S. 50 NDPS Act Applies Only To Personal Search, Not When Recovery Is From Articles Carried By Accused : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 21) observed that the protection under Section 50 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, to be searched in the presence of a Gazetted Officer or a Magistrate, would be available during the personal search of an accused and doesn't extend to searches when the accused was carrying a bag, container, or any other object. “The...

JJ Act - Murder Is 'Heinous Offence', Not 'Serious Offence'; S 302 IPC Implies Minimum Life Sentence: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that the offence of murder punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (now Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) is a "heinous offence" under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, ruling that imprisonment for life constitutes its implied minimum punishment even though the provision does not expressly prescribe...

ED Free To Act If Illegality Found During Probe Into Disproportionate Assets Complaint Against Rahul Gandhi: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court on Monday observed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is not helpless and may proceed strictly in accordance with the law if its probe into a complaint alleging 'disproportionate assets' against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reveals any "misdeed or illegal act".Simultaneously, observing that the affidavit filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)...

Failure To Communicate Grounds Of Arrest To Uneducated Accused In Understandable Manner Vitiates Arrest: Tripura High Court Grants Bail

The Tripura High Court has granted bail to an accused booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after holding that the prosecution failed to establish that the grounds of arrest were effectively communicated to him in a language he understood. The Court Noted that the investigating officer had described the accused as "uneducated" and admitted that he did not...

Touching Child's Chest With Sexual Intent Attracts POCSO Act, 'Chest' And 'Breast' Distinction Immaterial: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that an accused grabbing a child's chest with sexual intent would satisfy the requirement of sexual assault prescribed under Section 7 POCSO Act, and that the anatomical different between chest and breast is immaterial. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 386]For context, Section 7 states that whoever, with sexual intent, touches the vagina, penis, anus or breast of the child...

Repeatedly Calling Child Victims In POCSO Cases To Relive Trauma Violates Their Right To Life: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court recently observed that a child victim in POCSO cases cannot be called to the court repeatedly and made to relive the trauma. [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 329] Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy remarked that society does not often understand the mental trauma that a child experiences when subjected to sexual harassment. The court added that though the Protection of Children...

Seized Money Can't Be Retained After Acquittal: Rajasthan High Court Orders Release Of ₹7.35 Lakh In Gambling Case, Seeks I-T Verification

The Rajasthan High Court has held that once a party stands acquitted in a gambling case, based on withdrawal of the criminal case, there is no reason to retain the seized money in the Treasury or in the Government Fund. The bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand thus directed the authorities to release the amount seized from the petitioner, subject to the condition that the petitioner shall...

Major Unmarried Daughter Can Seek Educational Expenses For Post-Graduation Under Domestic Violence Act: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held that a father is obligated to bear the educational expenses of his unmarried daughter pursuing postgraduate medical studies under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, even after she has attained majority, observing that the parental obligation to provide education does not cease merely because the child has become an adult. [2026...

NI Court, Commercial Court Proceedings Stand On Equal Footing; Accused Entitled To Original Records For Defence: Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has held that proceedings before a Court established under the Negotiable Instruments Act and a Commercial Court stand on an equal footing, and an accused cannot be denied access to original records necessary for his defence merely because they have been summoned in parallel proceedings. The bench of Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu observed that the right to a fair...

JJ Act | Media Can't Publish Identity Of Child Victim On Ground That It Was Done In Child's Interest: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has recently dismissed a criminal petition filed by a journalist and an editor of a Newspaper Daily, accused of publishing a news report disclosing the identity of a child victim of assault. 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 257The single judge bench of Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde upheld the ongoing prosecution under Section 74(1) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection...

Passenger's Failure To Take Precaution Subordinate To Public Bus Operator's Duty Of Care: AP High Court Enhances Accident Compensation

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has observed that a public transport operator's duty of care outweighs a passenger's failure to exercise caution. [2026 LiveLaw (AP) 131]It thus enhanced the compensation payable to the family of a man who died after being run over by an APSRTC bus— from Rs. 3.85 lakh to Rs. 8.40 lakh. A Single Judge Bench of Justice A. Hari Haranadha Sarma dismissed...

Chhattisgarh High Court Increases Accident Compensation By ₹37 Lakh, Says Victim's IT Returns Cannot Be Discarded During Calculation

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that Income Tax Returns, once duly produced and exhibited, constitute relevant documentary evidence for determining the income of a deceased while assessing compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act. The Court held that such returns cannot be discarded merely on the ground that the income disclosed therein is based on estimation. [2026 LiveLaw (Chh)...