Bhima Koregaon Violence: Bombay HC Questions Police On Holding Of Press Meet Over Sub-Judice Matter [Read Petition]

The Bombay High Court on Monday questioned the Maharashtra police for conducting a press conference to discuss the arrest of activists in relation to the Bhima Koregaon violence.A division bench of Justice Mridula Bhatkar and Justice Sandeep Shinde was hearing a criminal writ petition filed by one Satish Sugriv Gaikwad who claims to be a victim of the violence that took place on January...

Patna HC Stays Defamation Proceedings Against Juggernaut Books For Book On Baba Ramdev [Read Order]

The Patna High Court has stayed the defamation proceedings filed against Juggernaut Books Pvt. Ltd. over publication of the controversial book, "Godman to Tycoon: The Untold Story of Baba Ramdev".The order was issued by Justice Ashwani Kumar, who stayed the ongoing proceedings before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate-II, Hajipur, Vaishali, initiated on the basis of a...

Phone-Tapping And Recording Of A Phone Conversation By A Private Party: Issues Relating To Legality And Admissibility

“Who are you? Why do you hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts?” [1]Is Privacy history? The sheer number of court trials where a telephone recording is sought to be used by either party as evidence, suggest that private thoughts are not private anymore. Use of such recordings in court cases has risen enormously in the recent past. In this background, the Authors examine the very legality of the act of recording of a phone conversation by a private party to the conversation,...

NGT Directs Finalization Of Kasturirangan Report Within 6 Months, Without Reducing ESA Regions [Read Order]

The bench observed that the ecology of Western Ghats region is under serious stress.The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal(NGT) has directed the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests to finalize notification of Ecologically Sensitive Areas(ESA) of Western Ghats within a period of six months, without making any alteration in the draft ESA notification published on February...

Restriction On Manufacture and Sale Of Oxytocin By Private Entities Stayed By Delhi HC [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court has stayed for one month the Central Government order preventing manufacture and sale of drugs containing oxytocin by private companies. The impugned order permitted only a public sector company, Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceutical Ltd(KAPL), to manufacture and sell oxytocin drugs.Oxytocin is an important hormone for living beings. Oxytocin based drugs are effective...

Kerala Flood Relief : HC Issues Directions To Ease Customs Clearance For Imported Goods [Read Order]

Acting on two public interest litigations, the High Court of Kerala has issued directions to ease the procedure for availing customs duty exemption for goods imported for flood relief.The petitioners highlighted practical difficulties to comply with the conditions prescribed in the notification issued by the Central Government on August 21 for availing exemption from the duty leviable on...

Bombay HC Imposes Rs 1.5Cr Costs On Galpha Labs For Habitual Copyright Infringement; Money To Go Towards Kerala Flood Relief [Read Order]

As the amount of Rs 1.5 crore was decided to be imposed, plaintiff’s counsel submitted that his clients wanted to donate the entire amount to a charitable organization. Therefore, keeping in mind the catastrophe that has hit Kerala, it was decided that the money would be directly paid towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.The Bombay High Court recently imposed an unprecedented...

More Than 300 Advocates Issue Statement Condemning Arrest Of Lawyers In Bhima Koregaon Violence Case

More than 300 Advocates have issued a statement standing in solidarity with the four lawyers who were recently arrested by the Maharashtra Police in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The statement refers to the arrest of Advocates Sudha Bhardwaj, Susan Abraham, Surendra Gadling and Arun Ferreira.The statement specifically highlights the reliance on Unlawful Activities...

Whether Negligence In Dam Management Caused Floods : Kerala HC Registers Suo Moto PIL To Examine

The High Court of Kerala has initiated suo moto proceedings to examine whether any negligence on the part of authorities in managing reservoir levels in dams contributed to recent floods in Kerala.Alleging that the floods were a man-made disaster, Chalakudy-resident Joseph NR had written a letter to Justice V. Chitambaresh, who placed it before the Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy...

Full Bench Of Allahabad HC Pulls Up State For Vacancies, Infrastructural Deficiencies In District Judiciary; Seeks Timelines

Full Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the Principal Secretary, Law as well as the Principal Secretaries in the Department of Finance or P.W.D. to remain present before it in order to formulate a time-bound program for the resolution of the issues plaguing the District Judiciary in the State.The Bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosale, Justice Govind Mathur and...

Failure Of UP Administration Led To Death Of Children In Gorakhpur: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has rapped the Uttar Pradesh government for not taking adequate steps to prevent discharge of pollutants in Rapti river, saying the "failure of the administration" resulted in death of more than 500 children in Gorakhpur in 2014, and announced setting up of a monitoring committee to address the situation.A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel...

Habeas Plea For Gautam Navlakha: Delhi HC Halts Proceedings Citing SC's Stay On Transit Remand Of Activists

As the Supreme Court ordered house arrest for the five arrested activists Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Fereira, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves, the Delhi High Court, also indicated that it would examine the legality of the transit remand order of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate while dealing with the habeas corpus petition filed by Navlakha, a rights activist.When the matter was...