Madhya Pradesh High Court Refuses To Quash Hate Speech FIR Over Instagram Post 'Insulting Religious Beliefs'

Dismissing a man's plea for quashing a FIR registered under Section 153A IPC against him for uploading allegedly offensive material on his Instagram account, the Madhya Pradesh High Court said that that the man's "defence" that the post was uploaded by hacking his account cannot be considered "at this stage". For context, Section 153A of IPC pertains to promoting enmity between different...

On Aggrieved Father's Plea, Madras High Court Seeks Details Of Criminal Cases Registered Against Isha Foundation

The Madras High Court has sought for details of criminal cases registered against the Isha Foundation, after a father approached the court claiming that his two daughters were being held captive in the Isha Foundation run by Jaggi Vasudev and being brainwashed there. The bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam called for details even after the alleged detainees...

Punjab & Haryana HC Refuses To Cancel Pre-Arrest Bail Granted To Juvenile Booked Under Wrong Provision Of SC/ST Act

The Punjab & Haryana High Court refused to cancel bail granted by the Sessions Court under wrong provision of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) 1989 Act (SC/ST Act) to a then juvenile, accused of abusing and assaulting a member of a Scheduled Caste community.The accused was allegedly granted bail by the Sessions Court considering the provision of 3 (1)(r)...

Church Feud Case: Kerala HC Orally Warns Of Action Against Collectors, Chief Secretary If Possession Of 6 Churches Not Taken Over In A Week

The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the District Collectors of Ernakulam and Palakkad to take over possession of six churches involved in the Orthodox – Jacobite faction "feud" within a week. A single judge bench of Justice V G Arun orally cautioned that it may have to summon the Collectors and the State's Chief Secretary if the order is not complied without delay. The high court...

Kerala High Court Suggests Use Of Advance Technologies To Reduce Stress Of Judges Writing Down Witness Depositions In Trial Courts

While hearing a plea seeking legible copies of witness depositions in the trial court, Kerala High Court suggested to its Registry to explore the possibility of equipping trial courts in the State with advanced technologies changing archaic practices, adding that the practice of trial court judges "writing down" depositions is stressful.A single judge bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas in...

Madhya Pradesh HC Quashes 'Unreasoned' Order Of Registrar Amending Trade Union's Name To One Resembling MP Working Journalist Union

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently set aside an order of the Trade Union Registrar which allowed a trade union to change its name, after Madhya Pradesh Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh moved a plea claiming that the name of the respondent union was deceptively similar to the Sangh's. In doing so the court said that the Registrar under Section 25(2) of the Trade Unions Act, must verify that a...

Courts Can Stay Divorce Proceedings Instituted By Husband Until He Pays Arrears Of Maintenance To Wife: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has recently held that courts can stay the divorce proceedings instituted by the husband until he pays arrears of maintenance amount to the wife as ordered by the court. The observations were made, while the high court allowed a petition filed by an estranged wife and set aside the order of the trial court which had dismissed her application seeking stay on the...

Karnataka HC Directs OLA Cabs To Pay Rs 5 Lakh Compensation To Woman Allegedly Harassed By Their Driver, Hold Inquiry Under POSH Act

The Karnataka High Court today directed ANI technologies, which owns and operates OLA Cabs, to pay a sum of Rs 5 lakh towards compensation to a woman who allegedly faced sexual harassment at the hands of their driver, during a trip in 2019.A single judge bench of Justice M G S Kamal also directed the Internal Complaints Committee of the company to hold an inquiry into the complaint in...

Disciplinary Authority "Coerced" By Chief Vigilance Officer: Rajasthan High Court While Reversing SBI Branch Manager's Removal From Service

While quashing an order of the SBI's disciplinary authority removing a branch manager for alleged misconduct, the Rajasthan High Court observed that the authority altered its punishment from "lowering of scale" to "removal of service" on the advice and "coercion" by the concerned Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO). The court further observed that the disciplinary authority had "kneeled down"...

Bombay High Court Weekly Round-Up: 23 September – 29 September, 2024

Citations 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 485 to 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 496Santosh Madhukar Bhondve & Ors. vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors., 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 485Volvo Group India Pvt Ltd. versus Union of India and Ors, 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 486Uttam Value Steels Ltd. Vs Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 487Namdeo Bansode vs State of Maharashtra, 2024 LiveLaw (Bom) 488Mahesh Raut...

'Contradictory Versions And Sketchy Evidence': Jharkhand HC Overturns Death Sentence Of Man Convicted For Murder Of Pregnant Wife, Infant

The Jharkhand High Court recently set aside the death sentence awarded to a man by the trial court which had convicted him for the murder of his pregnant wife and 15-month-old infant child, citing "sketchy evidence" and the fact that the prosecution was unable to prove the circumstances of the case. In doing so, the high court expressed its concern with the manner in which the alleged crime...

Kerala High Court Lays Down Procedure For Filing Writ Appeal; Says Writ Petition, Its Pleadings, Can Be Tagged From The E- Filing Database

The Kerala High Court last week issued directions regarding filing of Writ Appeals, stating that in case of a writ petition filed online–the order of which is challenged in the appeal–its pleadings as well as documents filed therein shall be "tagged" from the e-file portal. The other directions issued by a division bench of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice P. G. Ajithkumar include:...