HC Action Against Contempt Of Subordinate Court, Only By Reference Or By AG’s Motion: SC [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court in Vilas V. Sanghai vs. Sumermal Mishrimal Bafna & Anr., has set aside a High Court order in a contempt proceedings against a police officer on a limited ground that, since the criminal contempt was of a subordinate Court, the High Court could have taken action only on a reference made to it by the subordinate Court or on a Motion made by the Advocate General and not...

September Blow To ‘Death Penalty’

September has been a heaven-sent month for seven persons whose death penalty awarded by high courts for committing heinous crimes like rape and murder was commuted by the Supreme Court.The judgments pronounced this month in their criminal appeals also raise a suspicion whether the apex court is becoming more and more reluctant to award death penalty.The Bench comprising Justice Ranjan...

Chikunguniya: SC Shocked As AAP Govt Blames It On Disobeying Officials Who Report To LG

Senior Advocate Ajit Sinha appearing for Lieutenant Governor refuted the charge that officials were not cooperating to fight the diseases as alleged by the Delhi Health Minister.The Supreme Court today expressed surprise when Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain alleged through an affidavit that officials reporting to Centre were not cooperating and taking responsiblity to check vector-...

Patna HC Scraps Bihar’s Liquor Prohibition Law [Read Judgment]

The Patna High Court on Friday struck down Bihar’s anti-liquor law, holding its provisions to be “clearly draconian and in excess of the balance need to be maintained”.Scrapping the state government’s notification issued on April 5, the Bench comprising Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh observed that the same was against the tenets of Articles 14 and...

DJS 2015 Row: Delhi HC Holds Challenges To 4 Questions As Valid, Gives Directions For Evaluation [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court in Anil Kumar v. Registrar General High Court of Delhi, Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi v. Registrar General High Court of Delhi and Dharmender Rana And Ors. v. Registrar General High Court of Delhi, combining the three writ petitions whereby the three petitioner challenged the answers provided in the answer key by the Delhi HC for the preliminary stage (objective type...

Cauvery: SC Asks Board To Do Reality Check; Karnataka Given “Last Chance” To Give Water To TN [Read Order]

The panel’s mandate is to check the ground reality after a visit to the site and report back to the apex court on October six when the bench will hear the matter next.The bench warned Karnataka that it was the last chance before the “wrath of law falls on the State”.Expressing serious concern at the continuing stalemate between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery water sharing...

SC Rejects PIL For Countrywide Liquor Ban Saying “Can’t Interfere In Policy Matters”

“There are reports which say minimal consumption...up to some limit is good for the heart..like red wine”, the bench told petitioner who countered it saying there is also another report that even a small quantity affects nearly 20 organs of the body and causes several diseases.The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain the plea of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Delhi-based...

SC Cancels Shahabuddin's Bail; Orders He Be Taken Into Custody Immediately [Read Order]

In a significant development, the Supreme Court today set aside the bail granted by Patna High Court on September 7 to gangster-turned RJD politician Mohd Shahabuddin and ordered that he be taken into custody forthwith.Quashing the bail, a bench of justice P C Ghosh and justice Amitava Roy said : "we have discussed everything. We have set aside the High Court order"."Consequential steps be...

SC Acquits Murder Accused [Read Order]

The Supreme Court has acquitted a man accused of murder, by setting aside his concurrent conviction by the trial court and Madras High Court.A Division Bench of Supreme Court comprising Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice U.U. Lalit took the decision.Five persons - Madhavan, Saravanan, Manohar, Etti alias Ebinesar and Sivakumar - were tried in the sessions court and were convicted for...

SC Quashes Defamation Case Against Retired Customs Officer [Read Order]

A recent Supreme Court order in M.L. Wadhawan vs. Zunzarrao Bhikaji Nagarkar and others, raises some curiosity with regard to whether an offence under Section 499 IPC (defamation) will be attracted against a person who merely reiterates in a complaint statements which were already made before statutory/public authorities/court? Another question, which has not been directly answered in...

Family Pension Not Part Of Anyone’s Estate To Be Disposed Of In Will: SC [Read Judgment]

Only the person who is entitled to get it as per the relevant pension scheme would get it, the Bench observed.The Supreme Court in Nitu vs. Sheela Rani, has held that family pension does not form part of the estate of the deceased and it is to be given under the provisions of the relevant pension scheme.The high court, in this case, had held that the mother of deceased employee was entitled...

Will Shahabuddin's Bail Be Cancelled ? SC Verdict Tomorrow

SC today reserved verdict after hearing Prashant Bhushan, State and Shahabuddin’s lawyer Shekhar Naphade. Ram Jethmalani does not represent Shahabuddin despite an in-court announcement in this regard by his defence team on Friday.The Supreme Court today concluded the hearing on petitions filed by activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan representing Chandrakeshwar Prasad of Siwan, whose three sons...