Cess Levied On Cinema Tickets U/S 3C Of Kerala Local Authorities Entertainment Tax Act Is Constitutionally Valid: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has stated that cess levied on cinema tickets under Section 3C Of Kerala Local Authorities Entertainment Tax Act is constitutionally Valid. “Cess can also mean a tax levied for a special purpose or as an increment to the existing tax and, in given circumstances, a fee. In the case at hand, entertainment tax is already levied under the Act of 1961 and the...

Narsinghanand Case | Can A Citizen's Dissatisfaction With State Action Be Considered 'Subversive' Activity? : Asks Allahabad HC On Zubair's Plea

The Allahabad High Court today extended the stay on the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair until February 18 in connection with an FIR against him over his alleged X Post (formerly Twitter) on Yati Narsinghanand's 'derogatory' speech. During the hearing, a bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Yogendra Kumar Srivastava asked the complainant's counsel if a...

HMA | Conviction Of Spouse For Murder Amounts To Cruelty, Punjab & Haryana HC Grants Divorce To Man Whose Wife Killed Their Children

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted divorce on ground of "cruelty" under the Hindu Marriage Act to a man whose wife was convicted for murdering their children.Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bunger said, "the conviction of the respondent and sentence of life imprisonment under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder has caused mental pain, agony and apprehension in...

'India's Got Latent' Row | YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani Moves High Court Seeking Anticipatory Bail In Guwahati Police FIR

YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani has moved the Gauhati High Court seeking Anticipatory Bail in connection with the FIR lodged against him by the Guwahati Police over the alleged obscene and controversial comments made in an episode of India's Got Latent.The FIR registered on February 12 has invoked Sections – 79 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 95 (Hiring,...

'Courts Can't Interfere In Executive Function Of Pay Commission, Delhi High Court Dismisses Petition Claiming Pay Parity

A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul held that the Petitioner who was an Advisor (Nutrition) could not be granted the same salary as that of the Advisor (Ayurveda) and Advisor (Homeopathy). The Bench held that since the posts were different, it could not be expected that the nature of duties performed by the employees could be the...

Deportation From USA | P&H HC Directs State To Decide On Plea Against Fake Travel Agents, Seeking Establishing Of Emigration Check Posts In Punjab

The Punjab & Haryana High Court today directed the State authorities to decide representation within a month on a plea filed seeking action against fake travel agents and for establishing an immigration check post in Punjab to prevent illegal immigration from Punjab to United States of America via "donkey route” (illegal means).Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Harmeet Singh...

Madras High Court Orders CBI Probe Into Illegal Beach Sand Mining, Says 'Political Nexus' Cannot Be Ruled Out

The Madras High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the large-scale illegal mining of beach sand that has caused a huge loss to the Tamil Nadu state exchequer to the tune of ₹5,832 Crore. The division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman held that the facts of the issue- granting mining lease/approvals, permitting illegal inclusion of monazite in mining lease,...

UCC Challenge | 'You Brazenly Live Together Sans Marriage, What Privacy Is Invaded?; State Isn't Saying No To Live-In': Uttarakhand HC Orally Remarks

While hearing another writ petition filed by a 23-year-old man challenging specific provisions of Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code (UCC), particularly the mandatory registration of live-in relationships, the Uttarakhand High Court today orally remarked that the state government is not prohibiting live-in relationships but is only providing for their registration, which does not equate to...

Trial Courts Cannot Deny Video Conferencing Facility To Lawyers, Litigants: Madras High Court

While directing the Puzhal prison authorities to ensure basic facilities to an undertrial prisoner, the Madras High Court highlighted that video conferencing facility, on which the High Court has even framed rules, cannot be denied to lawyers by the trial/special courts. The bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman was hearing the plea of an undertrial prisoner accused in...

Yati Narsinghanand Case | Posted On 'X' As Part Of My Professional Obligation, No Offence Committed Under BNS/IPC: Mohd Zubair To Allahabad HC

Challenging the Ghaziabad Police's FIR lodged against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair over his alleged X Post on Yati Narsinghanand's 'derogatory' speech, his counsel today submitted before the Allahabad High Court that Zubair's Posts were made as part of his professional obligation as a fact checker and that such posts do not amount to any offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or...

Hate Speech Case: Kerala HC Expresses Disinclination To Grant Anticipatory Bail To Former MLA PC George, Notes Repeated Flouting Of Orders

The Kerala High Court has expressed its disinclination to grant anticipatory bail to former MLA PC George, booked for allegedly making hate speech against the Muslim community during a channel debate.Justice P V Kunhikrishnan remarked that PC George has been repeatedly flouting the orders of the Magistrate Court as well as that of the High Court. The High Court had previously granted him bail...

ICC Cannot Proceed With A Complaint Under POSH Act If It Does Not Contain Allegation Of Sexual Harassment: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that an Internal Complaints Committee cannot proceed with a compliant if the allegations made in it does not constitute 'sexual harassment' under Section 2(n) of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). Justice D. K. Singh said that in such cases, the jurisdictional fact for taking cognizance does...