The Supreme Court has scheduled a final hearing for a batch of petitions challenging the marital rape exception in Indian law. The court will examine the constitutional validity of the provision that grants immunity to husbands from prosecution for sexual acts with their wives, even under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. This significant legal challenge follows split verdicts from High Courts and seeks to address whether such an exception aligns with fundamental rights.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar of Muzaffarnagar has declared he would prefer death over being a "coward judge," delivering his 23rd capital punishment in four months, this time in a dowry death case. He asserted he would not succumb to pressure from mafias and criminals, despite receiving threats and having numerous cases transferred from his court.
Police in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, have registered a case against 69 former and serving officers and employees of an Indian Bank branch for allegedly embezzling nearly Rs 5 crore from a union account. The case was filed following a court order after the accused failed to return the embezzled funds despite an earlier undertaking.
The Supreme Court has stated it will wait for the central government's response on petitions concerning the criminalisation of marital rape before scheduling a hearing. This comes as the Centre has yet to file a substantive reply on the matter, which challenges the constitutional validity of exceptions in criminal law that protect husbands from prosecution for sexual acts with their wives. The issue involves the interpretation of Section 375 of the IPC (now replaced by Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita) and has seen split verdicts in high courts.
The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to Olympian Sushil Kumar in the alleged murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. The court cited concerns over influencing witnesses, the gravity of the offence, and Kumar's conduct, echoing reasons previously given by the Supreme Court when it cancelled his earlier bail.
The Supreme Court of India has expanded the scope of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, ruling that the provision dealing with cruelty by a husband or his relatives also applies to partners in live-in relationships. This landmark decision clarifies that a man in a live-in relationship can be prosecuted for cruelty if the relationship is "in the nature of marriage," aiming to prevent domestic violence and ensure legal protection for women in such unions.
A Delhi court has convicted a couple, Hareena Ray alias Reena and Jeetu Kumar, for abandoning their premature and medically vulnerable infant in a hospital. The court rejected their defence that leaving the child in a medical facility implied an intention for treatment, ruling that their actions demonstrated a clear intent to wholly abandon the child, who later died.
Former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal has surrendered before a Goa court to begin serving his 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence in a 2013 sexual assault case. This follows a Supreme Court directive and his conviction by the Bombay High Court, which overturned his earlier acquittal. Tejpal's appeal against his conviction is slated for a Supreme Court hearing in September 2026.
The Bombay High Court has convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal for the sexual assault of a junior colleague in 2013, overturning his 2021 acquittal by a trial court.
A Delhi court on Monday acquitted former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers.
The Supreme Court has ruled that mere swear words, profanities, and vulgar expletives, however offensive, do not amount to obscenity under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code. The court clarified that for an utterance to be considered obscene, it must be lascivious, appeal to prurient interests, and have the tendency to deprave and corrupt minds. This ruling came while hearing a plea challenging a high court order confirming a conviction under IPC Section 294.
Observing that right to speedy trial is also a "valuable right" of a victim, the Supreme Court on Monday set aside an order of the Allahabad high court which had kept in abeyance the trial in a murder case.
The Bombay High Court has convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal for raping a colleague in 2013, overturning his earlier acquittal. He was found guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 354(a), and 354(b) of the Indian Penal Code.
Mumbai Police have finally apprehended Omprakash Lalta Pasi, 36 years after he allegedly attacked a cricket umpire with a bat in Borivali in 1990, following a decades-long pursuit.
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.
A Delhi court is set to pronounce its verdict on Thursday in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and 10 others are accused in the sensational case.
A special court in Mumbai has sentenced a 32-year-old man to six months rigorous imprisonment for making derogatory remarks against Dr B R Ambedkar and hurling casteist slurs at an advocate. The court rejected the defence's argument about lack of independent witnesses, noting the incident occurred in public view.
The Delhi Police have urged a court to sentence former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others to death for the brutal murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots, citing the 'heinous and brutal' nature of the crime and the 'savage and relentless assault' on the victim.
A 19-year-old youth, Nitin Ganesh Salunkhe, accused of stalking and sexually harassing a girl under the POCSO Act, has been acquitted by a special court in Belapur. The acquittal came after the victim turned hostile during the trial, denying any knowledge of the accused or the incident.
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to quash criminal proceedings against a man accused of repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl. The court ruled that even if a marriage was solemnised under Muslim religious rites, it would not protect the accused from criminal liability under the POCSO Act, reinforcing that the Act applies when one party is a minor, irrespective of personal law.
A sessions court in Thane has acquitted jail inmate Arman Nafis Khan, who was accused of assaulting prison officials in 2017. The court cited the prosecution's failure to prove the charges, highlighting issues like unexplained injuries to the accused, withheld CCTV footage, and delayed access for the investigating officer.
Former editor of Tehelka, Tejpal, was convicted of raping a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in 2013 during an event organised by the magazine in Goa.
The Supreme Court was informed that AIIMS experts have concluded self-styled godman Asaram does not require hospitalisation but needs round-the-clock medical assistance, as he seeks interim bail on health grounds.
A man who escaped from custody while being presented in a Mumbai court has been re-arrested in the Palghar district. The fugitive was initially in custody for offences under the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.
A Delhi court has dismissed the bail applications of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, citing its obligation to follow a previous Supreme Court order that rejected their bail.
The Supreme Court has denied interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for sexually assaulting a minor. While rejecting his plea for bail on health grounds for now, the court permitted him to engage a trained caretaker for round-the-clock assistance. The court noted that Asaram's counsel had previously moved for parole, and his health condition will be monitored.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union ministries of electronics and information technology and law and justice regarding a plea for safeguards for minors on social media. The NGO 'Just Rights for Children Alliance' filed the plea, arguing that social media platforms should not enter into contracts with children under 18, citing their statutory incapacity to contract and the risks of online harm.
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.
A Delhi court has deferred its verdict in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, to July 7. Former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and 10 others are accused in the case, facing charges including murder, rioting, and criminal conspiracy.
The Anti-Corruption Branch has sought judicial custody for former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, ex-Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai, and three others in a corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the tendering process for Delhi Jal Board's sewage treatment plant projects. The accused's counsels have challenged the arrests, with Jain's lawyer planning a bail plea.
A special court in Thane, Maharashtra, acquitted three women accused of trafficking girls for prostitution due to the prosecution's failure to examine key witnesses and provide sufficient evidence.
The Goa government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking enhanced sentence for journalist Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case, contending the case warrants imprisonment for life.
Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal has been convicted by the Bombay High Court's Goa bench in a 2013 rape case and sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, overturning his 2021 acquittal. Tejpal claims he is a "political victim" and will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, alleging his journalistic career has been targeted.
World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat announced that women wrestlers will appeal a Delhi court's decision to acquit former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.
A court in Thane, Maharashtra, acquitted eight men charged with the attempted murder of a police constable due to the victim's inability to identify his attackers and key witnesses turning hostile.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition seeking to abolish execution by hanging, affirming its legality while strongly emphasising that the State must carry out capital punishment in a manner that minimises suffering and preserves human dignity, even for condemned prisoners.
A Thane court acquitted a 26-year-old woman charged with child trafficking and running a prostitution racket, citing the prosecution's failure to prove she called the alleged victims for the flesh trade.
World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat announced that women wrestlers will appeal a Delhi court's decision to acquit former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case. Phogat expressed deep sadness over the verdict and alleged that Singh used his influence to intimidate complainants, but affirmed the wrestlers' resolve to continue their fight for justice.
The Supreme Court of India has strongly condemned the disclosure of a rape victim's identity and directed all high courts to ensure the anonymity of survivors and their families in court orders, citing the deep stigma associated with such offences and existing legal provisions.
A sessions court in Thane, Maharashtra, acquitted a 33-year-old man accused of rape and cheating, stating that a long-term consensual sexual relationship based on a promise of marriage does not constitute rape.
