Criminal Law
S. 50 NDPS Act Applies Only To Personal Search, Not When Recovery Is From Articles Carried By Accused : Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21) observed that the protection under Section 50 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, to be searched in the presence of a Gazetted Officer or a Magistrate, would be available during the personal search of an accused and doesn't extend to searches when the accused was carrying a bag, container, or any other object. “The...
'Crime Executed In Calculated Manner': Gujarat High Court Denies Bail To Man Booked For Woman's Murder & Staging Her Death As Road Accident
The Gujarat High Court refused bail to a married man accused of murdering a woman with whom he was allegedly in a relationship and of subsequently attempting to portray her death as a road accident. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 201]In doing so the court prima facie observed that the crime was executed in a calculated manner and there was an attempt to mislead the state machinery. The prosecution...
Child Who Saw Mother Being Killed Is A Victim Too: Calcutta High Court Convicts Husband, Family In 2006 Murder Case
The Calcutta High Court has reversed the acquittal of a husband and four of his relatives in a 2006 murder case, holding that the trial court committed "fundamental errors" in discarding the testimony of the couple's minor son, who had witnessed his mother's death.A Division Bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Rai Chattopadhyay convicted husband Samir Das, his brother Samar...
HP High Court Calls For Contempt Action Against Litigant Who Accused Magistrate Of Corruption, Says Baseless Allegations Scandalise Judiciary
After a litigant made reckless and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against a Judicial Magistrate, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice to constitute an appropriate Bench to consider initiating criminal contempt proceedings.The Court further Observed that baseless accusations against judicial officers amount to an attempt...
Admission Of Issuing Cheque Alone Can't Be Treated As Plea Of Guilt In S.138 NI Act Case: J&K&L High Court
Delineating the limits of summary criminal procedure, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has held that a defence disclosed by an accused while recording his plea under Section 251 of the Code of Criminal Procedure cannot be converted into a plea of guilt merely because the accused admits issuing the cheque or expresses willingness to settle accounts.The Court ruled that unless...
AP High Court Quashes Cruelty FIR Against Husband's Alleged Second Wife, Says She's Not 'Relative' Under S.498A IPC
The Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed cruelty FIR agaist a woman accused of being the second wife of a married man, after noting that she would not fall under the category of "relative" to invoke Section 498A IPC.[2026 LiveLaw (AP) 145]For context FIR was lodged under Section 498A IPC which penalises cruelty by a husband or his relatives towards a married woman; Sections 3 and 4 of the...
'Wrong Statement' In Pleadings Not Necessarily A 'False Statement' : Supreme Court Quashes Perjury Case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21) set aside the perjury proceedings against a litigant and his counsel for allegedly making 'typographical errors' in a memorandum of an appeal, noting that every instance of wrong statements cannot be treated as a 'false statement' unless a deliberate falsehood is shown. A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar set aside the Bombay...
JJ Act - Murder Is 'Heinous Offence', Not 'Serious Offence'; S 302 IPC Implies Minimum Life Sentence: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has held that the offence of murder punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (now Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) is a "heinous offence" under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, ruling that imprisonment for life constitutes its implied minimum punishment even though the provision does not expressly prescribe...
ED Free To Act If Illegality Found During Probe Into Disproportionate Assets Complaint Against Rahul Gandhi: Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court on Monday observed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is not helpless and may proceed strictly in accordance with the law if its probe into a complaint alleging 'disproportionate assets' against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reveals any "misdeed or illegal act".Simultaneously, observing that the affidavit filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)...
Telangana High Court Grants Bail To Man Booked For Threatening Minor Of Circulating Her Morphed Photos, Notes Probe Almost Complete
The Telangana High Court has granted bail to a man accused of stalking a minor girl, threatening to morph her photographs into obscene images and upload them on social media, and later trespassing into her house along with his relatives. [2026 LiveLaw (Tel) 109]The Court noted that the petitioner had been in custody since May 23, 2026, that material witnesses had already been examined, and...
"Shocked By Total Ignorance": Bombay High Court Transfers POCSO Case To CID After Cops Revealed Victim's Identity
The Bombay High Court has transferred the investigation into a POCSO case to the Maharashtra State CID after finding glaring lapses in the manner in which the probe was conducted by the local police. The Court observed that the investigation disclosed a disturbing lack of awareness of the mandatory safeguards under the POCSO Act, including disclosure of the victim's identity, recording of...