Widow Denied PM Awas Benefits For 7 Yrs Due To Forgery Of Govt Official: Orissa HC Orders Immediate Disbursal Of Benefit, Recovery From Salary

The Orissa High Court has ordered the Panchayati Raj Department to immediately disburse the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) to an elderly widow who, despite of being eligible to get the benefits, was deprived of the same due to forgery committed by a person in collusion with a government official.Underlining the unjust and illegal deprivation caused to the lady due to no fault of her own, the Single Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra observed –“…this Court is of...

Take Proper Safety Measures While Burning Ravan Effigy On Dussehra; No High-Decibel DJs During Durga Puja: Orissa HC To Cuttack Authorities

The Orissa High Court has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack to ensure that no high-decibel DJs or loud music is played during the upcoming Durga Puja festivities. It has also ordered the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) as well as the Commissionerate of Police to coordinate for smooth celebration of 'Ravan Podi Utsav' (Ravan effigy burning).A special Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice V. Narasingh was hearing a suo moto writ petition concerning the civil...

Virtually Train Tahasildars & Revenue Officials On Proper Issuance Of 'Eviction Notice': Orissa HC To Revenue Department

In a peculiar development, the Orissa High Court has ordered the Revenue and Disaster Management Department of the Government of Odisha to conduct an online training program for all Tahasildars as well as Revenue officials in the State as to how to issue an 'eviction notice' with detailed particulars.The Court was hearing a writ petition challenging an encroachment proceeding initiated...

Not Mandatory To Give Opportunity Of Hearing To Delinquent Employee In 'Fact Finding Inquiry': Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that an inquiry conducted by a fact find committee is an administrative mechanism which is instituted only to ascertain facts on the basis of which a disciplinary inquiry is contemplated and thus, there is no need to provide opportunity of hearing to the delinquent employee at such stage.Differentiating between 'fact finding inquiry' and 'disciplinary inquiry',...

Stop Constructing Durga Puja Mandaps Over Public Road To Avoid Traffic Congestions: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has expressed concern over erection of bamboo structures within the perimeters of public roads and ordered that no mandap/pandal shall be constructed over the roads to celebrate the upcoming Durga Puja.A Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice V. Narasingh was hearing a suo moto PIL concerning the civil issues of city of Cuttack.On a previous date...

'Justice Is Blind But Judges Are Not Sightless': Orissa HC Warns Lawyer For Submitting Fake Certificate To Show Juvenility Of Murder Convict

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday dropped the contempt proceedings against the brother-in-law of a murder convict for submitting forged school transfer certificate to take the plea of juvenility on his behalf, who is serving life sentence.Giving serious warning to the lawyer for facilitating the same, the Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash held that...

'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...

Orissa High Court Issues Standing Order Instructing Lawyers To Desist From Pleading Law & Case Laws In Counter Affidavits

The Orissa High Court has passed a Standing Order instructing lawyers to desist from pleading laws in the counter affidavits so also to refrain from quoting therein the precedents/observations made by Courts.The Standing Order came as a corollary to an order passed by the Apex Court on July 8, 2024 in Jaiki Singh v. Shrawan Sharma & Anr., wherein it had cautioned the lawyers against...

Bharatpur Army Officer & Lawyer Assault: Orissa HC Takes Suo Moto Cognizance, Restrains Media From Publishing Identity Of Victims

The Orissa High Court on Monday took suo moto cognizance of the issue pertaining to alleged custodial torture meted out to an Army official and his female lawyer friend in Bharatpur police station of Bhubaneswar. The action came subsequent to the letter of Lieutenant General PS Shekhawat, General Officer Commanding & Colonel which urged the Chief Justice to take suo moto...

Senior Advocate Designation | Permanent Committee Not Empowered To Withhold/Defer Candidature Of Some Advocates From Full Court: Orissa HC

In an important development, the Orissa High Court has held that the 'Permanent Committee' constituted for designation of Senior Advocates is not empowered to withhold/eliminate/defer candidature of some Advocates without submitting their names to the Full Court for consideration.Clarifying the scope of functioning of the 'Permanent Committee', the Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo...

S. 2(h) Orissa Entry Tax Act | Tractor Trolley Not 'Motor Vehicle' & Not Amenable To Entry Tax: High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that tractor trailer/trolley is not a 'motor vehicle' as per Section 2(h) of the Orissa Entry Tax Act, 1999 ('OET Act') and therefore, not amenable to entry tax as per the said statute.Interpreting the meaning of 'motor vehicle' as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 ('MV Act') as well as the OET Act, the Division Bench of Justice Arindam Sinha and Justice...

Orissa High Court Grants Bail To Lawyer-Friend Of Army Major Allegedly Assaulted By Police, Criticizes Lower Court's "Format Order"

The Orissa High Court granted bail to the female friend of an Army Major on Wednesday, who was allegedly subjected to custodial torture and was arrested subsequent to a broil with police personnel of Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar.After taking up the matter urgently for hearing, the Single Bench of Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra came down heavily upon the police personnel for assault...