2010 Attack Case: Bengaluru Court Acquits Congress MLA Sangamesha, Others; Orders Action Against Officials For 'Defective' Probe

A Special Court in Bengaluru on Tuesday (September 22) acquitted Congress MLA B.K. Sangamesha and four others in a 2010 case involving charges of criminal conspiracy, rioting, attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.While acquitting the accused, the court found several defects in the investigation and directed the State to place the case before the Acquittal Review Committee...

Supreme Court Dismisses Karnataka Plea Against HC Order To Pay Rs 5 Lakh Compensation For Illegal Arrest

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (22 September) dismissed a Special Leave Petition filed by the State of Karnataka against a Karnataka High Court order which had declared the arrest of a homestay owner illegal and directed the State to pay him compensation of Rs. 5,00,000.A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing the Karnataka government's challenge to the judgement...

WhatsApp Status Shared With Contacts Not Enough To Attract Offence Of Communal Enmity U/S 505(2) IPC: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held that posting a statement as a WhatsApp status does not constitute “publication or circulation” on a public forum so as to amount to a statement which creates or promotes enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes under Section 505(2) IPC.In doing so the court quashed an FIR under Section 505(2) IPC against a man accused of posting a WhatsApp status...

Can't Use Courts To Recover Money: Bombay High Court Says Costs Should Be Imposed In Pleas To Quash Matrimonial, Commercial FIRs

Observing that 'courts' cannot be used as 'recovery mechanisms', the Bombay High Court recently opined that courts must impose costs in case of quashing First Information Report (FIR) on mutual consent, particularly in commercial and matrimonial disputes.Single-judge Justice Milind Jadhav explained that criminal law cannot be used as a 'bargaining chip' or a tool to settle personal scores...

'Penetration To Any Extent' Sufficient For Aggravated POCSO Assault: Himachal Pradesh High Court Upholds 20-Year Sentence

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that “penetration to any extent” is sufficient to constitute penetrative sexual assault under Section 3 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), even in the absence of physical injuries on the child. The Court made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by Shyam Veer against his conviction under Section 6...

'Cyber Crime Is Like An Addiction, It's All Easy Money': Supreme Court Refuses Bail

The Supreme Court has today (23 September) refused to grant bail to a man accused of cyber crime, remarking that cyber crime is like an addiction. It took note of the fact that the petitioner (accused) had three identical criminal antecedents against him. Noting that only one witness has been examined since last one year, it directed that the trial be completed within six months.A bench...

Allahabad High Court Acquits Mother Sentenced To Death For Killing 3 Children, Finds Child Witness's Testimony 'Tutored'

The Allahabad High Court has acquitted a mother who was sentenced to death for killing her three children while stating that the prosecution had failed to establish their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court found that the testimony of the 8-year-old surviving child witness suffered from "irreconcilable contradictions" and exhibited "clear hallmarks of tutoring". A Bench of...

Amassing Disproportionate Assets Not Part Of Discharging Official Duty, Sanction Under Section 197 CrPC Not Necessary: Madras High Court

While refusing to discharge former Minister MRK Panneerselvam in a disproportionate assets case, the Madras High Court recently held that amassing wealth beyond the known sources of income was not an act that involved the discharge of official duties and, as such, a sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC was not necessary for proceeding against the same. 2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 455 Justice...

'Delayed Disclosure By Witness Diminishes Evidentiary Value', Supreme Court Upholds Acquittal Of Two In Murder Case

The Supreme Court has observed that a witness's failure to disclose incriminating circumstances against the accused promptly creates a serious doubt about the credibility of his testimony. A Bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi heard the case, in which the belated testimony of PW3 played a crucial role in the conviction of the accused persons. The witness stated that...

UP Police Recruitment | Non-Disclosure Of Pending Criminal Case Not Suppression Where Form Only Asked About Conviction: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that where the online application form for police recruitment only required a candidate to declare that he had never been convicted, his failure to disclose a pending criminal case cannot by itself be treated as a false declaration or deliberate suppression. It held that cancellation of candidature on such ground must reflect consideration of the factors...

Supreme Court Orders Fresh Probe In 2012 Dharmasthala Rape-Murder Case After Acquittal Of Sole Accused

"Society would be failing in its duty if it does not provide justice to the victim of such a heinous crime by bringing the real culprits to the book."

Bombay High Court Quashes Case Against Man Accused Of Threatening Cop After Mobile Video Shows ₹300 Bribe Demand

The Bombay High Court has quashed a chargesheet against a man accused of offences under Sections 353, 504 and 506 of the IPC, observing that mobile phone footage and WhatsApp conversations prima facie showed that the complainant-police constable had demanded ₹300 from him for returning his driving licence. The Court observed that a false case of criminal intimidation had thereafter been...