Courts This Week| Mohammad Deepak Kumar| Newslaundry| Namaz at home| Washrooms on campus & more

Big rulings this week; from free speech and bail to workplace dignity, labour law, and parenting rights. Here's everything important that happened over the last week from courts across...

When Data Is The Market: India's Competition Law Blind Spots

Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini are now part of everyday life. A student may use ChatGPT to draft notes, while business owners may rely on Gemini to create marketing content or respond to customers. These tools appear as simple applications but behind them lies a complex ecosystem involving cloud computing, datasets and AI models controlled by a handful of large technology companies. This raises a question that is if a few firms control both the infrastructure and the...

Kerala High Court Weekly Round-Up: March 23 - March 29, 2026

Nominal Index [Citations: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 162 - 174]Jollyamma Joseph @ Jolly v. Jiohotstar Pvt. Ltd. and Anr., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 162The Metropolitan Archbishop, The Archeparchy of Kottayam and Anr. v. Knanaya Catholic Naveekarana Samithy and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 163Vaibhav Y. Kini and Ors. v. Mahatma Gandhi University and Ors., 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 164X v. State of Kerala and Ors.,...

From Pandemic Protectionism To Strategic Liberalisation: Rethinking India's FDI Security Regime After 2026 Amendment To Press Note 3

Among the most important and impactful regulatory decisions in the recent times in terms of the impact on the Indian foreign investment regime is the Press Note 3 (2020 Series) FDI Policy issued by the Government of India in 2020. The policy was issued during the COVID-19 pandemic with the objective of protecting Indian companies from opportunistic acquisitions by investors from countries that share a land border with India.The policy significantly modified the Indian regulatory framework of...

Telangana High Court Upholds Digital Double-Valuation In PG Medical Exams; Says Courts Cannot Re-Assess Academic Evaluation

The Telangana High Court has upheld the validity of the digital double-valuation system used in postgraduate medical examinations, holding that courts cannot interfere with academic evaluation merely on allegations of discrepancies in marks.A Single Judge Bench of Justice Renuka Yara observed:“This Court lacks expertise in said arena… It is the domain of the valuators… to value the...

Maharashtra State Commission Directs Lodha Developers To Refund ₹2.83 Crore With Interest For Possession Delay, Unfair Trade Practice

The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Maharashtra, Mumbai comprising Poonam V. Maharshi (Presiding Member) and Mrs. Dr. Nisha Amol Chavhan (Member) held Lodha Developers Ltd liable for deficiency in service for failure to deliver possession and for demanding charges not specified in the initial agreement. The Commission partly allowed the complaint and held that retaining...

SHO Cannot Mandate Surrender Of Firearms Via Phone Calls Ahead Of Elections: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that Station House Officer (SHO) cannot mandate surrender of licensed firearms through phone calls ahead of Legislative Assembly Elections in the State.The Court added that the proper decision-making process and individual assessment must be carried out for surrendering licensed firearms. Justice C. Jayachandran delivered the judgment while allowing two...

Senior Advocate P Sreekumar Appointed As ASG At Kerala High Court

The President of India has appointed Senior Advocate P. Sreekumar as Additional Solicitor General for India at High Court of Kerala with effect from 23.03.2026.As per the notification dated 27.03.2026 in the Gazette of India, the appointment would be for a period of three years with effect from 23.03.2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.Click to Read/Download...

“Highly Improper": Karnataka High Court Quashes Seizure & RC Cancellation Of Mercedes In Tax Case, Says RTO Acted Beyond Authority

Criticising the unlawful seizure of a Mercedes vehicle and subsequent cancellation of its registration during the pendency of a writ petition against the seizure, the Karnataka High Court has come down on the state's RTO Department for 'flagrant disregard for court proceedings'. The court has directed the authority to restore the registration of the Mercedes-AMG G 63 vehicle in...

Passport Cannot Be Reissued Without Trial Court NOC When Criminal Case Is Pending: Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court has held that in view of Section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act and governing precedent, a person facing pending criminal proceedings must first obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the trial court for passport reissuance/renewal. Only thereafter can the passport authority consider the request, and such NOC does not by itself amount to permission to travel...

Supreme Court Warns Gujarat Govt Of Contempt Proceedings Over Delay In Deciding Remission Pleas

The Supreme Court recently warned the State of Gujarat of strict penal consequences, including possible suo motu contempt proceedings, for failing to decide applications for premature release of convicts within the timelines prescribed under its policy.“It is further clarified that in future, if the above stipulation as per the policy itself is not implemented in its entirety and...

Once Magistrate Orders Inquiry U/S 202 CrPC, Summons Cannot Be Issued Later On Same Material: J&K&L High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that if a Magistrate is not satisfied about the sufficiency of material collected while recording preliminary evidence and orders an inquiry under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, she/he cannot pass an order summoning the accused at a later stage on the very same material.The Court was hearing a petition filed under Section...