Kottiyoor Rape Case: Kerala High Court Reduces Sentence Awarded To Former Priest To 10 Yrs Imprisonment

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday reduced the sentence imposed on former priest Robin Mathew Vadakkumchery in the infamous Kottiyoor rape case that had shaken the public conscience, where he was accused of raping and impregnating a minor girl in 2016.The POCSO court at Thalassery had sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 376 (2)(f) of IPC and provisions of the...

Puducherry Local Body Elections: Madras High Court To Decide If Reservation For Backward Classes Is Mandatory

In a batch of petitions challenging the withdrawal of reservation for Backward Classes (BC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the upcoming Puducherry local body elections, the Madras High Court is set to examine if providing reservation for BC is mandatory as per the Constitutional provisions or not.The bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P.D Audikesavalu will take...

'Raised Legitimate Public Issue; No Adverse Consequence Ensued': Madras HC Quashes FIR Over Protest Gathering During Pandemic

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has quashed an FIR registered against a member of the political party for organizing protest in November 2020, the peak days of Covid-19 pandemic. "…The petitioner is a member of the political party. They have only raised a legitimate public issue. As a result of the petitioner's conduct, no adverse consequence ensued. The accused has not indulged in...

Dearth of Members, NCLT Benches At Chennai Not Fully Functional: Madras High Court Asks Centre To Clarify

In a public interest litigation filed before Madras High Court for directions to make the NCLT Benches in Chennai fully functional, the respondents including Union of India, NCLT and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India has been asked to clarify if a single technical member of the Bench at Chennai has been discharging the duties of the NCLT Bench in Kochi...

Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Bhojpuri Actress's Plea Against Hacking Of Her Facebook Page, Restoration Of Account

The Delhi High Court has issued notice on the plea filed by a Bhojpuri Actress, Neha Shree seeking registration of FIR and subsequent investigation regarding hacking of her Facebook Page and account. Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar sought response of Facebook, Delhi Government and city Cyber Cell in the plea which also sought direction on Facebook to restore the access of the Facebook page and...

Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Pleas Seeking Recognition Of Marriage Of Lesbian Couples, Transgender Persons

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Central Government on two pleas seeking recognition of marriage of Transgender persons and lesbian couples.The Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh clubbed the petitions with a batch of pleas concerning recognition and registration of same-sex marriages in the country, posted for hearing on February 3.The plea...

Plea Before Kerala High Court Challenges Vice Chancellor's Reappointment At Kannur University

A plea has reached the Kerala High Court challenging the reappointment of one Dr. Gopinath Ravindran as the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur UniversityThe petitioners include an elected member of the senate and a member of the academic council of the University. They approached the court seeking a writ of quo-warranto against Ravindran, who was reappointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the...

Ramesh Jarkiholi Sex CD Case : Karnataka HC Asks SIT To File Application If It Seeks Permission To Submit Final Report

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file an application to permit it to file its final report in the alleged sex cd scandal case involving former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.A division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum said, "It is to be noted that court vide order dated July 27, had restrained...

'Online Gambling Bigger Menace Than Alcohol' : Advocate General Defends Karnataka Police(Amendment) Act 2021

The State Government on Tuesday informed the Karnataka High Court that Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act 2021, by which it has banned all kinds of online gaming, is a social legislation. Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi submitted that the, "Object of this enactment is to prohibit activity which is injurious to public health and order." A division bench of Chief Justice Ritu...

"Read Entire Judgments": Calcutta HC Asks Trial Courts To Stop Relying Upon Non-Binding Observations Of SC, HCs

In a significant direction, the Calcutta High Court has asked the trial courts across the state to stop the 'serious adverse trend' to rely upon the non-binding observations (obiter dicta) of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and read the entire judgments before applying the same in a case being dealt with by it.Stressing that 'cut copy paste' judgments make a serious adverse trend...

Delhi High Court Upholds Rejection Of Man From ITBP Recruitment For Having Tattoo On Right Saluting Arm

The Delhi High Court has recently upheld the rejection of a man against the post of Constable (Driver) in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) for the reason of him having a tattoo on his right saluting arm. "This Court is of the view that the stipulation of disqualification of tattoo on the right arm is a classification that is based on an intelligible differentia and the...

Take Expeditious Efforts To Accommodate Her: Kerala High Court After Sexual Assualt Survivor Allegedly Denied School Admission

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed that all efforts shall be taken in an expeditious manner to ensure that the child is provided with a seat in the government school after her mother alleged that she was being denied admission. Justice Raja Vijayaraghava was adjudicating upon a plea filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who had fallen prey to sexual abuse. In her plea, she had...