Mere Participation in Protest March Does Not Make One Part of Unlawful Assembly: HP High Court

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that mere participation in a protest march does not, by itself, make a person a member of an unlawful assembly under Section 149 of the IPC. The Court observed that where the petitioners, after witnessing the violence, separated themselves from the unruly mob and attempted to save the teachers being assaulted, they could not be treated as members of the unlawful assembly.Justice Sandeep Sharma remarked that:“Since petitioners herein, after having seen...

Journalist's News Report Causing Embarrassment Doesn't By Itself Constitute Criminal Defamation: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has recently held that a journalist would not be criminally liable for the offence of defamation for reporting on the arrest and registration of crime against a person. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 448]Justice C.S. Dias referred to Sections 499 [Defamation], 501 [Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory] and 502 [Sale of printed or engraved substance containing...

Failure To Pay Balance Sale Consideration Cannot By Itself Amount To Cheating: Patna High Court

The Patna High Court has held that failure to pay the balance sale consideration under an agreement cannot by itself constitute cheating unless dishonest or fraudulent intention existed when the promise was made.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Alok Kumar Pandey observed that such intention cannot be presumed merely because a party subsequently failed to keep its promise.The case arose from a...

'Calculated Assault On Public Health': Karnataka High Court Upholds FIR Against Company Allegedly Re-Labeling & Selling Expired Food Products

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Earth Recycler Pvt. Ltd. and its directors seeking quashing of the FIR registered against them for allegedly collecting expired food products, re-labelling them, and selling them to the unsuspecting public. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 296]The single judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna observed that the allegations of re-labelling expired...

Orissa High Court Grants Pre-Arrest Bail To Lawyers & Claimants In Decade-Old False Accident Claims Cases

The Orissa High Court has recently granted anticipatory bail to 14 claimants and lawyers accused of laying false motor accident claims to syphon off huge amounts of compensation from insurance companies, even without registration of police complaints for involvement of vehicles in such accidents. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 94]Holding physical custody and interrogation of the petitioners unnecessary,...

'Strongly Deprecated': Meghalaya High Court Pulls Up Police For Registering FIR Under 'Appropriate Sections' Without Applying Mind

The Meghalaya High Court has strongly deprecated the police practice of directing registration of FIRs under “appropriate sections” without first examining whether the complaint discloses the commission of a cognizable offence. The Court observed that the police must apply their mind to the allegations, determine the appropriate offence and only thereafter take a decision...

'Debate On Reservation Cannot Become A Crime': Karnataka High Court Stays Proceedings Against Public TV Anchor

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday [August 13] granted an interim stay on all proceedings against Arunkumar Badiger, a news anchor with Public TV, who was booked for his remarks during a televised debate on the Delhi student protests, social justice system and reservation policy.The single judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna took note of the transcript of the debate and the settled...

Practices Like Witch-Hunting Still Persist; Superstition Supersedes Constitutional Morality, Laments Supreme Court

Reason is the only virtue that stands as a bulwark against collective irrationality, the Court said.

US Tourist Rape Case: Karnataka High Court Says No Question Of Screening Offender If Homestay Owner Wasn't Told About Alleged Rape

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday (August 13) orally observed that there could be no question of charging the owner of a Kodagu homestay with screening an offender if he had not been informed about the alleged rape of a US national at his premises.While reserving for orders the homestay owner's plea seeking quashing of the chargesheet, Justice M Nagaprasanna noted that the victim herself...

Lawyer's Professional Conduct Can't Be Criminalised Merely Because It Displeases Adversary: Karnataka High Court

Can't punish fearless advocacy, Court said.

Tripura High Court Refuses To Quash FIRs Against Content Creator Madhabi Biswas Accused Of Defaming PM Modi

Political criticism part of democracy but posting defamatory language targeting PM illegal, Court said.

Playing Cards For Money At Home In Absence Of 'Profit-Making' Element Not Offence Under Gambling Act: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has held that merely playing cards in a house for money does not necessarily make the house a "common gaming house" to invoke offences under Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act in absence of element of profit-making. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 220]The court was hearing a plea by five accused persons seeking quashing of an FIR under Gujarat Prevention of Gambling Act.The...