'Higher Education Campuses Not Fungible': Rajasthan High Court Issues Guidelines To ECI On Use Of Universities During Elections

The Rajasthan High Court has issues directions to the Election Commission of India (“ECI”) to the effect that as far as practicable, universities and colleges, imparting higher education should not be used as polling stations or for any other election-related purposes during general elections.The bench of Justice Sameer Jain observed that while the conduct of general elections was...

Preliminary Enquiry Can't Be Sole Basis For Dismissal Once Regular Enquiry Fails: Rajasthan High Court Reinstates Constable

Rajasthan High Court set aside the dismissal of a police constable imposed by senior police authority while exercising suo-motu review powers under Rule 32 of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, opining that preliminary enquiry could not be made sole basis of punishment when such material did not come on record during the regular enquiry.The bench of...

Rajasthan High Court Issues Notice On Challenge To Advocates Welfare Fund Amendment Enhancing Vakalatnama Stamp, Membership Fees

Rajasthan High Court issued notice on a petition challenging the validity of Rajasthan Advocates Welfare Fund (Amendment) Act, 2020 (“2020 Act”), that enhanced the stamp fee on Vakalatnama by 4 times, along with enhancement in the membership fee for the Rajasthan Advocates Welfare fund established under the Rajasthan Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1987 (“Act”).The petition submitted that...

Rajasthan High Court Reserves Verdict On Film-Maker Vikram Bhatt's Plea To Quash FIR Over ₹42 Crore Alleged Cheating Case

The Rajasthan High Court reserved verdict on a plea moved by producer and film-maker Vikram Bhatt seeking quashing of an FIR for allegedly cheating the complainant of Rs. 42 crore and had taken advances under the garb of making films. The FIR was registered against Bhatt following his arrest on December 7. Justice Sameer Jain was hearing pleas by two petitioners Vikram Bhatt and Gangeshwar...

Severe Dementia Not Enough To Stall Trial Unless Medical Board Certifies: Rajasthan High Court Directs Re-Evaluation Of Accused's Fitness

The Rajasthan High Court directed a fresh medical revaluation of an accused undergoing trial–stated to be suffering from severe dementia, observing that the previous medical board's report did not clearly specify whether the accused was fit enough to understand the proceedings against him. In doing so the court observed that when an accused claims to be suffering from "unsound mind" the...

Caste Abuse Inside Closed Shop Not In 'Public View': Rajasthan High Court Sets Aside 31-Year-Old SC/ST Act Conviction

The Rajasthan High Court allowed an appeal against a 1994 conviction of a seller under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (“the Act”) who allegedly abused a purchaser based on his caste, opining that caste based abuse inside the four walls of a closed showroom did not fulfill the essential ingredients of Section 3(1)(x) of the Act.The bench of Justice Farjand Ali observed...

Gas Regulators Not 'Essential Commodities' Unless Notified: Rajasthan High Court Sets Aside 27-Year-Old Conviction

The bench of Justice Farjand Ali at the Rajasthan High Court set aside a 1998 conviction of the appellant under the Essential Commodities Act, 1998 (“the Act”) opining that gas-regulators by themselves could not be treated as “essential commodities” under the Act unless specifically notified by law.The appellant was allegedly found to be in the possession of 38 gas regulators...

Rajasthan HC Refuses To Send Woman Back To Jail Despite Earlier Sentence Reduction Being Based On Erroneous Assumption Of Period Served

Rajasthan High Court denied sending a woman back to jail whose punishment for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was reduced by the division court 15 years ago based on an erroneous assumption that she was had already undergone a period of almost 8 years in jail, when in actuality she had been in prison for only around 2 years.The division bench of Justice Farjand Ali...

Rajasthan High Court Issues Notice To Saudi Embassy Over Delay In Repatriation Of Indian Worker's Mortal Remains

The Rajasthan High Court has issued notice to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia located in New Delhi to expedite the repatriation of mortal remains of the petitioner's son who was working there and passed away in November 2025.The bench of Dr. Justice Nupur Bhati was hearing a petition filed by a father whose son was working in Saudi Arabia on a valid work visa, and passed away...

Peaceful Public Protests Can't Attract Penal Action: Rajasthan High Court Allows Withdrawal Of Cases Against State Minister, Ex-MLA

The Rajasthan High Court has granted leave to the State Government permitting withdrawal of prosecution against a former MLA and State's Minister for School Education, opining that the public unrest, as alleged in the FIRs, had arisen out of the issues involving public interest and was not driven by any personal motive.The bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand took note of the fact that...

Rajasthan High Court Denies Bail In Alleged ₹95-Crore Online Gaming GST Scam, Flags Foreign Links & Evidence-Tampering Risk

The Rajasthan High Court denied bail to applicants accused of facilitating a racket involving GST evasion of over Rs. 95 Crore, by onboarding certain companies with various online payment aggregators for receipt of online gaming revenues.The bench of Justice Sameer Jain opined that the alleged conduct was a serious white-collar crime with a potential significant impact on the nation's...

NDPS Act Has Overriding Effect Even In Customs Area: Rajasthan High Court Refuses Bail In ₹15.5 Crore Hydroponic Weed Seizure

The Rajasthan High Court recently accepted and confirmed the act of the Customs Department not invoking the provisions of the Customs Act in a case involving alleged smuggling of Hydroponic Weed from Bangkok, caught at the Airport, affirming that the NDPS Act being a special statute has overriding effect over the Customs Act, in light of its Section 80.Furthermore, the bench of Justice...