Caste-Based Insult Not In 'Public View', Eyewitness Didn't Support Prosecution: Gujarat High Court Upholds SC/ST Act Acquittal

The Gujarat High Court upheld the acquittal of three persons accused of using caste-based slurs and assaulting the complainant, observing that the eyewitness did not support the prosecution case in proving that the alleged derogatory words were used with an intent to insult in public. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 274]It was alleged that the accused persons knew that the complainant belonged to...

Writ Petition Alleging Violations Of Natural Justice Can't Be Dismissed At Threshold For Alternative Remedy: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that a writ petition in which particularised breaches of natural justice are pleaded cannot be dismissed at the threshold as not maintainable on the ground that an alternative statutory remedy is available, without a counter-affidavit being called for and the plea being tested on the rival versions.The bench of Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Abdhesh...

Supreme Court Quashes Cheating Case Over Unpaid Steel Dues, Calls Criminal Cases In Civil Disputes An Abuse Of Process Of Law

The Supreme Court has recently quashed a criminal case for cheating against two company directors, holding that the complainant's grievance over unpaid dues was civil in nature and that he had misused criminal proceedings to recover money.A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S Chandurkar held so while setting aside the Gujarat High Court's order, which had discharged the appellants...

Bombay High Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Galaxy Hospital Licensee In Illegal Abortion Death Case

The Bombay High Court has held that a hospital licensee cannot disown an illegal abortion conducted by an unqualified person merely by claiming that he had not performed any “overt act”, while rejecting anticipatory bail to the licensee of Galaxy Hospital. The Court observed that the applicant, who had control and supervision over the hospital, was duty-bound to ensure that it was being...

Doesn't Outrage Religious Feelings: Karnataka High Court Quashes Case Over Facebook Post Using Term 'Jihadi'

The Karnataka High Court has held that use of the term 'jihadi' in a Facebook post would not attract the offences of outraging religious sentiments or publishing statements intended to promote enmity between different religious communities.In doing so the court quashed an FIR against a Facebook user accused of hurting sentiments of Muslim community by posting a social media post, holding that...

Bengaluru Court Stays RSS Defamation Case Against Minister Priyank Kharge, Congress Leader Nalapad

A Bengaluru Sesssions Court has stayed further proceedings in a criminal defamation case against Karnataka Home Minister Priyank M. Kharge and Congress leader Mohammed Haris Nalapad over alleged defamatory statements against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).Judge KB Shivaprasad has decided to examine the locus standi of the organisation's member, who filed the complaint.The development comes...

Gujarat High Court Directs FIR Against 'Unknown Person' Over Alleged Custodial Death Of Trade Service Officer In CBI Custody

The Gujarat High Court has directed registration of an FIR "against an unknown person" and investigation by Deputy Inspector General of Police, CID Crime, into the alleged custodial death of Indian Trade Service officer who allegedly died in CBI custody in connection with an illegal gratification case. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 273]The deceased's wife had approached the high court claiming that...

Suicide Note Naming Accused Does Not Establish Abetment Without Proximate Instigation, Mens Rea: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that mere reference to an accused's name in a suicide note cannot, by itself, establish abetment of suicide under Section 306 IPC. The Court observed that there must be a direct or indirect act of instigation in close proximity to the suicide, coupled with the requisite mens rea to abet the commission of suicide. Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi was...

Kerala High Court Refuses To Quash Cruelty Case Against In-Laws Accused Of Calling Woman 'Servant', 'Cancer In Their Life'

The Kerala High Court recently refused to quash the matrimonial cruelty case against the parents-in-law of a woman, who allegedly referred to her as 'servant without wages' and 'cancer in their lives'. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 557]Justice G. Girish observed that there are multiple incidents of matrimonial cruelty attributed against the husband's parents and that the same are prima facie sufficient...

High Court Should Not Suggest Custodial Interrogation Of Accused: Supreme Court

The form of interrogation is best left to the discretion of the investigating officer, the Court said.

Tendency To Colourize Civil Disputes Into Criminal Offences An Open Secret : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has reiterated that a purely civil dispute cannot be converted into a criminal prosecution unless the foundational ingredients of the alleged offences are made out. “The tendency of litigants to colourize civil disputes into criminal offences is an open secret in the present times. The courts have tried to put their foot down to prevent the litigants from obliterating...

S.69 BNS | Hiding Live-In Relationship, Child With Another Amount To 'Deceitful Means' To Have Sexual Intercourse With Woman: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently held that hiding live-in relationship with another woman and child born in it would amount to 'deceitful means' employed to have sexual intercourse with a woman as per Section 69 BNS. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 556]Justice A. Badharudeen made the observation while considering a plea for anticipatory bail under Section 18A of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.“At...