Chinnaswamy Stadium Stampede: Karnataka Crowd Control Bill 2025 Referred For Consultation, High Court Closes Suo-Motu PIL

The Karnataka High Court recently closed a suo-motu PIL concerning the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede which occurred ahead of an event to celebrate Royal Challenger Bangalore's (RCB) victory at the 2025 IPL Final, after it was informed that a bill overseeing crowd control had been sent by the State Assembly for consultation. For context, the high court had last year taken suo-motu cognizance of...

Challenge To 1985 Wakf Property Notification Fails After 33 Years: J&K&L High Court Says Only Aggrieved Persons Can Maintain Writ

Reaffirming the limits of writ jurisdiction and the doctrine of delay and laches, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has dismissed a petition challenging SRO 320 dated 31.08.1985, a Government notification that published a list of Wakf properties in parts of Tehsil Poonch.The Court held that only a person suffering a legally enforceable injury can invoke Article 226, and...

PIL In Bombay High Court Seeks Structural Safety Audit Of All Metro Lines In Mumbai After Slab Collapse Accident

An advocate has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking structural safety assessment of all the construction sites of various lines of Mumbai Metro after the tragic accident took place in the city wherein one man lost his life and three were seriously injured after a portion of the slab of an under-construction of Metro Line 4B fell on an autorickshaw and a private car. Notably,...

Person Not Christian Just Because There Are Paintings Of Holy Cross, Statue Of Lord Jesus In His House: Bombay High Court

Mere presence of a painting of the Holy Cross or a statue of Lord Jesus Christ in a person's house cannot be used as a ground to hold that the said person or his forefathers have converted into Christianity, held the Bombay High Court recently. Sitting at the Nagpur seat, a division bench of Justice Mukulika Jawalkar and Justice Nandesh Deshpande quashed and set aside an order of a District...

Kerala High Court Lifts Stay On Release Of 'The Kerala Story 2' Movie; Stays Single Bench Order

The Kerala High Court on Friday (February 27) paved way for release of the movie 'The Kerala Story 2 - Goes Beyond'. The Division Bench of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice P.V. Balakrishnan stayed a single judge order which had stayed its release scheduled today and posted the case after two weeks.The Court passed the order in the writ appeals preferred by producer Vipul...

'Deplorable State Of Affairs': Kerala High Court Raps State After Tribal Man Killed In Elephant Attack At Aralam Farm

The Kerala High Court on Friday (27 February) criticised the State over the condition of Aralam Farm in Kannur District in light of the death of a person belonging to tribal community in an elephant attack on Friday morning. A Division Bench comprising Dr. Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian were hearing petitions concerning the human- wildlife conflict in Wayanad...

Municipal Corporation Of Greater Mumbai Fire Brigade Is Part Of Same Industrial Establishment Under Standing Orders Act: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that the Fire Brigade Department is an integral part of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and constitutes an industrial establishment within the meaning of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The Court observed that there is unity of ownership, management, finance and functional integrity between the Corporation and its Fire...

Plea In Madras High Court Seeks Action Against Minister Mano Thangaraj For Posting Video Linking PM Modi With 'Epstein Files'

A plea has been filed in the Madras High Court calling for action against Tamil Nadu Milk and Diary Development Minister Mano Thangaraj for social media posts made by him linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the “Epstein Files”. Justice S Srimathy admitted the plea and issued notices to the Chief Secretary, the Superintendent of Police, the Deputy Superintendent of Police and...

Low Deterrent Effect, Diminished Fear Of Law Fuel Violations In India; Penal Provisions Need Firm Enforcement: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court recently invoked Benjamin Franklin and explained how laws in India continue to be violated only because of low deterrent effect and how important it is in a civilised society, to obey law out of principle rather than just fear of punishment. Single-judge Justice Jitendra Jain explained that penal provisions have a dual effect - one to penalise an offender or defaulter...

'Form Of Oppression': Chhattisgarh High Court Seeks Education Secretary's Personal Affidavit Over Lack Of Girls' Toilets In Govt Schools

The Chhattisgarh High Court has lamented the glaring inadequacy of toilets for girls in schools and the abysmal conditions of the existing ones across the State, and has consequently directed the Secretary, School Education Department to file his personal affidavit with respect to the same.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, while...

EPF Act | Penalty For Delayed PF Contributions Can't Be Reduced Below 25% Of Arrears: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held that the penalty imposed on an establishment under the Employees Provident Fund Act for delaying payment of employees' provident fund contribution cannot be reduced below 25% of the arrears. In doing so the court modified an order which had reduced a company's penalty from over Rs. 3 Lakh to Rs. 25,000.The establishment had challenged an order dated 05.12.2016...

CMO Bulk Messaging Issue: Kerala Government Assures High Court No Further Messages Till Monday

The Kerala government on Friday (February 27) submitted before the High Court that its earlier undertaking to refrain from disseminating bulk messages from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) can continue till Monday (March 2).Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas recorded the submission of the special government pleader while considering a plea alleging that the CMO has violated the privacy of...