NGT Finds Centre Notification On Minor Minerals “Mine-Centric”, Asks It To Bring In Ambit Of EIA, Public Consultation [Read Order]

Now mining of minerals from areas ranging from 5 to 25 hectares will also require Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Environment Management Plan (EMP) and public consultation as the National Green Tribunal has, in a landmark decision, held the Centre’s January 15, 2016 notification which completely exempts mining areas from 5 to 25 hectares from Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and...

Patna HC Directs Initiation Of Contempt Proceedings Against Chairman Of Bihar School Education Board [Read Order]

The Patna High Court has initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Mr. Anand Kishore, Chairman of the Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) for failing to grant affiliation to a school despite court orders. The order was issued by Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh.The court had been petitioned by the Sri Ram Chandra Senior Secondary School, challenging an order passed by the BSEB...

High Courts Weekly Round-Up

Allahabad High CourtThe Allahabad High Court recently dropped the contempt proceedings initiated against a district magistrate (DM) at the instance of a litigant. The Bench comprising Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh-I opined that the complaint against District Magistrate Suhas LY had been made by the litigant in order to coerce him into giving a favourable judgment.Bombay...

Rajasthan HC Upheld A Rare Conviction Under Section 497 IPC A Week Before SC Struck It Down [Read Judgment]

One of the rarest convictions under Section 497 happened a week before it was struck downExactly a week before the Supreme Court judgment that decriminalised adultery, the Rajasthan High Court had upheld a man’s conviction under Section 497 of Indian Penal Code. Devaram might be the last person to suffer conviction under adultery provision which no longer exists in the penal...

Kerala HC Directs Indian Railways To Accept Lawyers’ ID Card As Valid Proof For Train Journey [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Kerala, in a recent case, has directed the Indian Railways to treat identity cards issued to lawyers by respective Bar councils as a valid identity proof to undertake a train journey/travel. The court also asked the authority concerned in the railways to issue appropriate orders notifying the above as expeditiously as possible.The plea was made in a case wherein the request...

J&K HC Appoints Expert Committee Under “Metro Man” E Sreedharan To Save Dal Lake [Read Judgment]

Court vigilance commissioners to inspect Dal Lake every day, submit report to HC The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has constituted a three-member ‘Committee of Experts’ headed by E Sreedharan, former chief of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for ascertaining measures required to restore and preserve the world-famous Dal Lake which is shrinking due to illegal encroachment, untreated...

Can’t Deny Compensation To Victim Of State’s Negligence Coz Of Dispute B/w Govt Agencies As To Who Was Negligent, Says Delhi HC [Read Judgment]

Parents of boy who died of electrocution awarded over Rs 27L compensationThe Delhi High Court has held that inter se dispute between two government agencies as to who amongst them was negligent in maintenance of electrical installations in a public park cannot be a ground for denying compensation to the family of a boy who died due to electrocution, and has directed the East Delhi...

HNLU Students To Go On An Indefinite Hunger Strike From Tomorrow Demanding VC’s Removal, Institution Of Review Commission Etc

Having been peacefully protesting the reinstatement of their Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. (Dr) Sukhpal Singh since September 25, the students of Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur have now decided to go on a hunger strike from 8 am, Monday, October 1.However, instead of resuming dialogue in response to the declaration, Dr. Singh has appealed to the students to call off the...

Delhi HC Restrains Juggernaut From Publishing/ Selling Book On Baba Ramdev Until Deletion Of Defamatory Passages [Read Judgment]

Providing respite to Baba Ramdev, the Delhi High Court on Saturday restrained Juggernaut Books from publishing, distributing and selling its book titled “Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev” until it removes certain contentious portions from the book.Justice Anu Malhotra observed, “Thus as the petitioner about whom the BOOK is written about is living human being and...

Anti-Dumping Duty On Imported Goods: In Case Of ‘Negative Findings” By Designated Authority, Appeal U/S.9C Of Customs Tariff Act Possible Before CESAT: Delhi HC [Read Order]

In an important decision, the Delhi High Court has held that anti-dumping duty on imported goods, in case “negative findings” are recorded by the designated authority of the Central government, then the findings can be appealed against under Section 9C of the Customs Tariff (CT) Act before the Customs Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESAT).What is Dumping?In generic terms,...

Murder Without Deliberate Act Of Insured To Be Treated As Accident For Insurance Claims, Says NCDRC [Read Order]

Asks insurance firm to make its terms and conditions clear apropos ‘murder’Reiterating that murder of an insured person has to be treated as accidental death if the murder was not the result of any deliberate act of the insured himself, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has come down heavily on insurance companies for not making terms and conditions of...

Allahabad HC Sets Aside Contempt Proceedings Against District Magistrate Initiated At Disgruntled Litigant’s Complaint [Read Judgment]

The Allahabad High Court recently dropped the contempt proceedings initiated against a district magistrate (DM) at the instance of a litigant.The Bench comprising Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh-I opined that the complaint against District Magistrate Suhas LY had been made by the litigant in order to coerce him into giving a favourable judgment.“If there was any infirmity...