Appeal Against Conviction Can't Be Dismissed Merely Because Party Or Counsel Is Absent, Must Be Adjudicated On Merits: AP High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that the absence of the appellant or his counsel is not a ground to dismiss a criminal appeal against conviction for non-prosecution, observing that the appellate court must decide the appeal on merits after examining the record. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 119]Justice Dr. Venkata Jyothirmai Pratapa allowed a criminal revision petition filed by a convict in a...

Custodial Assault To Extract Confession Not Official Duty, No Prior Sanction Needed To Prosecute Police Officers: Bombay High Court

Assaulting a suspect for a confessional statement would never be an act in discharge of official duty of any police officer, held the Bombay High Court while refusing to discharge three policeman, who had allegedly assaulted a man— forcing him to confess to a murder offence. [2026 LiveLaw (Bom) 319]Sitting at the Kolhapur bench, single-judge Justice Sandesh Patil noted that in the instant...

Karnataka High Court Grants ₹20 Lakh Towards 'Lifetime Caretaker' Expenses To Woman Left Permanently Disabled In Road Accident

The Karnataka High Court has awarded Rs.20 lakhs towards caretaker expenses for the next 50 years to a 34-year-old woman who suffered severe head injuries in a motorcycle accident, rendering her permanently disabled. [ 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 240]Opining that extreme cognitive deficit and her inability to go back to her avocation would amount to 100 per cent loss of earning capacity, the...

'OK Not To Be OK': Sikkim High Court Cites Demi Lovato Song, Urges State To Strengthen Children's Mental Health Measures After Teen's Suicide

Citing upbeat self-love anthem by singer Demi Lovato and Marshmello— "OK Not To Be Okay", the Sikkim High Court today implored the State government to strengthen its measures for improvement of mental health of children.The "deep sense of worry" was expressed after the division bench of Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan read the suicide note of a 16-year-old...

Compassionate Employment To Dependent Of Deceased Not 'Pecuniary Advantage' For Calculating Accident Compensation: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that compassionate appointment granted to a dependent of a deceased employee cannot be treated as a "pecuniary advantage" liable to be deducted while determining compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Court observed that compassionate appointment flows from the service conditions of the deceased employee and is not a benefit arising out of...

Magistrate Must Disclose 'Substance Of Information' While Issuing S.126 BNSS Notice To Execute Bond For Keeping Peace: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has ruled that an Executive Magistrate is duty-bound to disclose the 'substance of information' received by him while issuing show-cause notice to a person to explain why he should not be ordered to execute a bond or bail bond for keeping peace under Section 126 BNSS. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 76]As per Section 126 BNSS when an Executive Magistrate receives information that...

'Tripling On Motorcycle Not Automatically Contributory Negligence': Chhattisgarh High Court Enhances Accident Compensation

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that the mere fact that three persons were travelling on a motorcycle does not automatically establish contributory negligence. The Court observed that, in the absence of evidence showing that tripling contributed to the occurrence of the accident, compensation cannot be reduced on that ground alone.[2026 LiveLaw (Chh) 62]Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal was...

Jharkhand High Court Refuses Bail In Tetariakhad Colliery Terror Attack Case

The Jharkhand High Court has refused to grant bail to an accused in the 2020 Tetariakhad Colliery terror attack case, holding that the prosecution materials, including the statements of protected witnesses identifying him through photographs, prima facie established his involvement. The Court also held that the appellant's case was distinguishable from those of co-accused who had been...

Political Criticism On Social Media Without Coercion Or Interference With Voting Not 'Undue Influence': Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against a government school teacher accused of violating the Model Code of Conduct by posting derogatory comments against a political candidate on Facebook during the 2023 Assembly elections. [2026 LiveLaw (Tel) 100] The Court held that mere political criticism or offensive social media posts, in the absence of coercion, intimidation...

Trial Court Not Bound To Incorporate Questions Suggested By Prosecution Or Accused Under Section 313(5) CrPC: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that it is not mandatory, rather discretionary for a trial Court to seek help of prosecution and defence for preparing relevant questions which are to be put to the accused under Section 313(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) for eliciting his explanation to the inculpatory circumstances appearing against him in the evidence. [2026 LiveLaw...

Seashore Chit Fund Scam: Orissa High Court Refuses To Quash Proceedings Against Ex-BJD MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal

The Orissa High Court has declined to quash the impending criminal prosecution against the Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Cuttack-Choudwar constituency Pravat Ranjan Biswal for his alleged links with the Seashore Group of Companies. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 75]For context, the Seashore Group of Companies floated a major ponzi scheme which duped...

S. 437(6) CrPC Doesn't Grant Indefeasible Right To Bail: Allahabad High Court Refuses Relief To Man Accused Of Harbouring ISI Agent

Incarcerated since 2015, the accused allegedly harboured a Pakistani ISI agent for 20 months and facilitated the transmission of classified Indian military data to Pakistan. The trial remains pending at the evidence stage, with not a single prosecution witness examined so far.