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...

Forcible Religious Conversion Under “Deep Coercion”: Uttarakhand High Court Rejects Bail To POCSO Accused, Flags Forged Aadhaar

The Uttarakhand High Court has denied bail to a man accused of POCSO offences, observing that the evidence in the case indicated a “systemic attempt of forcible religion conversion under deep coercion.” Importantly, the Court also took note of the alleged creation of a forged Aadhaar card under a false name, observing that it indicated the extent of the applicant's involvement in the...

'Fraud Committed To Obtain Compensation': Karnataka High Court Finds Collusion In Motor Accident Claim, Orders SIT Probe

The Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court ordered a SIT probe to investigate allegations of collusion by the claimant and the complainant in a motor accident claim, after observing that the parties had colluded to "manipulate the case" solely to obtain compensation from the insurance company. Justice Geetha K.B. upheld an MACT order dismissing a compensation claim and directed the...

NDPS Act | Arrest, Remand Vitiated If Accused Not Informed Quantity Of Contraband Seized From Him: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court recently held that an arrest or seizure under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act is vitiated if the accused is not informed about the quantity of contraband seized from him or the provisions under which he is charged. [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 453] Justice N Ramesh thus granted bail to an accused, accused of carrying 25kg of Ganja. The court noted that...

Karnataka High Court Quashes Case Over Instagram Post After Puneeth Rajkumar's Death, Warns Student To Be Careful On Social Media

The court said that timing, context of the post brought it within S.67 IT Act, but showed leniency considering student's age & future.

Common NDPS Search Notice Does Not Establish Accused Was Individually Informed Of His Rights: Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court has set aside a man's conviction in a cocaine possession case, after finding that the police had served a common notice to the appellant and other accused and the State had failed to establish that he was individually and meaningfully informed of his right under Section 50 NDPS Act before his personal search.[2026 LiveLaw (AP) 152]Section 50 pertains to conditions...

HP High Court Directs DGP To Issue Guidelines On Proving Age Of Child Victims, Cites Repeated Investigative Lapses

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, to circulate Section 94 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 along with necessary guidelines to all Investigating Officers, after observing that prosecution cases have failed due to lapses in collecting evidence relating to the age of child victims.A Division Bench...

Scolding Minor & Refusing To Return His Ball Which Damaged Shop Not Abetment Of Child's Suicide U/S 305 IPC: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held that refusal by a shopkeeper to hand back a playing ball to a minor and asking him to bring his father to take back the ball after which he allegedly got upset and died by suicide, does not amount to abetment of suicide of a child under Section 305 IPC. Section 305 concerns the offence of abetment of the suicide of a child or an insane person. To establish...

Absence Of Railway Ticket No Bar For Bona Fide Passenger To Claim Accident Compensation: AP High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that the absence of a railway ticket from a deceased passenger's belongings, by itself, does not mean that he was travelling without a ticket. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 216]In doing so, a Single Judge Bench of Justice Balaji Medamalli allowed an appeal filed by the parents of a deceased passenger and set aside the Railway Claims Tribunal's order dismissing...

'Sad State Of Affairs': Allahabad High Court Slams SP, DM Over Failure To Display Fairness In Gang Chart Approval

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday slammed the Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) posted in Bahraich district for being 'unmindful' of Constitutional Court Judgments requiring application of mind and display of fairness while approving gang charts under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986.A bench of Justice Manish Mathur...