Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project : Bombay High Court Upholds Acquisition Of Godrej & Boyce's Plot At Vikhroli

The Bombay High Court on Thursday green flagged the bullet train project and refused to set aside the acquisition of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd's plot at Vikhroli."There are no irregularities in the acquisition...Project is of paramount importance...Public interest would prevail over private interest," a division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and MM Sathaye observed. The court...

Can't Let Them Suffer "Rough Side Of Life": JKL High Court Grants Bail To Father Of Two Minors Booked For Murder Of Their Mother

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court recently granted bail to a man, accused of killing his wife, to take care of their two minor daughters. Appreciating the sensitivity of the situation Justice Rahul Bharti said that it could ignore the hard fact that the two minor daughters while on the one hand had come to suffer loss of their mother for all times to come and on the other hand...

NSE Phone Tapping Case: Delhi High Court Grants Bail To Chitra Ramkrishna In Money Laundering Case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to former NSE (National Stock Exchange) CEO Chitra Ramkrishna in a money laundering case related to the alleged illegal phone tapping of employees by National Stock Exchange (NSE). Justice Jasmeet Singh said that prima facie, there are reasonable grounds to believe that Ramakrishna is not guilty of the offence and that she is not likely to commit...

Special Judge Under PC Act Can't Direct Investigating Agency To Obtain Prosecution Sanction While Ordering Further Investigation: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently held that the Special Judge, exercising jurisdiction under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is not empowered to direct the investigating agency to obtain sanction under Section 19 for prosecution of the accused while ordering further investigation under Section 173 Cr.P.C. The Single Judge Bench of Justice K. Babu observed:"It is the statutory duty...

No Fundamental Right To Poison Children, Can't Allow Outsourcing Of Midday Meal Kitchens: Bombay HC Orders Surprise Inspections At Malegaon Schools

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the civic body of Malegaon city in Maharashtra to conduct surprise inspections at 27 government aided schools and ascertain if they had operational kitchens and storage rooms to provide midday meals for its students. A division bench of Justices GS Patel and Neela Gokhale was hearing the schools’ petitions seeking directions to the...

Seashore Chit Fund Scam: Orissa High Court Declines To Quash Proceedings Against Ex-MP Rabindra Jena

The Orissa High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to set aside pending criminal proceedings against former Member of Parliament (MP) from Odisha’s Balasore Rabindra Kumar Jena, who is an accused in multi-crore Seashore chit fund scam. While denying relief to the ex-parliamentarian, the Single Bench of Justice Bibhu Prasad Routray said: “It is not that the money was...

Is Affinity Test Integral To Determine Caste Status? Supreme Court Commences Hearing On Reference

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, commenced with the hearing of the reference order which pertains to the question - whether the affinity test is integral to the determination of caste status made by the Caste Scrutiny Committee.The sub-stratum of the appellants’ argument was that though not alien to the process of caste status determination, the affinity test has corroborative value. The...

CBIC Allows Transhipment Of Bangladesh Export Cargo To Third Countries Through Delhi Air Cargo

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has allowed the transshipment of Bangladesh export cargo to third countries through Delhi Air Cargo.Following representations from interested parties, the Board decided to amend Circular 29/2020-Customs, dated June 22, 2020, to allow the transshipment of Bangladesh export cargo to third countries via Delhi Air Cargo.“Transhipment of...

1997 Melavalavu Massacre: Madras High Court Refuses To Interfere With Premature Release Of 13 Convicts

The Madras High Court has recently dismissed a batch of pleas challenging the premature release of 13 convicts who were convicted in the infamous Melavalavu Massacre. The Melavalavu Massacre was a caste-based violence where a group of men murdered seven people including the Village Panchayat President and Vice-President as they refused to accept a person from the Dalit Community as...

Plagiarism Row : Kerala HC Grants Anticipatory Bail To Producer & Director Of 'Kantara' On Condition To Not Use 'Varaharoopam' Song

UPDATE on February 10 : Supreme Court Stays HC's Bail Condition That "Varaharoopam" Song Shouldn't Be UsedThe Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Vijay Kirgandur and Rishab Shetty, the Producer and Director respectively of the Kannada superhit movie 'Kantara' in a case under the Copyright Act 1956 over plagiarism allegations relating to "Varaharoopam" song.Justice...

Works Contract Services Of Construction Of Railway Under Bridge Exigible To 18% GST: Karnataka AAR

The Karnataka Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR) has ruled that Indian Railways' contract services for the construction of the railway under the bridge are subject to 18% GST.The two-member bench of M.P. Ravi Prasad and Kiran T. Reddy has observed that contract services for the construction of tunnels executed for Indian Railways by the applicant is exigible to GST at 18% if the applicant...

Raise Quota Of Judicial Officers In High Court Judges' Appointment To 50% : Plea In Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has sought the responses of the Union Law Ministry and the Delhi High Court in an application seeking to increase ratio of judicial officers in the appointment of High Court judges to 50%. The notice was passed by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath while hearing an intervention application filed in the All India Judges Association case. Currently, the...