Punjab & Haryana High Court Declares Govt's 'Socio-Economic Criteria' For Giving Extra Marks In Govt Jobs Recruitment Unconstitutional

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has declared "unconstitutional", the socio-economic criteria introduced by the Haryana government for granting additional marks in state government jobs.Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sudeepti Sharma set aside the criteria, stating that it is violative of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution of India.The Court was hearing a batch of...

'Witnesses Cannot Be Expected To Present Parrot-Like Version Before Trial Court': Punjab & Haryana High Court Upholds Conviction In Murder Case

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has upheld the conviction in a murder case observing that the witnesses cannot be expected to present parrot-like version to the Trial Court.The Court rejected the "various inconsistencies appearing in the testimonies" of witnesses contended by the accused.Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill and Justice N.S. Shekhawat said, "When the witnesses were deposing after...

Failure To Fulfil Promise To Marry Doesn't Automatically Attract Offence Of Rape, 'Intention To Deceive' Must: Punjab & Haryana High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has acquitted a man accused of committing rape on pretext of false promise to marry the alleged victim, observing that the failure on the part of the accused to fulfill his promise "cannot be construed to mean that the promise itself was false."Justice Harpreet Singh Brar noted that, "there is no allegation in the testimony or the statement of the victim...

No Bar To Grant Anticipatory Bail To Child In Conflict With Law: Punjab & Haryana High Court Follows 'Broader View' Amidst Conflicting Opinions

Taking a "broader view", the Punjab & Haryana High Court has held that there is no bar under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) to grant bail to Child In Conflict with Law (CICL).Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji said, "Once a protection is granted to adults as such under Section 438 Cr.P.C. on the ground of apprehension...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Stays Order Directing Journalist Rahul Pandita To Pay Rs 50 Lakh Compensation For Writing Allegedly Defamatory Article

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has directed a stay on the execution of a decree till the next hearing, wherein a Mohali Court had directed journalist Rahul Pandita to give Rs. 50 lakh in compensation to a CRPF officer, for allegedly writing a defamatory article in The Hindu in 2014 against him.Pandita had allegedly written an article with respect to an encounter between CPI Maoists and...

State's Special Investigation Cells Not Exempt From Installing CCTVs: High Court Issues Contempt Notice To Haryana DGP For Violating SC Judgment

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued contempt notice to Haryana's Director General of Police (DGP) for wilful disobedience of Supreme Court's directions to install CCTV in all police stations including special cells and units where investigation takes place.The development came after Haryana Government submitted that Supreme Court's direction in Paramvir Singh Saini case was only...

[Rape Of Intellectually Disabled Minor] P&H HC Flags 'Lackadaisical Approach' Of Police In Collecting DNA, Seeks Affidavit Of DGP On Compliance Of Guidelines

Raising concern on the "lackadaisical attitude" of police in collecting DNA samples, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has directed the DGPs of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to submit an affidavit on compliance with the High Court's direction to mandatorily adhere to Section 53-A of the CrPC.Section 53A CrPC pertains to the medical examination of a person accused of committing...

Falling Female Ratio Is Shameful Ground Reality, Officers Must Work To Curb Female Foetecide: P&H HC Rejects Pre-Arrest Bail Of PNDT Clerk Booked For Corruption

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of a nodal officer's clerk under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, [PNDT Act] who allegedly in collusion with the officer, demanded a bribe from a doctor to settle the notice issued to him, under PNDT Act.Justice Anoop Chitkara observed, "the Nodal Agencies under the PNDT are supposed...

[Farmers Protest] Punjab Protestor Was Shot Dead In Haryana: High Court Directs Govt To Send Post-Mortem Records To FSL To Ascertain Cause Of Death

The Judicial probe committee has submitted an interim report before the Punjab & Haryana High Court that deceased Subh Karan Singh who was hit by the pellets "in Haryana" during farmers' protest. However, regarding the cause of death and which type of weapon was used, the Committee has opined that it would be appropriate to direct the investigating agency to get a report from the...

Mahendragarh School Bus Accident: School Needs To Take Responsibility For Lack Of Care; Can't Play Blame Game: P&H HC Rejects Director's Anticipatory Bail Plea

Observing that school cannot "play the blame game", the Punjab & Haryana High Court has refused to grant pre-arrest bail to the Director of a school whose bus met with an accident allegedly because the driver was drunk, in Haryana's Mahendergarh.On April 11, in a dreadful accident, 6 students lost their lives and several were injured when the school bus driver, who was allegedly drunk,...

Why Ram Rahim Singh Was Acquitted In 2002 Murder Case? Punjab & Haryana High Court Belies Polygraph Test, Says CBI Coerced Key Witness

In its 163-page judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others who were sentenced to life imprisonment by a CBI court in the 2002 Ranjit Singh murder case.A division bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Lalit Batra found the CBI, which took over the probe in November 2023, failed to establish the motive of...

S.52A(2) NDPS Act | Merely Showing Sample Was Drawn In Presence Of Gazetted Officer Not Sufficient Compliance, Need To Prove Presence Of Magistrate: P&H High Court

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has acquitted a man convicted in a drugs case wherein no evidence was produced that the samples were drawn in the presence of the Magistrate in compliance with Section 52A of the NDPS Act.Sub-section (1) of Section 52A of the NDPS Act facilitates the Central Government a mode to be prescribed to dispose of the seized narcotic substance. Sub-section (2)...