South African jurist Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay, of Indian origin, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong dedication to advancing human rights, peace, and international law, including her significant contributions to shaping international law on genocide and sexual violence.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a woman can be charged with gang rape even if she did not physically commit the act, but facilitated the victim's rape. This judgment clarifies the interpretation of Section 376D IPC and Section 70 BNS, stating that anyone acting in furtherance of a common intention in a group can be held liable, regardless of gender. The ruling came while dismissing a plea challenging charges against a woman accused of forcing her minor daughter into sexual relations.
A special POCSO court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a man and a woman to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 each for the 2019 rape of a 14-year-old girl. The convicts, Vikas and Lalita, were found guilty under various IPC sections and the POCSO Act.
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the conviction and sentence of Nandlal Rai, a BJP worker, in a 2017 murder case, allowing him to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. The court cited his right to contest elections and referenced a Supreme Court precedent regarding public representatives.
The Patna High Court has set aside a man's conviction for attempted rape of a widow due to insufficient evidence, but upheld his conviction for assaulting her with intent to outrage her modesty and house trespass. The court directed him to pay a Rs 25,000 fine to the victim as compensation.
Gag orders have a "chilling effect" on the freedom of speech, the apex court said while refusing to accept the submission of the counsel representing Uttar Pradesh that Zubair be barred from tweeting when he is on bail.
Opposition INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, alleging a 'criminal conspiracy of vote chori' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding Kumar's resignation and seeking a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
Looking at the OTT releases coming up this summer.
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, making insult to the national song 'Vande Mataram' a criminal offence. The bill, which also covers other national symbols, was passed amidst protests from opposition parties regarding the NEET paper leak. Union Minister Nityanand Rai criticised the opposition's stance, emphasising the song's historical significance and its role in national unity.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that a woman can be charged with gang rape under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 70 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), stating there is no basis to restrict the term 'persons' in the law to only men.
The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to suspended Assam Police DSP Sandipon Garg, an accused in the mysterious death case of singer Zubeen Garg. Garg, charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, is expected to be released after the Durga Puja holidays. This follows earlier bail grants to other accused in the high-profile case, even as investigations continue despite conflicting findings from Singaporean authorities.
The Allahabad High Court has rejected the second bail applications of former BSP MP Kapil Muni Karwariya, his brother Surya Bhan Karwariya, and co-accused Ramchandra Tripathi, who are serving life imprisonment for the 1996 murder of Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav. The court cited the gravity of the offence and the appellants' deliberate conduct in delaying the main appeal hearings as reasons for the denial.
Criminal Justice 3: Adhura Sach is watchable for Pankaj Tripathi's brilliant portrayal of Madhav Mishra, observes Divya Nair.
The Calcutta High Court has verbally directed the West Bengal government to allow Congress' Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan to contest the election properly, provided he secures bail in five criminal cases. Pradhan was recently arrested in connection with multiple long-pending cases, raising questions about his ability to campaign for the upcoming bypoll.
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to pay compensation to a man after incorrect police information about his criminal record delayed his release on bail.
Bollywood actor Imran Khan has launched a legal challenge in the Bombay high court against a police notice ordering him to leave India by October 28, following his participation in a political protest and a concurrent review of his OCI status.
Following the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, police have suspended a station house officer and arrested the alleged shooter's wife. The shooter, Ashwani Kumar, and an associate are in police remand. Investigations are ongoing into Kumar's arms licence and drug network, while Jhota's family and activists demand further action and a CBI probe, leading to a 'Punjab bandh' on Thursday.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal announced that the INDIA bloc will stage a major protest in Delhi on Monday to protect voting rights, following meetings with the President and a planned meeting with the Chief Justice of India. He accused PM Modi and Amit Shah of attempting to protect Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and criticised the Centre for denying an AIIMS facility to Keralam despite past assurances. Venugopal affirmed the bloc's commitment to ensuring free and fair elections and expressed hope for AIIMS if they come to power.
Marchers would walk four or five abreast through one side of the main Mahatma Gandhi Road, holding red or white banners that stretched from one end to the other, shouting slogans, calling upon passers by, including employees watching from the offices that line the road, to join (Dekhta kya/Shaamil ho), recalls Jyoti Punwani.
The Gujarat High Court reprimanded journalist Ravi Nair for failing to disclose that he had already sought bail from a lower court while simultaneously requesting an urgent hearing in the High Court regarding his arrest in a criminal defamation suit filed by Adani Enterprises. The High Court disposed of his plea, noting he had already been granted bail by a sessions court.
A court in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, has sentenced four men to life imprisonment for a 2012 murder stemming from a property dispute, with each also fined Rs 25,500.
Two Indian nationals have been charged in a US federal court for their alleged involvement in a transnational scheme to distribute counterfeit Ozempic, a popular diabetes drug. The scheme involved obtaining fake drugs from China, deceptive packaging, and continued even after FDA warnings, with the accused facing significant jail time if convicted.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the SC/ST Act cannot be invoked merely because a complainant belongs to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. Justice Santosh Rai observed that specific ingredients of the offence must be present, quashing proceedings under the Act in a property dispute where no caste-based abuse occurred.
Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to ask the government to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Gandhi argues that Gautam's appointment, while a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is ongoing, places him beyond the reach of investigation due to gubernatorial immunity. Ankita's parents allege Gautam's involvement and have protested the appointment.
Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and three others have surrendered to a Thane trial court after the Supreme Court cancelled their bail in a doctor assault case. The Supreme Court overturned a Bombay High Court order, emphasizing the importance of doctor safety and noting Mhatre's extensive criminal history.
The Supreme Court has granted the Centre a final opportunity to present measures taken to prevent the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material on social media platforms, following a petition highlighting inconsistent compliance by intermediaries.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain self-styled godman Asaram's plea challenging the Gujarat High Court's order denying him bail in the 2013 Gandhinagar rape case. Asaram, who is currently on parole granted by the Rajasthan High Court in another rape case, had sought bail to visit his ailing wife. The court noted his parole status and will hear his appeal against conviction in the Jodhpur case after his surrender on November 17.
The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas challenging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's alleged unilateral decisions without the concurrence of other election commissioners. The petitions seek his suspension and question actions like altering voter registration forms and handling electoral roll revisions in Goa and West Bengal, highlighting concerns over the multi-member character of the Election Commission.
The Supreme Court has strongly asserted the critical need to instill fear in criminals and enhance women's safety across Delhi-NCR, taking suo motu cognisance of recent alarming rape incidents.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged CEC Gyanesh Kumar to resign and turn approver, stating the opposition's fight is against the "bigger powers" behind him.
The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for the alleged misuse of the Goonda Act, stating it appears to be used as a tool of harassment. The court emphasised that the stringent law must be invoked with caution and only in clear cases to maintain public order, while quashing an order that declared a person a "goonda" based on acquitted cases and beat information reports.
Congress's Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan has been remanded to judicial custody in connection with old criminal cases, including murder charges from 2007. This development effectively prevents him from campaigning for the upcoming by-election. The Congress party has questioned the timing of the arrest, alleging political motives behind the revival of these long-pending cases.
The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the trial court to ensure the appearance and examination of two crucial victim-witnesses in a Manipur sexual violence case. This order comes amidst the CBI's plea to cancel the bail of two accused, citing concerns over witness intimidation. The court emphasized the authorities' obligation to provide witness protection and set specific dates for the witnesses to depose, as part of its ongoing monitoring of cases related to the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur.
A police team investigating a narcotics case in Hamirpur was attacked by a dog unleashed by a suspect, resulting in an officer being bitten. Five individuals have been booked for obstructing official duty under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. In a separate incident, police seized 20 kg of poppy husk and made an arrest.
The Supreme Court has ruled that an appellate court cannot unilaterally enhance a convict's sentence unless an appeal for enhancement is filed by the State, victim, or complainant. This significant observation came in a triple-murder case where the Madras High Court had enhanced a co-convict's life sentence to imprisonment for the remainder of his life without such an appeal.
Three suspects have been detained in Kota, Rajasthan, in connection with the recent firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai, as police investigate the alleged involvement of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The Supreme Court has taken a serious view of allegations of harassment against a minor girl who participated in the July Cockroach Janta Party protests. The court emphasised that nobody should be allowed to intimidate a victim or her family from pursuing criminal proceedings and directed the Solicitor General to ensure action on the girl's FIR, seeking reports from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled against compelling employees to wear Santa Claus red caps, stating such actions can hurt religious sentiments and are not permitted in India's democratic system. The court partly allowed a plea challenging criminal proceedings against an individual accused of forcing subordinates to wear the caps, clarifying how such cases should be treated under law.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday questioned the state government's decision to order a preliminary enquiry into the alleged CMRL bribery case, despite information from the ED regarding corruption offences against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others. The court is hearing appeals from Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas, who argue they were not heard before an FIR was directed to be lodged. The ED alleges fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore were made to Veena's company.
The FBI has placed gangster Satinderjeet Singh, known as Goldy Brar, on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, offering a USD 1 million reward for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group's violent activities across North America.
