surrendering passports, and compliance with other conditions set by the Trial Court—Failure to adhere to conditions or any attempt to influence witnesses will result in cancellation of bail. [Paras 10-11]

Administrative Law – Enhancement of Punishment – Letters Patent Appeal against Single Judge’s Order – Respondent’s three annual increments were stopped and subsequently, he was dismissed from service by the DIGP, CRPF. Appeal and revision were dismissed. Single Judge set aside the punishment orders due to lack of detailed consideration of the inquiry report and non-speaking orders by the revisional authority. Held, orders of grave consequence require detailed reasoning and consideration of all issues. The appellate and revisional authorities failed to provide such reasoning, making their orders unsustainable. [Paras 1-27]

Exercise of Revisional Powers – Procedural Fairness – Held, the power of revision under Rule 29(d) of the CRPF Rules, 1955, was exercised without adhering to procedural requirements, leading to unjustified dismissal. The revisional authority's failure to address the detailed reasoning of the disciplinary authority's lesser punishment rendered the orders void. [Paras 10, 17, 19-20]

Decision – Reinstatement of Respondent – Court upheld the Single Judge’s decision to reinstate the respondent with all due arrears within a specified period, noting the failure of the appellate and revisional authorities to provide sufficient reasoning for the enhanced punishment. [Paras 26-27]

Criminal Law - Anticipatory Bail - Forgery and Fraudulent Loan Acquisition - Petition under Section 438 Cr.P.C. - Allegations of forging revenue records to falsely show co-accused Satpal’s ownership instead of the complainant’s for securing a bank loan - Petitioner accused of assisting in the fraud - Held, petitioner’s role in creating a charge on the property through forgery is significant - Petition for anticipatory bail dismissed. [Paras 7-8]

Role of Accused - Analysis - Petitioner allegedly witnessed the application to create a bank charge on the property owned by the complainant - Case involves more than mere identification of the executant - Petitioner’s actions facilitated the creation of a fraudulent charge on the property, potentially resulting in its sale to recover the loan. [Paras 7-8]

Decision - Dismissal of Anticipatory Bail Petition - Given the severity of the allegations and the petitioner’s involvement, anticipatory bail denied. [Para 8]