"Shocked By Total Ignorance": Bombay High Court Transfers POCSO Case To CID After Cops Revealed Victim's Identity

The Bombay High Court has transferred the investigation into a POCSO case to the Maharashtra State CID after finding glaring lapses in the manner in which the probe was conducted by the local police. The Court observed that the investigation disclosed a disturbing lack of awareness of the mandatory safeguards under the POCSO Act, including disclosure of the victim's identity, recording of...

Supreme Court Upholds Husband's Conviction For Wife's Murder, Finds Extra Marital Affair Motive Established

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 20) upheld the conviction of a husband for the murder of his wife, holding that the substantial number of call exchanges with his lover constituted valid circumstantial evidence establishing both the existence of an affair and the motive to remove the wife as a barrier to their relationship.A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra...

'Investigate Murder, Not The Tweet': Karnataka High Court Stays Probe Against Law Student Booked Over Bantwal Murder Post Targeting Congress

The Karnataka High Court on Monday (July 20) stayed further investigation against a sixth-semester law student who was booked in two separate FIRs over a social media post on the murder of a young woman at the Bantwal bus stand, in which he had alleged that the Congress government would “quietly withdraw” the case against the accused.Granting interim relief, the single-judge bench of...

'At Best Deficiency In Service': AP High Court Quashes Cheating FIR Over Supply Of Inferior Quality Oxygen Plant During Covid-19 Pandemic

The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed cheating FIR against the Chief Executive Officer of a company accused of supplying inferior and substandard quality of oxygen plant during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding that the allegation at best amounts to deficiency in service and would not attract criminal offences. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 139]Before Justice K. Sreenivasa Reddy was a petition filed by...

'Was Aged Only 25 Yrs, Reformation Possible' : Supreme Court Reduces Life Term Of Gang Rape Convict To 20 Yrs

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 20) modified the sentence of a life convict in a gang rape case to a minimum sentence of twenty years, after noting that the convict is young, has no criminal antecedents, and there's a possibility of reformation. “When a sentence is imposed on an offender, it is done so with trifold purpose i.e. punitive, deterrent and protective. The overall objective is...

AP High Court Quashes FIR Against Hotel Employee In ₹50.93 Lakh Misappropriation Case, Finds No Prima Case Or Specific Role

The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed criminal proceedings against a hotel employee accused in a Rs. 50.93 lakh misappropriation case, holding that in the absence of any specific allegation or prima facie material connecting him with the alleged offences making him face trial would amount to an abuse of the process of law. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 136]Section 408 IPC deals with criminal breach...

Omission Of S.34 IPC In Judgment Not Fatal Where Common Intention Is Established: Allahabad High Court Upholds Murder Conviction

The Allahabad High Court has observed that the omission of Section 34 IPC in the operative portion of a judgment is not fatal to a case if the prosecution has successfully established the common intention. A bench of Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Ajay Kumar-II clarified that Section 34 IPC is not a substantive offence and does not create an offence by itself; instead, it is merely a...

Recovery Of Dead Body Not Necessary For Murder Conviction : Supreme Court

The Court held that dead body is not indispensable to establish "corpus delicti", when there is other evidence to clearly establish murder.

When Accused Is In Jail, Court & Prosecution Have Duty To Expedite Trial: Supreme Court

The Court granted bail after a 9-year delay in the trial shocked its judicial conscience.

Mere Swear Words & Vulgar Expletives Not Obscenity : Supreme Court Explains Scope Of S.294(b) IPC

Holding that "use of mere swear words, profanities and vulgar expletives, however distasteful or uncivil they may be, cannot be equated with obscenity", the Supreme Court has ruled that abusive or vulgar language by itself does not constitute the offence of obscenity under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Court clarified that obscenity in law is distinct from vulgarity, abuse...

Patna High Court Grants Bail To Accused In NEET Paper Leak Case

The Patna High Court has granted bail to an accused in the NEET paper leak case, whose name surfaced during investigation. The Court was hearing a bail plea in connection with a case alleging a conspiracy to procure and distribute question papers before the examination.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Ashok Kumar Pandey allowed the bail application in a case registered for offences under...

Dowry Harassment In Love Marriage 'Difficult To Believe': Karnataka High Court Grants Bail To Husband In Suicide Case

The Karnataka High Court has recently granted bail to a software professional accused of abetting his wife's suicide, observing that allegations of dowry demand become 'difficult to be believed" when the marriage is a love marriage. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 254]The single judge bench of Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, while allowing the bail petition of accused, noted that the accused and the...