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Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Sections 2(c), 12, 19 — Criminal Contempt — Power to Punish and Forgive — The power to punish for contempt carries the concomitant power to forgive when the contemnor demonstrates genuine remorse and repentance, making the extension of mercy an integral part of judicial conscience — Contempt jurisdiction is neither a personal armour for Judges nor a sword to silence criticism — Court must treat the acknowledgment of contrition as a virtue and extend forgiveness where the contemnor sincerely acknowledges the lapse and seeks to atone for it. (Para 1) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 — Section 9 — Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) — Application by Operational Creditor — Pre-existing Dispute — Adjudicating authority must determine if operational debt exists, if non-payment has occurred, and if a dispute existed prior to the demand notice (Section 8) — Dispute must be genuine, substantial, and not spurious, hypothetical, or illusory (mere ‘moonshine’ or ‘bluster’) — Court is not required to examine the merits of the dispute or satisfy itself that the defence is likely to succeed. (Paras 15, 16, 19) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) — Section 62 — Liquidation Process — Sale of Assets — Appeals against NCLAT majority decision confirming forfeiture of amount paid by bidder — Private sale requiring Adjudicating Authority’s prior approval — Regulation 33(2)(d) of IBBI (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016 — Where liquidator seeks NCLT approval for private sale after failed auctions and decision to sell at scrap value, the sale falls under Regulation 33(2)(d) and not Regulation 33(2)(c) (sale at price higher than reserve price of failed auction) — Contention that sale was purely a contract governed by Indian Contract Act, 1872, rejected. (Paras 12, 16, 19) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Sections 29A(1), 29A(4), 29A(6), 23(4) — Time limit for arbitral award — Termination of mandate — Substitution of Arbitrator — Section 29A aims for time-bound disposal of arbitration proceedings — An award in non-international commercial arbitration must be made within twelve months from completion of pleadings (Section 23(4)) — If the award is not made within the initial twelve months or the extended six months (by consent), the arbitrator’s mandate terminates unless the Court extends the period (Section 29A(4)). (Paras 9, 10, 11) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act) — Section 18A — PC Act read with Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 — Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 102 — Seizure vs. Attachment/Confiscation of Property — Whether power of police officer to freeze accounts under Section 102 CrPC is co-existent or mutually exclusive with the machinery for attachment under Section 18A PC Act — Held, the powers are separate, distinct, and co-existent, not mutually exclusive. (Paras 2, 8, 11)

Indore Development Authority Vs. Manoharlal and Ors. (2020) 8 SCC 129 – There shall not be any deemed lapse under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013 – Under the circumstances, the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court is unsustainable and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and is accordingly quashed and set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH LAND ACQUISITION COLLECTOR AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. B.S. DHILLON AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. )…

Service Matters

HELD not shown what transpired that made the respondents resort to Fundamental Rules 56(j) and invoke the public interest doctrine to compulsorily retire appellant with just three months of service left for retirement, in routine. Court is inclined to pierce the smoke screen and on doing so, it is firm view that the order of compulsory retirement in the given facts and circumstances of the case cannot be sustained.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CAPTAIN PRAMOD KUMAR BAJAJ — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, JJ. )…

Long-term Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs” for short) with Adani Power Maharashtra Limited HELD The CERC as well as the learned APTEL, on the interpretation of Articles 8.3.5 and 8.8.3 of the PPA, have concurrently found that the procurer had delayed the payment by not making the payment within the due date and, as such, GMR was entitled to late payment surcharge – Supreme court find no reason to interfere with the said concurrent findings of fact – Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MAHARASHTRA STATE ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED — Appellant Vs. ADANI POWER MAHARASHTRA LIMITED AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Vikram…

HELD allow the Resolution Plan (RP) preferred by Authum Investment and Infrastructure Limited (AIIL) qua the debenture holders, except the dissenting debenture holders – Direction that the dissenting debenture holders should be provided an option to accept the terms of the RP. Alternatively, the dissenting debenture holders will have a right to stand outside the proposed RP framed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH AUTHUM INVESTMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED — Appellant Vs. R.K. MOHATTA FAMILY TRUST AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Aravind Kumar,…

Lapse of land acquisition – Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam, – When within three years various steps were taken for implementation of the scheme including the steps to acquire the land by negotiations and even thereafter on failure to acquire the land by negotiations approaching the State Government to acquire the land under the Land Acquisition Act, the High Court has erred in declaring that the scheme has lapsed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH INDORE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY — Appellant Vs. BURHANI GRIH NIRMAN SAHAKARI SANSTHA MARYADIT SNEH NAGAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and…

(IPC) – Sections 300 Exception 4 – Culpable homicide is not murder – Four requirements must be satisfied to invoke this exception, viz. (i) it was a sudden fight; (ii) there was no premeditation; (iii) the act was done in a heat of passion; and (iv) the assailant had not taken any undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual manner – Appellant was entitled to the benefit of Exception 4 to section 300, IPC.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PREMCHAND — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

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