Witness Attesting Allegedly Fraudulent Document Not Criminally Liable Without Specific Allegations: AP High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court held that mere attestation of an allegedly fraudulent document, without any specific allegation attributing an active role to the attesting witnesses in the alleged offence, cannot by itself make them criminally liable. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 195]The Court accordingly quashed the criminal proceedings against two accused who had been implicated solely on the ground...

Mere Assault On Woman Without Specific Overt Act Towards Commission Of Rape, Is Not Attempt To Rape: Jharkhand High Court

The Jharkhand High Court has held that an assault on a woman, in the absence of any specific overt act towards the commission of rape, would not by itself constitute an attempt to rape.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava altered the conviction of a man from attempt to rape under Sections 376/511 of the Indian Penal Code to the offence of outraging the modesty of a woman...

Common Intention | S.34 IPC Attracted Where Co-Accused's Participation Has 'Functional Relationship' With Offence: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has observed that to attract 'common intention' liability under Section 34 IPC, the participation of a co-accused must have a "functional relationship with the offense in question".The bench clarified that the mere fact that several persons participated in the same occurrence does not make each of them liable for every offence committed during it. A Bench of Justice...

Merely Lodging A False FIR Is Not Abetment Of Suicide: Supreme Court

Merely because a dejected husband, or lover, out of frustration, ends his life and puts the blame on the accused, in his suicide note, is not enough to conclude that a prima facie case is made out.

Gujarat High Court Grants Bail To Man Accused Of Objecting To SC/ST Community Member's Invitation To Brahmin Marriage Function

The Gujarat High Court granted regular bail to a man accused of portraying complainant as a "bootlegger" and saying that a member of SC/ST community should not be invited to marriage in the Brahmin community. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 223]The court was hearing a man's appeal booked under Sections 3(1)(U) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 whose regular...

Every Medical Error Not Criminal Negligence: Telangana High Court Quashes FIR Against Diagnostic Staff For Issuing False Positive Report

While quashing FIR against four staff members of a diagnostic centre for issuing an allegedly false positive Hepatitis B report to a woman before her hernia surgery, the Telangana High Court said that not criminal law cannot be invoked to punish every instance of professional negligence. [2026 LiveLaw (Tel) 134]In doing so the court held that mere inadvertence, an error of judgment, or a lapse...

Law Department Must Not Succumb To Pressure From Other Departments: Bombay High Court Rejects Delayed State Appeal

The Department of Law and Judiciary (DLJ) must act independently and not succumb to pressure mounted by any of the other departments of a State Government, held the Bombay High Court while refusing to condone a delay of 650 days in filing appeal against acquittal in a Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act case. Sitting at the Nagpur seat, a single-judge Justice Mahendra Nerlikar also imposed a...

Motor Accident Claim | Acquittal In Criminal Case Per Se Won't Prove Lack Of Negligence : Supreme Court Explains Principles

Acquittals in Criminal Court cannot control or dictate the outcome of MACT proceedings, the Supreme Court has held, reiterating that criminal proceedings and motor accident compensation claims operate in distinct legal spheres and are governed by different standards of proof."A subsequent acquittal in a criminal case does not affect the assessment of tortious liability under the MV Act......

'Such Cases Clog Courts': Karnataka High Court's Prima Facie View On Lawyer's Complaint Alleging Attack By Senior Citizen's 10 Dogs

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday (August 18) termed 'prima facie frivolous' a criminal case against a senior citizen, which had resulted in the denial of her passport renewal, over a lawyer's complaint alleging that her 10 dogs had attacked him.Observing that such cases have clogged criminal courts and prevented regular cases from proceeding, Justice M Nagaprasanna granted the complainant...

Bombay High Court Upholds Quashing Of Process Issued Against BJP's Mangal Prabhat Lodha In 2007 Cheating Case

The Bombay High Court on Monday (August 18) upheld an order passed by Magistrate in October 2008 quashing the process issued against BJP leader and Maharashtra's Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha in a 2007 case of alleged cheating and fraud with respect to development of certain properties in Thane district. Single-judge Justice Milind Jadhav found that the complaint filed by one...

Prior Permission U/S 83 Registration Act Not Mandatory For Prosecution, Private Complaint Maintainable: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that prior permission under Section 83 of the Registration Act, 1908 is not mandatory for initiating proceedings under the Act. The Court observed that it is open to a private individual to file a complaint, as the language of Section 83 is permissive and not mandatory.Justice Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale was hearing an application under Section 482 CrPC...

'Minors Drive For Reels, Put Lives At Risk': Karnataka High Court In Father's Plea Over Deaths Allegedly Caused By 14-Yr-Old Son

Expressing concern over underage driving, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a criminal petition filed by a father seeking to quash the charge of culpable homicide (Section 304 Part II of IPC) against him. The petition arises from a tragic 2020 accident where the petitioner's 14-year-old son allegedly took his car and mowed down three members of a family on...