Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar Sworn In As The Chief Justice Of Kerala High Court

Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court today (September 26, 2024) at 10 am at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. The oath of office was administered by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also present during the swearing in ceremony. Justice Jamdar was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court on January 23, 2012. He...

Family Members Are Natural Witnesses, Cannot Be Deemed To Be 'Interested' Parties Due To Relation With Victim: Jharkhand High Court

The Jharkhand High Court has held that family members of a victim are natural witnesses to an incident and cannot be deemed biassed solely because of their close relationship to the victim. The division bench, comprising Justices Ananda Sen and Gautam Kumar Choudhary, rejected the argument made by the appellants that independent witnesses did not support the prosecution's case, while...

Madras High Court Issues Notice On Plea Seeking Direction To Trial Courts To Refrain From Mentioning Caste, Religion Of Witnesses

The Madras High Court has issued notice on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the trial courts in the state judiciary to refrain from mentioning the caste and religion of witnesses in the depositions and any other documents, unless it is directly relevant to the case. The bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice Victoria Gowri ordered notice on a plea filed by...

Presumption U/S 90 Of Evidence Act Applies When Will Which Is Over 30 Yrs Old Is Produced From Proper Custody: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court recently observed that when a Will, which is more than 30 years old, is produced from proper custody, the presumption under Section 90 of the Indian Evidence Act would be applicable to such will. According to Section 90 of the Indian Evidence Act (Section 92 of Bharatiya Sakshya Adhineeyam) when any document, purporting or proved to be 30 years old, is produced...

"Islamophobia On The Rise In India": Plea In Bombay HC Seeks FIR Against CM Eknath Shinde, BJPs Nitesh Rane For Allegedly Hurting Religious Sentiments

A Bandra-resident has moved the Bombay High Court seeking directions to the Maharashtra Police to register a criminal case against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP legislator Nitesh Rane, for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community and also for supporting or protecting the persons, who have been recklessly making objectionable comments against Prophet...

Loss Caused To Hundreds Of Home-Buyers: Punjab & Haryana HC Directs Trial Court To Conclude Trial Of Realtor In Fraud Case Within 4 Months

The Punjab & Haryana High Court said that a Court is obligated to ensure that 'justice not only has to be done but it should look to have done', while directing the trial court to conclude trial within four months in a complaint pertaining to fraud allegedly committed upon home buyers by Punjab realtor Jarnail Singh Bajwa.Justice Sandeep Moudgil said, "Speedy trial secures rights to...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Imposes Cost On University For Arbitrarily Denying Gold Medal To Student

Observing that educational institutions are supposed to not only be sensitive towards the careers of their students but they are also supposed to adhere to their own Rules, the Punjab & Haryana High Court imposed a cost of Rs.25,000 on a university for "arbitrarily" denying Gold Medal in MSc to a student.Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri said, "The respondent-University is an...

Assessing Officer Can't Issue Reassessment Notice On Mere 'Change Of Opinion' About Material Already Available At Time Of Scrutiny: Gujarat HC

The Gujarat High Court has reiterated that an Assessing Officer under the Income Tax Act 1961 cannot issue notice for re-assessment of income under Section 148, on mere “change of opinion” on the material which was already furnished by the assessee at the time of scrutiny under Section 143(2).Division bench of Justice Bhargav D. Karia and Justice Niral R. Mehta observed, “In our...

Female Lawyer Accuses Clerk Of Molesting Her Inside Calcutta High Court Elevator

A female lawyer at the Calcutta High Court has accused a male clerk of molesting her inside an elevator at the Calcutta High Court on Monday morning.According to reports, the lawyer stated that she was molested by the accused- a clerk working for an advocate when she was alone in the elevator with him.It was stated that the Group-D employee had also made advances on her before, promising...

Can Police Lodge FIR For Tax Evasion Or Is Income Tax Department The Correct Authority To Initiate Proceedings? Gujarat High Court Asks

While hearing a man's plea seeking quashing of a cheating FIR lodged in connection with alleged tax evasion, the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday (September 24) orally asked the State whether the police can lodge an FIR for tax evasion or is the income department department the "correct authority" to initiate such proceedings.The high court thereafter passed an interim order protecting the man...

ED Interrogations Lasting 14 Hrs "Not Heroic", Violate Human Dignity: Punjab & Haryana HC While Declaring Congress MLA's Arrest Illegal

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Enforcement Directorate to take remedial measures and sensitize its officers to follow some "reasonable time limit" for interrogations of suspects under PMLA, in one go.Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu said ED interrogation lasting for upto 15 hours in this case "is not heroic...rather it is against the dignity of a human being." For future, the...

'Foul Play Can't Be Ruled Out': Orissa HC Grants ₹2 Lakhs Interim Compensation For Unnatural Death Of Convicted Prisoner

The Orissa High Court ordered the State to pay an interim compensation of rupees two lakhs to the daughter of a convicted prisoner who was found hanging from the latrine adjacent to the prison cells.While the nature of death of the deceased was claimed to be 'suicidal', the Single Bench of Dr. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi said that possibility of 'foul play' cannot be ruled out and...