Disputed Signatures On Photocopy Can't Be Sent For Handwriting Examination Without Original Document: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that disputed signatures appearing on a photocopy of a document cannot be referred for scientific examination by a handwriting expert where the original has not been produced, since a photocopy does not preserve the characteristics on which a meaningful comparison of handwriting depends. It held that the decisive consideration is whether the material proposed...

'Rule Of Men Is Death Knell To Democracy': Telangana High Court Asks State To Relieve HYDRAA Chief Over Demolition Despite Court Orders

The Telangana High Court asked the State government to relieve Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner AV Ranganath from his post over HYDRAA carrying demolition in violation of court orders, observing that it was a classic case of Rule of Men trying to prevail over Rule of Law which would be a death knell to democracy. [2026 LiveLaw (Tel) 123]HYDRAA is...

Kerala High Court Asks Guruvayur Devaswom To Consider Re-Naming Ritual Named After Court

The Kerala High Court recently asked the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee to consider renaming its 'kodathi vilakku' event in the temple as it may be mistaken to have some endorsement by the judiciary. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 418]The event is organized by the advocates practicing in Chavakkad Court and conducted during Ekadashi festival in Guruvayur temple.The Division Bench of Justice...

Patna High Court Quashes 'Blank' NHAI Notice Over Highway Land Acquisition, Imposes ₹5,000 Costs For 'Irresponsible' Action

The Patna High Court has quashed a blank notice issued by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to a landowner in connection with land required for construction of National Highway-527C, terming the manner in which it was issued “irresponsible”. The Court also imposed costs of ₹5,000 on the NHAI for the mental agony caused to the petitioner, while permitting the authority...

Karnataka High Court Upholds State's 120-Day Limit For Written Statements But Preserves Judicial Discretion In 'Exceptional' Cases

The Karnataka High Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the state's amendment prescribing a 120-day outer limit for filing written statements. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 274]However, the single judge bench of Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum has 'read down' the provision to ensure that civil courts retain a 'narrow and exceptional' discretion to accept written statements beyond the 120 days...

Landless Poor Person Who Bought Assigned Land Before 1977 Act Can Sell It Further: AP High Court Full Bench

Clarifying the scope of Section 3(5) of the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977, the High Court has held that a landless poor person who purchased assigned land in good faith and for valuable consideration before the Act came into force acquires full title to the land, including the right to further alienate it.[2026 LiveLaw (AP) 168]Emphasising the effect...

Gram Panchayat Population Must Be Determined On Basis Of Last Published Census, Not Actual Head Count As On Date: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that the expression “population” in Section 11-F of the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1947 must be read in terms of its statutory definition, i.e., the figure recorded in the last published census, and not the number of persons actually residing in the area as on date.It held that a Gram Panchayat whose census population has fallen below 1,000 after a...

Subsequent Suit Arising From Same Document Should Ordinarily Be Heard By Court Hearing Earlier Suit: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that where two suits between the same parties arise out of the same document and are pending before different courts of competent jurisdiction, the court in which the earlier proceeding is pending is ordinarily the more appropriate forum. It held that the subsequently instituted suit may be transferred to it under Section 24 of the Code of Civil Procedure,...

Jaipur Rural 2024 LS Poll Plea | High Court Refuses To Drop Election Authorities As Respondents Over Conflicting Postal Ballot Figures

The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed an application filed by the Returning Officer, District Magistrate-cum-Returning Officer, Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India seeking deletion of their names from an election petition challenging the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Jaipur Rural Parliamentary constituency.A bench of Justice Vinod Kumar Bharwani opined that...

AP High Court Upholds Disaffiliation Of Law College Over Infrastructure Deficiencies, Grants Relief To Existing Students

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that a law college which does not satisfy minimum infrastructural requirements prescribed under the Bar Council of India Rules of Legal Education, 2008 and University Grants Commission (Affiliation of Colleges by Universities) Regulations, 2009 cannot claim continuation of affiliation merely because it had been functioning for several years. [2026...

MEDISEP Reimbursement Claim Can't Be Rejected Solely Because Treatment Was Taken At Non-Empanelled Hospital: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently held that a person under the MEDISEP scheme cannot be denied reimbursement of treatment expenses merely because he went to a non-empanelled hospital. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 417]MEDISEP (Medical Insurance Scheme for State Employees and Pensioners) is a social security scheme of the Kerala Government that provides comprehensive health insurance coverage to all...

Udaipur Hills "Brutally Cut" For Hotels, City's Condition 'Pitiable': Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has expressed anguish over the large-scale destruction of Udaipur's hills, observing that the city's hills and mountains have been "brutally cut" and replaced by hotels, resorts and commercial establishments, reducing the city to a "pitiable state."A single-judge bench of Justice Sameer Jain made the observations while hearing a petition filed by Basant Hotels Pvt....