Section 311 CrPC | Court Can Summon Material Witness Even If Prosecution Doesn't: Rajasthan High Court

While allowing an application filed under Section 311 CrPC, Rajasthan High Court held that merely because a material witness was not cited by the prosecution, could not be a ground to deny the opportunity to the accused to summon such witness, when his/her evidence appeared relevant and necessary for a just decision in the case. The bench of Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu was hearing a...

Parents Can't Invoke Habeas Corpus Against Adult Daughters' Choice To Lead Life Of Celibacy: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently dismissed a plea for habeas corpus preferred by three fathers, who alleged that their adult daughters were being illegally detained by the nuns of Monastery of Holy Ruah (MHR), a religious congregation that was dissolved in 2023 by the Archdiocese of Thrissur.The Division Bench of Dr. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Jobin Sebastian noted that...

Bombay High Court Seeks Centre's Response On PIL Seeking Inclusion Of SSPE In Rare Diseases Policy

The Bombay High Court on Friday ordered the Central Government to clarify its stance on a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting the sufferings of the families and also the patients diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease called - Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE), which is caused by mutated measles virus.A division bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and...

Accused Must Disclose Being Abroad In Pre-Arrest Bail Plea; Concealment Alone Ground To Deny Relief: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently clarified that anticipatory bail can be denied solely on the ground that an accused fails to disclose that he is aboard at the time of filing the application.Dr. Justice Kauser Edappagath relied on the Division Bench decision in Anu Mathew v. State of Kerala and observed:“it is the primary duty of an accused applying for pre-arrest bail from abroad in a court...

J&K&L High Court Collegium Recommends 11 Names For Appointment As Judges

The Collegium of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, headed by Chief Justice Arun Palli, has recommended 11 names for appointment as Judges of the High Court, the first time such a large number of appointments have been processed in a single exercise by the High Court. The recommendations include 10 advocates from the Bar quota and one judicial officer from the Bench quota.The...

'Prolonged Litigation Aggravates Bitterness': Orissa High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against In-Laws After Settlement

The Orissa High Court has recently quashed a criminal proceeding, which was initiated in 2016 by a woman against her in-laws on the alleged ground of cruelty and matrimonial torture, after both the sides settled the dispute amicably amongst themselves. Invoking the inherent power under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the Bench of Dr. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar...

WB Polls: Calcutta HC Quashes Appointment Of College Teachers As Presiding Officers, Pulls Up ECI For Failure To Justify Decision

The Calcutta High Court on Friday sharply criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for appointing Assistant Professors and Associate Professors from government colleges as Presiding Officers for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections without recording any “unavoidable circumstances” as mandated under earlier Commission instructions.Justice Krishna Rao, while allowing a...

Madras High Court Dismisses Janata Party's Plea Challenging Use Of Deceptively Similar Symbol By Naam Tamilar Katchi Party

The Madras High Court has dismissed a plea filed by the Janata Party alleging the use of a deceptively similar symbol by Naam Tamilar Katchi. The bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan dismissed the plea after noting that the petitioner party had not produced any document to substantiate their claim. The court also noted that the Supreme Court, in the case...

Bombay High Court Protects Personality Rights Of Kartik Aryan, Directs Take Down Of AI-Generated & Disparaging Content

The Bombay High Court, while protecting the 'personality rights' of Bollywood actor Kartik Aryan, observed that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated content with regard to the actor is, prima facie, obscene and disparages his reputation and lowers his brand value. Single-judge Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, on April 15, passed an interim order protecting Aryan's personality rights and...

Rajasthan High Court Upholds Reinstatement Despite Alleged Illegal Appointment, Cites Violation Of Industrial Disputes Act Procedure

The Rajasthan High Court rejected petition challenging reinstatement of a daily wage worker who was alleged to have been appointed illegally, opining that non-compliance with mandatory procedure under the Industrial Disputes Act had to be followed for termination of the concerned employee. The bench of Justice Munnuri Laxman was hearing a petition filed by the Sarpanch, Gram Panchayat...

Husband's Girlfriend Does Not Fall Within Definition Of 'Relative' U/S 498A IPC; Cannot Be Prosecuted For Cruelty: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that a woman having an extra-marital relationship with the husband does not qualify as a “relative” under Section 498-A of the Ranbir Penal Code (corresponding to Section 498-A IPC), and therefore cannot be prosecuted for cruelty or harassment under that provision.The Court quashed criminal proceedings against a woman who was alleged...

Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Plea Challenging 'Exorbitant' Filing Fees Before NGT

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on a plea challenging the imposition of “exorbitant” fees for filing applications, appeals and miscellaneous applications before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal sought response of Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as well as the NGT. The plea...