Karnataka High Court Issues Guidelines For Trial Courts & Police On Section164 CrPC Statement, Says Copies Must Be Furnished To Accused

Upholding the right to a fair trial, the Karnataka High Court has recently acquitted a POCSO accused, while simultaneously issuing suo motu guidelines for Investigating Officers and trial Courts on recordview of Section 164 CrPC [Section 183 BNSS] statements, as well as the mandatory furnishing of statements recorded to the accused. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 322]The Division Bench of Justice...

Suicide Of Child Requires Different Investigative Approach Than Adult: Karnataka High Court Rejects Closure Report

The Karnataka High Court has recently quashed a trial court order accepting police's second 'B' report in a case involving the alleged suicide of a student who is claimed to have left behind a death note stating 'marks is not everything' while naming her principal, teachers, and classmates. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 320]The single judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna, while allowing the...

'Romantic Relationship, Proposal To Marry Cannot Dilute POCSO Act': Uttarakhand High Court Denies Bail Over Minor's Sexual Assault

The Uttarakhand High Court has held that “the plea of romantic relationship and subsequent proposal to marry cannot dilute the statutory protection granted to minor child under the POCSO Act,” thus reiterating that a minor's consent is “completely irrelevant in the eyes of law.”Applying this to the present case, the Court also took note of the allegation that the accused had concealed...

Allahabad High Court Directs Inquiry Into Summons, Warrants Discrepancy Between Court Order-Sheets, Police Records

Discrepancy in the issuance, transmission or execution of summons, warrants or non-bailable warrants not only affects the rights of the accused but also raises serious questions regarding the maintenance and sanctity of the judicial record, Allahabad HC Said.

'Pugilistic, Boxer-Like' Position Of Dead Body Alone Does Not Establish Ante-Mortem Burns: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has observed that the 'pugilistic' or 'boxer-like' position of a burnt dead body, by itself, does not establish that the burns were sustained ante-mortem.The Court said that such a posture of the dead body is a heat artifact which can occur no matter whether a person was alive or already dead when the burning began. A Bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice...

Father Not In Charge Of Child Can't Be Prosecuted For Cruelty Under Juvenile Justice Act Over Non-Payment Of Maintenance: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against a father, who was working abroad, accused of the offence under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act for failing to provide for the basic needs and maintenance of his child. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 469]Section 75 JJ Act provides for punishment for cruelty to a child if the person having the actual charge of,...

Karnataka High Court Slams Police For 'Illegal' Arrest Of Activist Over Post On Kunal Kamra's Show Cancellation

The Karnataka High Court on August 28[ Friday] came down heavily on the Whitefield Police for what it termed as a recurring pattern of illegal arrests by the Station, by allegedly misusing the provision under Section 35(3) BNSS.The single judge bench of Justice M.Nagaprasanna, while hearing a petition filed by Hindu activist Mohan Gowda challenging the registration of an FIR and his arrest...

'Lived Separately': Gujarat High Court Quashes Domestic Violence Case Against Husband's Sisters Accused Of Instigating Dowry Demand

The Gujarat High Court quashed a domestic violence case against two women accused of instigating their brother for demanding dowry from his wife, observing that they were married much prior to the complainant and living separately hence the question of mental and physical torture by them did not arise. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 232]The son of petitioners 1 and 2 was married to respondent no.1 as...

'Should Give Chance To Young Offenders To Reform': Bombay High Court Quashes FIR Against Man For 'Brandishing Sword'; Imposes ₹10K Costs

The Bombay High Court recently while quashing a First Information Report (FIR) lodged against a 'young man' for 'brandishing' a sword in a neighbourhood quarrel, held that Courts must give an opportunity to such young accused persons for their reformation and rehabilitation. The High Court also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on the young man to 'give out a strong message' to the young citizens...

Arrest Grounds Must Be Communicated To Arrestee, Relative Before Production Before Magistrate For Transit Remand: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that arrest of a person would be vitiated if the arrestee's relative/friend/nominated person is not informed of the arrest grounds when first produced before the nearest, non-jurisdictional magistrate for transit remand. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 465]Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath observed: “when a person who is arrested is brought before a non-jurisdictional...

Identity, Homicidal Death Established After Body Exhumed From Tomb, But Circumstantial Chain Incomplete: AP High Court Acquits Four

The Andhra Pradesh High Court while ordering acquittal in a murder case observed that although the identity of the deceased and the homicidal nature of her death stood established after her body was exhumed from a tomb, the prosecution failed to prove the circumstances connecting the accused with the murder beyond reasonable doubt.The Court accordingly acquitted four accused who had...

Jharkhand High Court Reduces Sentence In ₹300 Bribe Case From 1993, Says Accused Has Suffered 'Agony Of Trial' For Three Decades

The Jharkhand High Court has reduced the sentence imposed on a man in a 1993 corruption case involving a demand of ₹300 for processing the provident fund dues of the complainant, taking note of the fact that he had faced the “agony of the trial” for three decades.A Single Judge Bench of Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, while considering the quantum of sentence under Section 7 of the...