'Complete Apathy': Concerned By Police Treatment Of Juvenile, Orissa High Court Registers PIL Over 'Rampant Violation' Of JJ Act

Taking a grim view of the police administration's handling of a minor inside a police station, the Orissa High Court recently converted a habeas corpus writ petition into a regular Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to comprehensively tackle the “rampant violation and/or implementation” of various provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act concerning children. A Bench of...

'State Can't Indefinitely Extract Work Through Temporary Posts': Orissa High Court Orders Regularization Of Pharmacist Terminated After 14 Yrs Service

The Orissa High Court has recently held that the State cannot abruptly and arbitrarily remove a person holding a non-sanctioned temporary post, on the ground of contractual nature of her service or financial and administrative constraints for regularization, after extracting regular work from her for decades. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 66]While upholding a Single Bench order which granted relief to...

Can Production Warrant Override A Subsisting 'No Coercive Action' Order? Orissa High Court Answers

The Orissa High Court has held that a 'production warrant' under Section 267 of the Code Criminal Procedure (CrPC) cannot be issued against an accused, violating an interim protection order of the higher Court, merely because he is already lodged in the judicial custody in connection with another case. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 65]While setting aside production warrant and subsequent police...

'Wife Can't Be Treated As Chattel': Orissa High Court Imposes ₹50K Costs On Husband For Filing Habeas Corpus Plea In Matrimonial Dispute

The Orissa High Court has recently dismissed a writ petition in the nature habeas corpus filed by a husband and imposed an exemplary cost of rupees fifty thousand on him for litigating to secure custody of his wife, who had left matrimonial home out of her own volition due to marital disharmony.Terming the case to be a “classical example” of husband pressurizing wife of conjugal union...

'Even Jailed Convict Entitled To Fair Wages': Orissa High Court Orders Release Of Lecturer's Salary Withheld Pending Disciplinary Action

The Orissa High Court has upheld an order passed by a Single Bench in 2024 which directed the government to release the accrued salary of a lecturer who has been denied pay since November, 2022 on the ground of pending disciplinary proceeding. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 62]Providing relief to the employee, the Division Bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad and Justice Chittaranjan Dash held...

'Medical Evidence Alone Can't Prove Authorship Of Crime': Orissa High Court Acquits Man In 2002 Witchcraft Murder

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday (June 23) acquitted a man who was convicted by a Sessions Court in 2003 for committing murder of a person suspecting him to be practising witchcraft.Finding lack of evidence against the appellant/convict and significant gaps in the prosecution case, the Bench of Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Sashikanta Mishra held–“Defence has not disputed...

Police Must Electronically Inform Jurisdictional Court Of Date, Time & Place Of Out-Of-State Arrest Without Warrant: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that whenever a person is arrested without warrant outside the State, the arresting officer must immediately inform the jurisdictional court of the date, time and place of arrest through electronic means, including e-mail. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 61]Issuing a slew of guidelines to ensure fairness in arrests made outside the jurisdiction of the court,...

S. 457 CrPC | Magistrate Can't Unilaterally Cancel Interim Release Of Seized Property Without Giving Opportunity Of Hearing: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that a Magistrate cannot unilaterally cancel/recall his previous order under Section 457 CrPC granting interim release/zima of a seized property in favour of a party, without affording an opportunity of hearing to the zimadar, except in case of violation of conditions of such release. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 60]A Bench of Dr. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi was of...

Orissa High Court Directs DGP To Ensure Arrest Memos Mention Written Grounds Of Arrest In Language Understood By Arrestee

The Orissa High Court has ordered the Director General of Police (DGP) to put out a circular mandating all the concerned police officials of the State to mandatorily provide grounds of arrest in the arrest memorandum in a language understood by the accused/arrestee. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 59]While declining to quash the arrest and remand of certain persons accused of peddling ganja in excess...

Warning Against Filing Frivolous Petitions Doesn't Make Interlocutory Order Revisable: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that the cautionary observation of a Magistrate, while rejecting a plea seeking cancellation of bail, asking parties not to file “frivolous and vexatious petitions in future” is interlocutory in nature, which cannot be challenged in revision under Section 397 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 58]Reversing the findings of the...

'Judicial Orders Not Being Given Importance': Orissa High Court Raps Police Over 8-Month Delay In FIR Registration Despite Magistrate's Order

The Orissa High Court has expressed disappointment over lackadaisical attitude of police resulting in eight-months delay in registration of FIR despite Magisterial order in a case concerning financial exploitation of an elderly woman from the Scheduled Caste community. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 57]Dismissing the explanation furnished by the concerned Inspector-In-Charge (IIC), the Bench of...

'Scant Regard' For Judicial Orders By Police Delays Justice, Floods High Court With Petitions: Orissa High Court Asks DGP To Intervene

The Orissa High Court has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to pass necessary instructions to the Superintendents of Police (SPs) all across the State to ensure regular and strict execution of judicial orders by police officials, especially at the level of Inspectors In-Charge (IICs). [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 56]While deciding a suo moto contempt proceeding initiated against an IIC...