Calcutta HC issues directives to ensure and eradicate the evil practice of witch hunting [Read Judgment]

The Calcutta High Court has issued certain important directives to State Government and authorities, in order to ensure and eradicate the evil practice of witch hunting.The directives have been issued by Justice Joymalya Bagchi, in Writ petitions filed by persons who had been driven out of their villages on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The Counsel for petitioners submitted before the...

Procedure prescribed in HP Urban Rent Control Act for determination of Standard Rent unconstitutional: HC [Read Judgment]

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has declared that, Section 4 of the Himachal Pradesh Urban Rent Control Act, 1987, which prescribes the procedure for determination of standard rent and Sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 30 (2) insofar as they are dependent upon standard rent as contemplated and determined under Section 4 other than the agreed rent, are unconstitutional.The First Bench of the High...

No Relief for 'India's Daughter' from Delhi High Court [Read Judgment]

The Delhi High Court on Friday kept the ban imposed on the BBC documentary India’s Daughter, based on the December 16 gang rape case, in place ruling that the High Court’s interference was not warranted as the matter is pending before the trial court.The ruling came on three Public Interest Litigations (PIL) that questioned the ban on the documentary and sought its revocation....

Delhi HC dismisses challenge to Centre’s levy of Service Tax on liquor manufacturers [Read Judgment]

The Delhi high court’s Division Bench comprising Justices S. Muralidhar and Vibhu Bakhru today dismissed challenges by liquor manufacturers’ associations to the levy of service tax by the Central Government on those who manufacture alcoholic liquor on job work basis.The central thrust of the petitioners’ argument was that Parliament lacked the legislative competence to levy the tax...

Law and order situation has improved in J &K: Centre to SC

The number of violent protests which erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani has gone down from 201 on July nine to 11 on August three, the Centre told the Supreme Court today claiming that the law and order situation in Kashmir Valley has “improved considerably”.“In view of the improving situation, curfew had been lifted from most parts of the Valley on...

SC issues Directions to prevent Adulteration and sale of adulterated and Synthetic Milk [Read the Directions]

Supreme Court of India Today has issued important directions to prevent the menace of growing adulteration and sales of adulterated and synthetic milk in different parts of the country. The Bench comprising Chief Justice TS Takur and Justices R.Banumati and UU Lalit has issued the directions in a Public Interest Litigation filed by Swmai Achyutanand Tirth and Others. The petitioners allege...

SC refuses to hear Kejriwal suit on tussle with LG; says will wait for appeal against HC order

Supreme Court today refused to hear a suit filed by Delhi’s Kejriwal government - under Article 131 of the Constitution - seeking a judicial declaration on the boundaries of the constitutional relationship between the Delhi government and the Centre, in administering the national Capital especially to clearly earmark each of their powers.A Bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana said...

Gujarat HC quashes 10% Quota for Economically Weaker Sections of Upper Castes [Read Judgment]

In a big blow to Gujarat Government, High Court of Gujarat has quashed Gujarat Ordinance No.1 of 2016, which provides for the reservation of seats in the educational institutions in the State and of appointments and posts in the services under the State in favour of the Economically Weaker Sections of unreserved categoriesThere was a long-standing demand from Patidar and other communities...

Transgender boy’s fight to use Toilet of his choice reaches SCOTUS

GG, now a 17 year old boy,was born as a female, but with malegender identity. He has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a medical condition characterized by clinically significant distress caused by an incongruence between a person’s gender identity and the person’s birth-assigned sex. G.G. later underwent hormone therapy and legally changed his name to a traditionally male name....

LG is the administrative head of NCT Delhi, not required to act on the advice of the Cabinet: Delhi HC [Read Judgment]

Delhi High Court has today declared that Lieutenant Governor is the administrative head of National Capital Territory of Delhi and he is not required to act on the advice of the Delhi Cabinet. The High Court Bench headed by Chief Justice G.Rohini has dismissed a batch of Petitions by the Delhi AAP Government challenging the powers of Lieutenant Governor.After hearing the lengthy arguments...

SC takes note of Centre’s inability to constitute National Disaster Mitigation Fund [Read Order]

The Centre told the Supreme Court bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and NV Ramana, on August 1, of its inability to comply with its direction regarding constitution of the National Disaster Mitigation Fund. The bench had directed the Centre on May 11 to constitute the Fund in terms of Section 47 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.The Additional Solicitor General, P.V.Narasimha told...

SC dismisses challenge to extension of tenure to a civil servant without clearance from the CVC [Read Order]

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices TS Thakur, R Banumathi, and Uday Umesh Lalit, on August 2, dismissed a challenge to extension of tenure to a civil servant in 2010 for five years.The challenge was on the ground that the civil servant did not get the mandatory clearance from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), before the Government granted her extension of...