High Courts
Former Minister Ponmudi Moves Madras High Court Against Magistrate Taking Cognisance Of Hate Speech Complaint
Former Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudi has approached the Madras High Court, challenging an order of the Metropolitan Magistrate, Georgetown, through which the Magistrate took cognisance of a complaint filed by a BJP Councillor, Uma Anandan, against a speech made by Ponmudi against Vaishnavism, Saivism, and women.It may be noted that on April 17th, 2025, the High Court had asked the...
Anna Nagar Sexual Assault Case: Madras High Court Directs POCSO Court To Hold Day-To-Day Trial, Orders Protection For Victim & Family
The Madras High Court, on Tuesday (24 March), directed the Special Court for trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to conduct a day-to-day trial in connection with the sexual assault of a 10-year-old in Chennai's Anna Nagar area. The bench of Justice P Velmurugan and Justice M Jothiraman directed the court to expedite the trial and dispose of it...
Arms Act Case Based On Social Media Photos Unsustainable; No Proof Of Possession: P&H High Court Quashes FIR
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that prosecution under Sections 25(1-B)(a) and 29(B) of the Arms Act cannot be sustained in the absence of essential ingredients such as unlawful possession, delivery of arms, or requisite mens rea. The Court observed that the prosecution appeared to have been initiated in the backdrop of political rivalry as the petitioner is a political figure, being...
Accused Cannot Insist On Chargesheet Under Statute Of His Choice When Acts Are Punishable Under Two Different Laws: J&K&L High Court
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has held that an accused cannot demand that charges be framed under a particular penal statute when the alleged acts constitute offences under more than one law. The Court emphasized that the choice of statute for initiating proceedings is a matter for the investigating and prosecuting authorities and not for the accused.The Court was hearing...
Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Making Three Additional Judges Of Madras High Court Permanent
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended making Justice R Poornima, Justice M Jothiraman, and Justice AD Maria Clete as permanent judges of the Madras High Court.In a statement issued on March 24th, 2026, the collegium said,The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 24th March, 2026 has approved the proposal for appointment of the following Additional Judges as Permanent Judges in...
Authority Must Share Adverse Material With Accused Before Passing Orders In Electricity Theft Cases: Punjab & Haryana High Court
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that in cases of alleged theft of electricity under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, the assessing authority is duty-bound to confront the consumer with adverse material and grant an opportunity of hearing before passing an assessment order. The Court observed that any determination of civil liability, even under Section 135, must comply...
Civil Imprisonment Over Default Doesn't Absolve Husband's Liability To Pay Monthly Maintenance: Allahabad High Court
The Allahabad High Court has categorically held that committing a person to a civil prison for default in paying maintenance to his wife or children does not absolve him of his legal liability to pay further monthly maintenance arrears. A bench of Justice Praveen Kumar Giri clarified that the doctrine of double jeopardy under Section 300 CrPC is entirely inapplicable to the execution...
Courts Can't Order State To Take Over Churches Involved In Religious Disputes: Kerala High Court Sets Aside Takeover Of Six Churches
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (March 24) allowed the appeals filed challenging a 2024 order of the Single Judge directing the Collectors of Ernakulam and Palakkad districts to take over possession of six churches involved in the Orthodox – Jacobite faction feud.The Division Bench of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. pronounced the order in open court:"In a...
'Long-Standing Contractors Cannot Claim Exclusive Right To Continue On Account Of Potential Loss Of Livelihood': Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has held that long-standing contractors cannot claim an exclusive or perpetual right to continue merely on the ground that their livelihood depends on the activity. The Court observed that ensuring a fair and transparent tender process providing equal opportunity to all similarly placed persons cannot be curtailed to preserve existing contractors' interests.A division...
Kerala High Court Directs Centre To Decide On Plea Alleging Misuse Of 'Reporter TV' Broadcasting License Within 2 Months
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday (24 March) directed the Central Government to take a time-bound decision on a representation alleging violations of the Union Government's Broadcasting guidelines in the operation of Malayalam news channel 'Reporter TV'.Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas disposed of the petition. The petitioner, who is the president of the political party Twenty20, had approached...
Customs Cannot Ignore FSSAI's Clearance & Re-Test Goods Without Justification: Bombay High Court Orders Release Of Seized Imports
The Bombay High Court has held that customs authorities cannot disregard clearance granted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and subject imported goods to re-testing without any cogent justification. The Court observed that once a competent statutory authority like FSSAI certifies goods as compliant and fit for human consumption, questioning such certification...
Transfer Guidelines Not Enforceable, Employer's Power To Transfer Cannot Be Curtailed By Administrative Instructions: J&K&L High Court
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has held that no employee can claim a right to a particular posting solely based on transfer guidelines, as such administrative instructions do not have statutory force and cannot curtail the employer's authority to effect transfers.The Court was hearing an intra-court appeal challenging the dismissal of a writ petition assailing a transfer...