Police Statement That 'Sufficient Material Exists To File Chargesheet' Doesn't Mean Default Bail Can Be Granted : Supreme Court

A prosecution's statement in an extension application that sufficient material exists to file a charge sheet cannot be treated as an admission that the investigation is complete, the Court said.

S.144 BNSS | Disputed Marital Relationship Requires Evidence At Trial: Gauhati High Court Refuses To Quash Maintenance Proceedings

The Gauhati High Court has held that maintenance proceedings cannot be quashed where the nature of the alleged marital relationship between the parties requires determination through evidence at trial.Justice Sanjeev Kumar Sharma observed, "Although the contradictory statements of the respondent made in different proceedings as to the dates and places of marriage do create some doubt...

Cognizance Orders Cannot Be Passed Mechanically By Filling Blanks On Printed Proforma: Patna High Court Flags Lack Of Application Of Mind

The Patna High Court has held that judicial orders cannot be passed mechanically by filling in blanks on a printed proforma, observing that even an order taking cognizance must reflect application of judicial mind.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha was hearing a petition challenging the order dated 12.06.2018 passed by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Benipatti,...

Tripura High Court Upholds Interim Maintenance To Wife, Says Man Cannot Benefit From Suppressing Existing Marriage

The Tripura High Court has upheld an order granting ₹15,000 per month as interim maintenance to a woman who alleged that the man had represented himself as divorced and subsequently married her. The Court, while noting that the issue of marriage was yet to be finally determined by the Family Court, observed prima facie that the parties had maintained a marital relationship for a...

S.173 BNSS Mandates FIR Registration When Cognizable Offence Disclosed, Even If Allegations Are Against Police: Tripura High Court

The Tripura High Court has held that Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) mandates registration of an FIR where a complaint discloses cognizable offences, even when the allegations are directed against police personnel. The court made the observation while directing registration of a complaint alleging misappropriation of gold ornaments and gold bars following...

Bombay High Court Quashes Food Safety Case Against Britannia Dairy Over Allegedly Unsafe Cheese Cubes

The Bombay High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Britannia Dairy Private Limited over allegations concerning unsafe Britannia Cheese Cubes, holding that the company was denied statutory safeguards under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Court observed that the delay in issuing notice, non-supply of the laboratory testing report and consequent deprivation of...

S. 180 BNSS | Allahabad High Court Asks DGP To Make Audio-Video Recording Of Witness Statements Mandatory For IOs

The Allahabad High Court has directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, to consider making audio-video recording of statements recorded under Section 180 BNSS 'mandatory', observing that such a step would make criminal investigations more transparent and fair. A bench of Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal passed the direction while dealing with a bail application filed by...

Courts Releasing Illegally Arrested Accused Must Permit Same Day Re-Arrest After Compliance With Formalities: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently directed that courts, releasing an illegally arrested accused, must permit police to re-arrest accused on the same day after compliance with procedural formalities. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 506]Justice A. Badharudeen held:“all Criminal Courts shall ensure that while setting an accused at his liberty, finding his arrest as illegal, the Courts shall pass an order on...

Kerala High Court Grants Pre-Arrest Bail To Woman Accused Of Throwing Newborn Baby From Hospital Window, Says 'Intent' Not Shown

The Kerala High Court recently granted pre-arrest bail to a 20-year-old woman booked for attempted murder of newborn, who she threw out of the window after giving birth in the hospital bathroom. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 510]Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath noted that there were no materials suggesting that the woman intended to cause the death of the child and that she did not have any...

Bail Applications Without Details Of Criminal Antecedents, Prior Pleas Not To Be Numbered: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has directed that bail applications not disclosing criminal antecedents and details of prior bail pleas as mandated by the Apex Court in Zeba Khan v. State of U.P. and Others, cannot be numbered. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 504]Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath observed that bail applications rarely comply with the afore directions and the administrative mandate contained in the...

NDPS Conviction Can't Be Recorded Mechanically On Guilty Plea: Manipur High Court Criticises 'One & Half Line' Conviction Order

The Manipur High Court has set aside an NDPS conviction after finding that the Special Court failed to properly exercise the discretion vested in it under Section 229 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 while convicting the accused on her plea of guilty. The Court observed that the conviction order was merely “one and half line”, indicating that the trial Judge had not undertaken...

High Rich Ponzi Case: Kerala High Court Directs Special Court To Reconsider Prime Accused's Bail After ED Challenge

The Kerala High Court in a recent order, directed the Special Court for PMLA cases, Ernakulam to consider afresh the bail application of K.D. Prathapan, the prime accused in the High Rich Pozhi Scheme case, while considering a plea preferred by the Directorate of Enforcement to cancel the bail granted. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 500]Justice C.S. Dias directed the Special Court to reconsider...