7 Judges Bench of Allahabad HC directs the Govt. to enhance the strength of Judges by 25% in Lower Judiciary [Read Judgment]

In a matter of Reference to ensure the security in district courts across the state of Uttar Pradesh, a seven-judge bench of Allahabad High Court directed the state government to enhance the strength of judges in lower judiciary by 25% by the next year. The bench, headed by the Chief Justice directed the state government to complete the security work of High Court before celebration of 150...

Delhi HC quashes Delhi Govt order to conduct CAG audit of DISCOMs [Read Judgment]

In a major setback to Delhi Government, the Delhi High Court has quashed the order by the Governmentin exercise of powers under Section 20 of the CAG Act, asking the CAG to conduct an audit of the accounts of the DISCOMs. A Division bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice RS Endlaw quashed the order on the ground that reasonable opportunity to represent with regard to the proposal for...

Thanks to Supreme Court, 25 million NRIs can soon vote through E-Vote

The move to allow e-voting by NRIs got a major push with the Modi government today submitting before the Supreme Court that the union cabinet would soon consider a draft bill in this regard before it is tabled in the parliament.The government is also planning to extend the facility to armed forces personnel and defence personnel and their family serving away from their native place,...

SC agrees to hear PIL seeking ban on websites spreading ‘Sardar Jokes’

The Supreme Court of India today agreed to hear a public interest litigation which sought a ban on websites which spread jokes portraying the 'sardar' community as “persons of low intellect, stupid and foolish”.“We shall give you a detailed hearing after four weeks. Come well prepared. Assist the court with relevant documents”, Justice T S Thakur who headed a two judge bench of the...

Eye treatment expenditure ‘personal’, deduction under section 37(1) not allowed: Bombay High Court [Read Judgment]

Bombay High Court held that deduction under section 37(1) of Income Tax Act cannot be allowed for expenditure on medical treatment of eyes for improving the vision as it has an element of personal expenditure. Upholding the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal  order of dismissal of claim, a division bench of Justices M.S.Sanklecha and G.S.Kulkarni  held that the expenditure incurred by the...

SC reserves Order on Sadananda Gowda’s Appeal against Karnataka HC Verdict

A two Judge Bench of Supreme Court comprising of Justices Lokur and Bodbe, today reserved its order on the pleas filed by Law Minister Sadananda Gowda and a BJP MLA Jeevaraj against the Karnataka High Court verdict quashing the sanction of a five-storey building in Bangalore built in violation of rules. Activist Lawyer Prashant Bhushan appeared for Ms. Nagalakshmi Bai (who had filed the PIL...

Army man going on unauthorized leave can never be good soldier; can be discharged without notice: Supreme Court [Read Judgment]

Army personnel who go on unauthorized leave can never be good soldiers and there is nothing wrong in discharging such persons from force without issuing show cause notice, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday, in the case of Union of India & Ors. v Manoj Deswal & Ors.A Bench of Justices A R Dave and A K Goel upheld the Government’s decision to discharge an army man who went on...

Attempt to thwart rehabilitation of street dogs: Kerala HC issues notice to Maneka Gandhi

In a Writ Petition filed by Shri Sebastian Mathew alias O.M. Joy alleging that the licence issued by a panchayat to catch stray dogs for their rehabilitation was cancelled pursuant to a telephonic direction from the minister’s office, High Court of Kerala Single Bench (Justice V. Chithambaresh) issued an urgent notice to Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Maneka Gandhi by...

Law on equal right for daughters over property is prospective: Supreme Court [Read Judgment]

The law, which gave equal right to daughters in ancestral property under the Hindu Succession Act, is prospectively enforceable and not with retrospective effect (as held by some High Courts in the country), the Supreme Court declared in its recent verdict.A Bench comprising Justice Anil R Dave and Justice A.K. Goel, in its October 16, 2015, interpreted the succession law while setting aside...

The Governments should do away with reservations in Medical Super-speciality courses: Supreme Court [Read Judgment]

The Supreme Court Division Bench comprising of Justices Deepak Mishra and Prafulla C. Pant while dismissing a batch of petitions filed by some MBBS doctors complaining about eligibility criteria for admissions to certain courses – D.M. (Doctor of Medicine) and M.Ch. (Master of Chirurgiae) expressed its opinion that the Government of India and the State Governments shall seriously consider...

Foreigners can no longer hire wombs in India: Centre tells SC

The Centre in a significant submission today told the Supreme Court that it has barred foreign nationals from commissioning surrogacy in India under its proposed Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Regulation Bill, 2014.The court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Jayashree Wad who said the country has virtually become a “baby factory” as a large number of...

SC rejects plea by toddlers for Ban on Fire Crackers; but imposes restrictions

Acting on a PIL filed by four infants seeking checks on air and sound pollution, the Supreme Court today prohibited bursting of sound emitting crackers between 10 pm and 6 am during any festival including Diwali but rejected their plea for a total ban on crackers.The court did not to impose any restrictions on use  of colour/light emitting firecrackers. A bench of Chief Justice HL Dattu...