'We Are A Secular Country; There Is An Effort To Divide The Country By Religion' : Madras HC CJ

While hearing a public interest litigation before Madras High Court to mandate the customary dress code for entry inside temple complexes, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari expressed anguish at the divisive narratives in the name of religion.Reminding that our country is secular, the Chief Justice cautioned that there is an effort to divide the country by religion." What is of...

Indian Medical Students Unable To Rejoin Colleges In China Amid Covid-19 Travel Curbs: Delhi HC Issues Notice To MEA, NMC

About 150 Indian medical students enrolled in China have moved the Delhi High Court, seeking permission to pursue their physical training here, as they are unable to travel to China amid Covid-19 travel restrictions.The matter came up today before the division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh, which has issued notices to the respondents including Ministry of...

Deployment Of Central Forces For Bidhannagar Municipal Polls: Calcutta HC Directs SEC & WB Govt To Decide Within 12 Hours [Read Order]

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the State Election Commission to hold a joint meeting with officials of the West Bengal government within 12 hours and decide as to whether deployment of central paramilitary forces will be required for the peaceful conduct of the upcoming elections to the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.The Court further underscored that in case the State...

Plea Against 'Churuli' Movie For Excessive Use Of Abusive Language Dismissed By Kerala High Court [Read Judgment]

The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed the petition filed against the Malayalam movie 'Churuli'. The plea had alleged excessive use of abusive and obscene language.While pronouncing the operative part of the judgment today, Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan said,"Comments on a movie should be made after watching it. Similarly, comments on a judgment should be made after reading it."In the...

'10 Yrs Elapsed, CBI Couldn't Even Determine Motive, Unfortunate': Madras High Court Constitutes SIT To Probe Murder Of DMK Minister's Brother

In the ten-year-old gruesome murder case of K.N. Ramajayam in the heart of Trichy City, Madras High Court has ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team in the hopes that a logical conclusion will be reached about the culprit and the motive behind the murder. The deceased was the brother of DMK Minister KN Nehru.A single-judge bench of Justice V. Bharathidasan pronounced the...

Amendment To S.14 Of Kerala Lokayukta Act Unconstitutional, Dilutes Separation Of Powers: Plea Before High Court

A plea has reached the Kerala High Court challenging the recent amendment to Section 14 of the Lokayukta Act for allegedly diluting the judicial powers of the Lokayukta. The amendment ordinance had detonated a political storm in the State last month when it was first introduced by the Cabinet. The petitioner, a social worker, had challenged a certain decision of the State Cabinet taken as out...

Can Departmental Enquiry & Criminal Case Proceed Simultaneously With Identical Charge? Madhya Pradesh High Court Answers

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, recently prohibited departmental enquiry against an employee with respect to a charge identical to the one for which he was under trial in a criminal case. Justice Atul Sreedharan cited two reasons for doing so:First, the charge against the employee under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act involved complicated questions of fact and law.Second,...

Statement Of Co-Accused U/S 25 Evidence Act Inadmissible In Court But Significant For Investigation: Gujarat High Court Refuses To Quash FIR

The statement by a co-accused under Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act can be treated as a clue or piece of information for initiating and conducting investigation to find out whether there is any independent and satisfactory material for further investigation, the Gujarat Court has clarified. The Bench comprising Justice Vipul Pancholi made this observation while hearing an...

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane Granted Bail In Attempt To Murder Case Seven Days After Arrest

A Sessions Court in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra has granted bail to Nitesh Rane, BJP MLA from Kankavali and son of Union Minister Narayan Rane, in an attempt to murder case. He had surrendered in the case last week, on February 2, after a Sessions Court rejected his bail plea before spending any time in custody.Rane was initially remanded in police custody for two days, following which...

Allegations About Urban Local Bodies Engaging Contractors To Carry Out Manual Scavenging: Madras HC Seeks State's Response

In a writ petition filed by NGO Safai Karamchari Andolan for the eradication of manual scavenging from Tamil Nadu, Madras High Court has asked the state government to file a reply to the specific allegations made about urban local bodies in a 2021 writ miscellaneous petition.The Special Government Pleader has been granted four weeks time to file the reply.The first bench of Acting Chief...

NCLT Chennai Admits Application Initiating CIRP Against Coastal Energen Pvt. Ltd.

The NCLT, Chennai Bench comprising of R. Sucharitha (Judicial Member) and Sameer Kakar (Technical Member) in State Bank of India v. Coastal Energen Private Limited, admitted the application of State Bank of India/ Financial Creditor for initiation of CIRP against Coastal Energen Pvt. Ltd./ Corporate Debtor filed u/s 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The Applicant in...

'Misleading Statements Cannot Be Allowed Under Guise Of Free Speech': Calcutta HC Injuncts Chyawanprash Ads Of Baidyanath Ayurved For Disparaging Dabur Trademark

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday permanently injuncted four advertisements by the makers of Baidyanath Chyawanprash Special for being disparaging to all other brands of Chyawanprash including Dabur Chyawanprash. Justice Shekhar B Saraf was adjudicating upon a plea moved by Dabur seeking an injunction against the uploading of five advertisements that had allegedly disparaged the goodwill...