P&H High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail In Excise Case, Says Custodial Interrogation Cannot Be Used To Extract Information After Recovery

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted anticipatory bail to a man booked under the Punjab Excise Act, holding that custodial interrogation cannot be justified merely to extract further information once recovery has already been effected and the accused has cooperated with the investigation.Justice Sanjay Vashisth said, "Once the recovery stood effected, the plea for custodial interrogation merely to elicit further information could not, by itself, justify the cancellation of interim...

Accurate Reporting Of Orally Dictated Order Before Signing Not Contempt : P&H High Court Drops Proceedings Against Media

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed criminal contempt proceedings initiated suo motu against editors and reporters of leading newspapers, holding that publication of a fair and accurate report of a judgment dictated in open court does not amount to contempt, even if the judgment had not yet been formally signed.Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri and Justice Amarjot Bhatti, referring to Section 4 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, noted, "a person shall not be guilty of contempt of...

Recovery From Store Room Behind Shop Not Enough To Infer Criminality: P&H High Court Discharges Licensed Chemist In NDPS Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that recovery of medicines from a location slightly different from the licensed premises, by itself, cannot establish criminal liability under the NDPS Act, particularly when the accused is a licensed dealer.Justice H.S. Grewal said, "It is apt to notice that merely because the medicines were allegedly recovered from the store room situated behind...

Grievous Hurt Charge Cannot Be Framed Without Supporting Medical Evidence: P&H High Court Modifies Charges In Assault Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that in cases where the nature of injuries forms the foundation of criminal charges, courts must primarily rely on objective medical evidence, and cannot proceed on speculative or exaggerated claims. The Court modified the charges framed against the accused, holding that offences relating to “grievous hurt” were not made out in the absence...

Invoking Wrong Provision No Bar To Challenge Curtailment Of Liberty: P&H High Court Grants Man Bail Accused Of Putting Pro-Khalistan Posters

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that invoking an incorrect statutory provision while filing a bail appeal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) cannot defeat an accused's substantive right to challenge curtailment of liberty. In doing so the Court granted bail to an accused booked under UAPA, noting his prolonged incarceration of over four and a half years...

Single Incident Of Spouse Meeting Former Partner Would Not Alone Amount To Adultery: Punjab & Haryana High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld a family court order which had held that a single instance of a spouse meeting a former partner alone cannot, by itself, amount to adultery. At the same time, the Court reiterated that making false and reckless allegations against a spouse and their family members constitutes mental cruelty warranting divorce.Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill and...

P&H High Court Directs UT Admin To Hold Awareness Drive For Mental Health Group Home Admissions, Postpones Intake Of Paying Senior Citizens

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the UT Chandigarh Administration to undertake a wide publicity campaign to increase awareness regarding admissions to the Group Home for persons with mental illness in Sector 31-C, Chandigarh for the next three months. Till then, the court said, the proposed admission of paying senior citizens to the facility shall remain postponed, noting...

Centre Notifies Appointment Of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra As Acting Chief Justice Of Punjab & Haryana High Court

The Centre on Monday notified the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court pursuant to elevation of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu to the Supreme Court. “In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Judge of the High Court of...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Refuses Anticipatory Bail To Madhu Kishwar In FIR Over Social Media Video On PM Modi

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday (May 29) refused to grant anticipatory bail to author Madhu Kishwar booked in an FIR for offences of forgery and demafation, over posting/retweeting a purported video on her X platform allegedly on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court noted that the apparently, the video under scanner, was uploaded on other social media platforms, however, "as...

Litigant Cannot Reopen Concluded Proceedings After Years Of Delay By Blaming Counsel: Punjab & Haryana High Court

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has refused to recall an order dismissing a criminal revision petition as withdrawn, holding that a litigant cannot be permitted to reopen long-pending proceedings merely by attributing lapses to counsel after repeated opportunities have already been exhausted.Justice Neerja K. Kalson said, "The conduct reflected from the record is not confined to a...

State Can't Keep Workers In Perpetual Contractual Limbo: P&H High Court Calls Out 'Exploitation' Of NHM Staff, Orders Regularisation

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has held that the State cannot continue to extract work of a permanent nature while denying employees the security of regular service, observing that such arrangements amount to “exploitation camouflaged as contractual engagement.”Justice Sandeep Moudgil said, "This Court cannot shut its eyes to the fact that the State, which is expected to be a...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Pulls Up Police For Declaring Family Members Of Cheating Accused “Innocent” Despite Money Trail

The Punjab & Haryana High Court, while hearing a third regular bail petition in a cheating case, expressed strong displeasure over the manner in which the investigation was conducted, particularly the exoneration of the petitioner's family members despite allegations of their involvement in receiving the cheated amount.Justice N.S Shekhawat said, "it is shocking to note that the...