Allahabad High Court Cautions State Authorities Against Lodging 'Mimeographic Style' FIRs Under Stringent UP Anti-Conversion Act

The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) has cautioned the Uttar Pradesh State authorities against registering mechanical and routine cases under the stringent Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The Court observed that, given the 'stringent' provisions of the special Act, the authorities must exercise greater care and avoid registering FIRs in...

'Gross Violation Of Art. 21': Allahabad High Court On Convict Detained For 2+ Months Despite Completing Sentence & Stay On Fine

The Allahabad High Court last week directed the immediate release of a convict who had already served the entire 10-year sentence but had to remain in custody for 2.5 months due to non-payment of a fine of Rs. 27 lakhs. A bench of Justice Sameer Jain observed that his continued detention, despite an order of the HC staying the recovery of the fine, constitutes a "gross violation...

Kerala Judicial Officers' Association Seeks High Court's Action Against Cyber Attack Of Judge Who Decided Actor Rape Case

The Kerala Judicial Officers' Association (KJOA) has made a request to the Kerala High Court to initiate action against persons that have made disparaging remarks against Smt. Honey M. Varghese, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Ernakulam for the verdict in the actress rape case.Calling it an "unprecedented incident of public scandalisation" of a sitting judge, KJOA has sought contempt...

Rash & Negligent Driving: Protracted Trial, Reformative Tendency Of Accused Sufficient To Reduce Sentence: Punjab & Haryana High Court

While the Punjab & Haryana Hig Court affirmed the findings of guilt recorded by the Trial Court and the Appellate Court against a Truck Driver for rash and negligent driving, it modified the order on sentence, reducing the substantive imprisonment to the period already undergone, considering long passage of time and mitigating circumstances.Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj said, "I find that...

Gujarat High Court Commutes Convict's Death Penalty For Raping Minor Girl, Says Trial Court Didn't Verify Possibility Of Reformation

The Gujarat High Court recently commuted the death sentence of a man to life imprisonment who was convicted by the trial court for raping a minor girl. In doing so the court said that the trial court while sentencing the convict to death, did not give a finding on the aspect of the convict's reformation and the possibility that he will become a useful member to the society if is given a chance...

Stridhan, Gifts Not Source Of Income To Defeat Wife's Claim For Maintenance: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has ruled that stridhan, inherited property or gifts received by a wife from her parents or relatives cannot be construed as a source of income so as to defeat her claim for maintenance from the husband. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said that the claim for maintenance must be assessed with reference to a wife's present earning capacity and ability to sustain herself in...

Just Because Husband Earns Well, Proportionate Amount From Salary Cannot Be Awarded As Maintenance For Wife & Children: Bombay High Court

In a significant judgment, the Bombay High Court recently held that just because a husband earns well would not mean that a proportionate part of his income is to be awarded to his and children as maintenance. Single-judge Justice Manjusha Deshpande while holding so, dismissed the plea of a woman, who sought Rs 1 lakh monthly maintenance for each of her two daughters."The amount of...

Madras High Court Quashes Detention Order Against Accused In Anna University Sexual Assault Case

The Madras High Court has quashed the detention order issued against Gnanasekar, accused in the Anna University Sexual Assault Case. The bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice M Jothiraman was inclined to quash the detention order after noting that Gnansekaran was already convicted and sentenced in connection with the sexual assault case. The court thus disposed of a habeas corpus...

ED Assistant Director Apologises In Madras High Court For Issuing Show Cause Notice Despite Stay Order

The Assistant Director of Enforcement, Vikas Kumar, issued an unconditional apology to the Madras High Court on Monday for having issued a show cause notice to film producer Akash Baskaran, despite a High Court stay. The apology was made before a bench of Justice MS Ramesh and Justice V Lakshminarayanan. The court was hearing a contempt plea filed by Baskaran for continuing the probe in...

Meghalaya High Court Directs State To Constitute Monitoring Committee To Tackle Drug & Substance Abuse, Rehabilitation Of Victims

The Meghalaya High Court recently asked the State Government to constitute Monitoring Committee to address the drug and substance abuse and rehabilitation of the victims in the State of Meghalaya.The division bench of the Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice H.S. Thangkhiew further directed that the said Monitoring Committee shall be chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government of...

Delhi High Court Quashes Pre- Insolvency Resolution GST Demands Against Patanjali Foods

The Delhi High Court has set aside GST demands raised against Patanjali Foods Limited (Ruchi Soya) for periods preceding the final approval of its insolvency resolution plan on September 4, 2019. The court held that all statutory dues not included in the approved plan stood extinguished. A division bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Shail Jain, in a judgment delivered on December...

Delhi High Court Allows Au Naturel Beauty To Rebrand NEUDE As BE NEUDE In Dispute With Wet and Dry

The Delhi High Court has allowed cosmetics brand Au Naturel Beauty Private Limited to switch from the mark “NEUDE” to “BE NEUDE,” holding that the new mark would eliminate the risk of confusion with rival brand Wet and Dry Personal Care Private Limited's trademark “NEUD.” A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta passed the order on December...