[NCC Act] "Person Cannot Be Denied A Legitimate Right Only Because She is A Transgender", Observes Kerala High Court

"Person cannot be denied a legitimate right only because she is a transgender", noted Justice Devan Ramachandran while hearing a plea filed by a transwoman, challenging Section 6 of the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948 as illegal and ultra vires of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The Act has been challenged to the extent that it excludes the transgender community...

Allahabad High Court Holds That 3 Years Limitation For Filing Claim Petition Is Applicable To All Insurance Policies Irrespective Of Its Terms

Giving huge relief to farmers and other marginalised sections of the society, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday held that the period of limitation of 75 days for filing a claim under Government insurance schemes, particularly the Mukhyamantri Kisan Avam Sarvahit Bima Scheme is unreasonable and arbitrary. A Division Bench of Justices Shashi Kant Gupta and Pankaj Bhatia noted that...

POCSO Act : Kerala High Court Upholds Constitutionality Of Reverse Burden Of Proof Under Sections 29 & 30

In a notable judgment, the Kerala High Court has upheld the constitutional validity of Sections 29 and 30 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act(POCSO Act) which creates a reverse burden of proof on the accused.A single bench of Justice Sunil Thomas rejected the arguments that these provisions violated fundamental rights under Articles 14, 20(3) and 21 of the Constitution...

MEITY Extends The Validity Of 'Aarogya Setu Data Access & Knowledge Sharing Protocol' Upto May 10, 2021

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has extended the validity of the 'Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol 2020' by six months i.e., up to 10th May, 2021.An Order to this effect was issued by the Ministry on Tuesday (10th November). In effect, the data of the Aarogya Setu App users can now be retained and shared until 10th May, 2021, unless the...

Saket Gokhale Files RTI With Supreme Court Seeking Status Of Pending Interim Bail Applications & Time For Disposal

RTI Activist Saket Gokhale has filed an RTI with Supreme Court of India, asking about the number of pending interim bail applications before it and the average time taken for listing of such applications. He has asked: Please state the current backlog/number of cases of interim bai! Applications pending with the Registry of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India that haven't had...

Kerala HC Dismisses Pleas Challenging Successive Reserving Of Same Constituencies For Third Time For Local Body Elections 2020 [Read Judgment]

The Kerala High Court has dismissed a batch of writ petitions challenging allocation of reserved seats to different wards/divisions of some of the local bodies in the State for the ensuing election.The petitioners contention was that the wards/divisions were successively reserved for one or other categories in the elections held during 2010 and 2015 and that the said wards/divisions are...

"No Household Has Been Left Untouched": Delhi High Court Expresses Concern Over Rise In Covid-19 Cases; Seeks ATR

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases in the capital city and remarked that the Delhi Government has remained "oblivious" to the ground reality and has thrown all caution to the winds. A Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad rapped the Government for continuously relaxing norms for movement of people even when...

Meghalaya HC Refuses To Quash Criminal Case Against Journalist For Her Facebook Post About Continued Attacks Against Non-Tribals [Read Order]

The Meghalaya High Court, on Tuesday, refused to quash a criminal case lodged against the journalist, Patricia Mukhim, for her facebook post about continued attacks on non-tribals in the state.Referring to a skirmish between tribal and non-tribal youths at Lawsohtun at the Basketball Court, Patricia, in her Facebook Post, had stated that this continued attack on non-tribals in Meghalaya,...

"If Poverty Is Not A Sin, Being Poor In Intelligence Too Cannot Be": Karnataka HC Directs NLSIU To Conduct Special Repeat Exam For Student

The Karnataka High Court has quashed and set aside a communication issued by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to one of its students by virtue of which the student was detained in the third year of the Course on the ground that he has arrears of papers and that he cannot be given the benefit of "Special Repeat Examination" Justice Krishna S Dixit while allowing...

"Varavara Rao's Health Deteriorating Again"; Bombay HC To Hear Today Plea Filed By His Wife Seeking His Immediate Release

The Bombay High Court will be hearing today a plea filed by Pendyala Hemalatha Rao, wife of telugu poet Varavara Rao, seeking his immediate release from Taloja jail so that the 81-year-old can be under his family's care at Hyderabad.Vacation bench of Justice AK Menon and Justice SP Tavade will hear the writ petition at 3 pm today and Senior Advocate Indira Jaising will appear on behalf...

'Kunal Kamra's Tweets Scandalise Supreme Court': Lawyer Seeks Initiation Of Contempt Of Court Against Comedian

A lawyer has written to Mr. KK Venugopal, Attorney General of India seeking consent for initiation of contempt proceedings against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra.Kamra had made a series of tweets regarding the Supreme Court and initiation of contempt against him has been sought for 4 of his tweets posted in the wake of the Supreme Court granting interim bail to Arnab Goswami.Advocate...

Delhi High Court Stays Trial In 'Larger Conspiracy Case' Till Further Orders

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (10th November) stayed the trial in the "larger conspiracy" case in the Northeast Delhi violence which took place in February 2020.The Bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait also issued notices to the Accused in this Case and adjourned the Case to 15th December 2020.This Order by the Single Bench was passed in a plea filed by Delhi Police against a a trial court...