Motor Accident Tribunal Duty Bound To Award 'Just Compensation': Gujarat High Court Enhances Award To ₹24 Lakh

The Gujarat High Court enhanced the compensation granted to the family of a deceased pillion rider to over Rs.24 Lakhs, noting that the Motor Accident Tribunal had not properly considered the deceased's monthly income as well as damages under general and non-pecuniary heads. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 255]Justice JC Doshi observed that the tribunal should have a liberal approach while determining...

Supreme Court Lays Down Safeguards To Prevent Misuse Of POCSO Act In Child Custody Cases, Quashes False FIR Against Father

The Court cautioned against automatic arrest in such cases, and directed the invovlement of a child psychiatrist in the investigation.

'Penetration To Any Extent' Sufficient For Aggravated POCSO Assault: Himachal Pradesh High Court Upholds 20-Year Sentence

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that “penetration to any extent” is sufficient to constitute penetrative sexual assault under Section 3 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), even in the absence of physical injuries on the child. The Court made the observation while dismissing an appeal filed by Shyam Veer against his conviction under Section 6...

'Instagram Chat With Student Cannot Be Sole Material To Deny Bail': Bombay High Court Grants Bail To Tuition Teacher In POCSO Case

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a senior citizen running private tuition classes, who was booked under Sections 4, 8, 10 and 18 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, observing that an Instagram chat relied upon by the prosecution could not be the sole material for denying bail. The Court noted that the chat did not explicitly describe the alleged offence or...

'Cyber Crime Is Like An Addiction, It's All Easy Money': Supreme Court Refuses Bail

The Supreme Court has today (23 September) refused to grant bail to a man accused of cyber crime, remarking that cyber crime is like an addiction. It took note of the fact that the petitioner (accused) had three identical criminal antecedents against him. Noting that only one witness has been examined since last one year, it directed that the trial be completed within six months.A bench...

Scheduled Castes Commission Cannot Adjudicate Criminal Charges Or Declare Offences Proved: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that the State Scheduled Castes Commission exceeded its jurisdiction by recording that a charge under Section 3(1) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was proved and recommending registration of an FIR against the petitioner. The Court observed that such a determination rests with the criminal Court. [2026...

Madras High Court Permits Sri Lankan Couple To Undergo IVF Though Wife Crossed 50 Yrs, Says Age Limit Based On Living Conditions In India

The Madras High Court has permitted a Sri Lankan couple, settled in the United Kingdom to undergo In Vitro Fertilization treatment (IVF) in India even though the wife had crossed 50 years of age. [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 456] Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy noted that the upper age limit of 50 years under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act was fixed, considering the...

Amassing Disproportionate Assets Not Part Of Discharging Official Duty, Sanction Under Section 197 CrPC Not Necessary: Madras High Court

While refusing to discharge former Minister MRK Panneerselvam in a disproportionate assets case, the Madras High Court recently held that amassing wealth beyond the known sources of income was not an act that involved the discharge of official duties and, as such, a sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC was not necessary for proceeding against the same. 2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 455 Justice...

Karnataka High Court Sentences Advocate To 15 Days' Jail For Calling Trial Court Judgment A Result Of 'Match Fixing'

The Karnataka High Court has recently sentenced a lawyer from Chitradurga to simple imprisonment for a period of 15 days, after finding him guilty of criminal contempt in a suo motu petition registered through the Registrar General of the Court. [ 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 374]The Division Bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice H. Shanthi Bhushan passed the order, noting that the first charge...

Bihar Prohibition & Excise Act Not Applicable: Jharkhand High Court Sets Aside Reliance On Bihar Law In Vehicle Seizure Case

The Jharkhand High Court has held that the Bihar Prohibition & Excise Act, 2016, being a State legislation applicable to Bihar, cannot be applied to proceedings in Jharkhand.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary was hearing a petition filed by the owner of a commercial pick-up vehicle seized in connection with Pindrajora P.S. Case No. 18 of 2026 for allegedly transporting...

Touching A Child's Breasts With Sexual-Intent Constitutes Sexual Assault U/S 7 POCSO Act: Meghalaya High Court

The Meghalaya High Court has held that touching the breast of a child with sexual intent constitutes “sexual assault” under Section 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), even in the absence of penetration. The Court observed that the statutory definition expressly covers sexual-intent physical contact with the breast of a child and upheld the...

Brothel Customer Can't Be Booked For Running Premises Or Procuring Women For Prostitution: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has held that a customer at a brothel cannot be booked for running a brothel or procuring a person for prostitution under Immoral Traffic Act. [2026 LiveLaw (Guj) 251]In doing so the court quashed a 2010 FIR against a man under the Act, who was caught after a raid was conducted at a hotel allegedly being run as a brothel.The petitioner had approached the high court...