Bombay High Court Refuses Immediate Relief To Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte Over License Suspension, Asks Him To File Appeal Before BCI

Observing that an alternate statutory remedy was available, the Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to immediately intervene in the plea filed by controversial Advocate - Gunratan Sadavarte - against the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa’s order suspending his license to practice for two years.However, the bench led by Justice Gautam Patel said it was “not completely shutting its...

Bombay High Court Refuses Interim Relief To PhonePe In Trademark Infringement Suit, Says Contradictory Stands Taken On Meaning Of ‘Pe’

The Bombay High Court refused to grant interim relief to PhonePe for alleged infringement of its trademark “PhonePe” by Resilient Innovations’ trademark “postpe”. Justice Manish Pitale cited contradictions between PhonePe’s stand taken before the Delhi High Court and the Bombay High Court regarding the meaning of the term “Pe”. “It appears that the endeavour of the plaintiff is to claim that, 'pe' may connote 'payment' but, in its registered trademark, it refers to the colloquial...

Manipur High Court Directs State To Decongest Traffic Near Old Secretariat, Complete Construction Of New Secretariat Building In 3 Months

The Manipur High Court on Thursday directed the state government to decongest the traffic on national highway in front of the Old Manipur Secretariat by making arrangements for proper parking of vehicles on both sides.The direction came to be passed by a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidharan and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed...

Plea In High Court Seeks Direction For Centre, Delhi Govt To Consider Enacting Advocates Protection Act In National Capital

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions for the Union of India and Delhi government to consider enacting the Advocates Protection Act in the national capital. The petition filed by lawyers Deepa Joseph and Alpha Phiris Dayal alleges that there is an "alarming rise" in incidents of violence inside the court premises of different district courts in Delhi. The petition...

Trial In Delhi Riots UAPA Case Likely To Commence Soon As 'Supply Of Documents' Stage Concluded For All Accused, Except One

The trial in the UAPA case alleging a larger conspiracy in the 2020 North-East Delhi riots is likely to commence soon as a Delhi Court has concluded the stage of supply of documents under section 207 of CrPC in respect of the accused persons, except Devangana Kalita. This would mean that the trial court will now proceed to the stage of framing of charges against 18 accused persons, more than...

Resolution Professional Under IBC Will Come Within Meaning Of 'Public Servant' Under Prevention Of Corruption Act: Jharkhand High Court

A recent ruling of the Jharkhand High Court has made it clear that a Resolution Professional will be considered a public servant under both sections 2(c)(v) and (viii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act), because his office entails the performance of functions that are in the nature of public duty. A bench comprising Justice Gautam Kumar Choudhary passed the above...

Pension And Other Retirement Benefits Valuable Right, Delay In Disbursement Must Be Compensated By State: Patna High Court

In a recent ruling, the Patna High Court has allowed a writ petition seeking payment of pension arrears of the petitioner’s late husband along with statutory and penal interest for the period between March, 2009 to June, 2017 from the Water Resources Department.BackgroundThe petitioner's late husband was appointed as a Correspondence Clerk in the Water Resources Department in 1968 and...

Casual Approach Of Courts In Dealing With Attacks On Health Personnel Also Contributes To Tendency Of Resorting To Such Violence: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court recently set aside the bail granted by a sessions court to two persons who allegedly a attacked a doctor after a woman gave birth to a still-born child at the hospital.A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas expressing concern about the continued attacks on doctors observed:“Doctors continue to face threats, when a mishap occurs to a patient. Even for the...

“Sikkimese” Is Only For The Purposes Of The Income-Tax Act, 1961, And Not For Any Other Purpose: CBDT Clarifies

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has clarified that the “Sikkimese” are defined only for the purposes of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and not for any other purpose.The amendment to section 10(26AAA) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 by the Finance Act, 2023 while following the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim vs Union of India. The Apex...

Delhi High Court Quashes Service Tax Demand of Rs. 56.61 Crores Against MTNL

The Delhi High Court has quashed the service tax demand of Rs. 56.61 crores against Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).The bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Amit Mahajan has observed that MTNL had received the compensation during the financial year 2015-16, which was prior to May 14, 2016, i.e., the date on which the Finance Act, 2016, came into force and Clause (j) was...

Centre Amends IT Rules 2021 To Regulate Online Gaming

The Central Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 aiming to regulate online gaming.Exercising power under Section 87(1), Section 87(2)(z) and Section 87(2)(zg) of the Information Technology Act it has amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,...

[Rise In COVID Cases] Madras High Court To Have Hybrid Hearings From April 10

In view of the rise in COVID cases in the country, the Madras High Court has decided to have hybrid mode of hearing both at the Principal bench and the Madurai bench, starting from April 10.In a notification issued by the Registrar General in charge M Jothiraman, it was informed that the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to reduce the footfall inside the court premises....