The Supreme Court of India has ruled that an appellate court convicting an accused for the first time in a criminal case must hear the accused on sentencing and cannot delegate the matter to a lower court.
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to provide details on the disposal of appeals by tribunals concerning deletions from West Bengal's electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The court emphasised the need to track the progress of these appeals, which were set up to address irregularities. It also clarified that grievances regarding the denial of PDS benefits due to voter deletion should be taken up with the Calcutta High Court.
A Delhi court has upheld an interim maintenance order, directing a man to pay Rs 7,500 per month to his estranged wife and minor daughter in a domestic violence case.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has deemed WhatsApp messages sent by a deceased tribal man to his father as a "prima facie crucial dying declaration" in a suicide abetment case. This ruling led to the denial of bail for three accused individuals, who were allegedly involved in harassing the victim over an agricultural land dispute. The court highlighted the electronic evidence and corroborating family statements.
Google has informed the Delhi High Court that it has withheld a "defamatory" YouTube video by social media influencer Dhruv Rathee in India. The video, which allegedly hurt religious sentiments by insulting Hindu deities, was withheld following an order from the Centre's Grievance Appellate Committee. The petitioner, Amita Sachdeva, seeks global blocking, but Google states the issue of global injunction is pending before a division bench.
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine Sebi's challenge to a Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) decision that cleared Wadia Group Chairman Nusli Wadia, Bombay Dyeing, and others of allegations of fraudulent financial reporting.
The Delhi High Court has reserved its verdict on petitions filed by riders Anush Agarwalla and Sudipti Hajela, who challenged their exclusion from India's dressage team for the upcoming Asian Games. The athletes appealed a single judge's earlier decision that upheld the Equestrian Federation of India's selection process. The court heard arguments from all parties, including the EFI, which maintained that the best riders were selected and opposed external interference.
The Supreme Court, using its extraordinary powers under Article 142, has quashed the conviction of a man sentenced under the POCSO Act. This decision came after the victim, who was a minor at the time of the offence, married the accused upon reaching adulthood. The court emphasised that this ruling is based on the peculiar facts of the case and should not be considered a precedent.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the determination of citizenship status in India must adhere to a fair, lawful, and reasoned process, setting aside Gauhati High Court verdicts that had affirmed orders declaring some individuals as foreigners. The court stressed that constitutional protections of equality, life, and personal liberty apply to every person within India's territory.
The Supreme Court has ruled that a physical relationship between two consenting unmarried adults cannot be used to draw an adverse impression about a person's character. This observation came while directing the appointment of a police constable candidate whose selection was cancelled due to a past criminal case stemming from a failed romantic relationship, which was later settled.
The Supreme Court has formally acquitted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a high-profile coal block allocation case, setting aside a summoning order against him and accepting the CBI's closure report.
The Delhi high court on Monday stated that a girl's choice of clothing is her personal decision and suggesting that her wearing jeans might 'corrupt young boys' reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset.
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi government to assess the well-being of a child in a disputed paternity case, ensuring access to basic necessities and a minimum standard of living.
The Supreme Court of India has clarified the distinct parameters for suspending sentences after conviction compared to granting pre-trial bail, setting aside a Patna High Court order in a 2016 murder case.
The Supreme Court has ruled that courts must first decide on allegations of adultery made by a husband before granting interim maintenance to the wife, stating that if adultery is proven, the wife is not entitled to maintenance.
The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Abid, a convicted accused in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, suspending his sentence due to the long pending criminal appeal and lack of direct evidence against him in the original FIR.
The Delhi High Court has allowed wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the upcoming Asian Games trials, criticising the Wrestling Federation of India's selection policy for lacking discretion regarding iconic players returning from maternity leave.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a review petition challenging its earlier decision that no cognisable offence was made out against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for their alleged hate speeches during the 2020 anti-CAA protests in Delhi.
The Supreme Court has directed an appellate tribunal to expeditiously decide an appeal filed by a 75-year-old advocate challenging the deletion of his name from the West Bengal voters' list following a Special Intensive Revision exercise. The court noted the petitioner appeared to be a bona fide resident and requested a decision within two months.
Maruti Suzuki India's CFO, Arnab Roy, has urged the central government to introduce an amnesty scheme or an 'as-is' settlement option to resolve past indirect tax disputes, aiming to clear legacy litigation and foster growth in the automotive industry. Roy emphasised the need for a 'smarter way to address the past' to provide long-term certainty for businesses.
The Delhi High Court has upheld actor Rajpal Yadav's conviction in multiple cheque-bounce cases, sentencing him to three months' imprisonment and ordering him to pay over Rs 1 crore to the complainant in each of the seven complaints, with Rs 2 crore already paid to be adjusted.
The Rajasthan High Court has overturned a family court's decision and granted a divorce to a woman, criticising the 'Aata-Sata' marriage custom and stating that cruelty in matrimonial disputes does not require proof 'beyond reasonable doubt'.
The Supreme Court of India has quashed criminal proceedings against Standard Chartered Bank and one of its officers in a 1991-92 Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case, citing an extraordinary 23-year delay in prosecution and the Enforcement Directorate's failure to comply with mandatory procedural safeguards.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court's decision to designate the Bhojshala complex as a Goddess Saraswati temple, a ruling that also quashed Muslim prayer rights at the historic site.
The Rajasthan High Court overturned a family court's decision, granting a woman a divorce and strongly criticising the 'Aata-Sata' marriage custom, highlighting the need to assess matrimonial disputes based on the 'preponderance of probabilities' rather than criminal law standards.
The Jharkhand High Court has instituted a public interest litigation (PIL) addressing the critical scarcity of doctors in jails across the state. The court's action followed the death of an appellant in jail due to inadequate medical treatment, highlighting the severe lack of medical facilities and personnel in Jharkhand's prison system.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite fast, was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital and transferred to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. This move followed a Delhi High Court order, which intervened after his wife's appeal, citing his fundamental rights to choose his hospital. Wangchuk is currently admitted to ICU 8 for further treatment.
The Delhi High Court has granted interim bail to Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who is accused in a terror-funding case, following the death of his father. The bail is effective until June 2, with strict conditions including police escort and restricted movement.
The Calcutta High Court has strongly criticised travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) for illegally selling unoccupied berths, likening it to 'selling vegetables in a market', after such an incident led to the death of a drugged theft victim on a train.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a husband cannot avoid his responsibility to maintain his wife, even if he claims financial hardship.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee has commented on the Supreme Court judgment regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, emphasising its specific application to the Bihar case and highlighting the Election Commission's limited authority in determining citizenship.
The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to a software firm owner accused of sexually harassing an employee and attempting to frame her and her husband in a criminal case. The court has directed him to cooperate with the investigation and not to influence witnesses.
The Gujarat High Court has ruled that the performance of customary rites and ceremonies, particularly 'saptapadi', is essential for the validation of a Hindu marriage, stating that registration alone is insufficient. The court emphasised that marriage is a sacrament and not merely a social occasion, highlighting the spiritual and legal significance of traditional rituals.
A group of lawyers and activists have petitioned the Chief Justice of India to retract recent Supreme Court remarks that cast doubt on the legitimacy of environmental pleas against developmental projects.
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday said the mere absence of a train ticket on the body of a deceased passenger cannot be a ground to deny compensation to the victim's family in a railway-accident case.
...and 3 lakh for harassment.
The Delhi High Court has rejected a compensation plea from a railway passenger who lost both hands after falling from a train in 2015, citing discrepancies in the incident's location and timing.
The Calcutta High Court has upheld a college's decision to deny an assistant professor appointment due to his social media posts, observing that the right to profess one's religion does not permit hurting others' faith. The court ruled that the college's decision was bona fide and in the institution's best interest, despite the candidate's claims of infringed freedom of speech and religion.
Appellate tribunals in West Bengal have only disposed of a small fraction of the appeals filed against decisions made during the electoral roll revision, raising concerns about the efficiency of the process.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that a minor child cannot be forced to carry a pregnancy to term, urging the government to amend laws to allow rape survivors to terminate unwanted pregnancies beyond 20 weeks.
