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Constitution of India, 1950 — Art. 16 and 226 — Public Employment — Direct Recruitment — Eligibility Criteria — Workshop Experience — Pendency of workshop renewal applications — Effect on candidates — Where a recruitment notification mandates a minimum of one year of experience in a Government-approved workshop, candidates cannot be prejudiced or disqualified merely because the workshop’s application for renewal of approval was pending with the State authorities during the period they gained experience — Depriving an otherwise eligible candidate of employment due to an administrative “period of eclipse” or delay on the part of state machinery is arbitrary and discriminatory–Ashok Kumar Yadav v. State of Haryana, 1985 INSC 137, relied on; State of Uttar Pradesh v. Atul Kumar Dwivedi, 2022 INSC 24, Distinguished. Right to Information Act, 2005 — S. 24(4) — Madhya Pradesh Special Police Establishment Act, 1947 — S. 2(1), S. 3 — “Intelligence and Security Organisation” — Scope and Applicability of Exemption — Jurisdiction of Special Police Establishment (SPE) — The expression “intelligence and security organisations” under Section 24 of the RTI Act implies that the concerned entity must be statutory or institutionally empowered to handle matters of intelligence and national/state security — The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh, established under Section 2(1) of the Act of 1947, is clothed with a limited jurisdiction restricted strictly to investigating offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and select economic/fraud offenses under Sections 409, 420, and Chapter XVIII of the Indian Penal Code — Because neither the Lokayukt nor the SPE handles matters connected to general ‘intelligence’ and ‘security’, the SPE cannot be deemed an “intelligence and security organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act — Principle of institutional parity cannot be invoked to grant blanket exemptions to a anti-corruption investigation agency. Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Section 11, Explanation IV — Constructive Res Judicata — Application of the principle depends on the facts and circumstances of each case, considering the ambit of earlier proceedings and the nexus of the matter to the controversy — It is founded on public policy to prevent multiplicity of proceedings and avoid parties being vexed twice over for the same litigation — Parties are expected to exercise reasonable diligence and bring forward every point that properly belonged to the subject of litigation and which they might and ought to have brought forward — Negligence, inadvertence, or accident in omitting a part of the case does not exempt from its application. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 165 and 166 — Liability for injuries sustained due to falling tree branch — Injuries caused by falling tree branch while vehicle was stationary under the tree during rain — Held, not an accident “arising out of the use of a motor vehicle” as the motor vehicle did not play an active role. [ Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act) — Sections 24, 33(5), 36, 39 — Child-sensitive judicial processes — Mandatory safeguards for child victims — Courts must ensure child-friendly procedures, minimum intrusion, and psychological safety, avoiding re-traumatisation and secondary victimisation in all proceedings concerning children, especially those involving allegations of sexual abuse.

Constitution of India, 1950 — Art. 16 and 226 — Public Employment — Direct Recruitment — Eligibility Criteria — Workshop Experience — Pendency of workshop renewal applications — Effect on candidates — Where a recruitment notification mandates a minimum of one year of experience in a Government-approved workshop, candidates cannot be prejudiced or disqualified merely because the workshop’s application for renewal of approval was pending with the State authorities during the period they gained experience — Depriving an otherwise eligible candidate of employment due to an administrative “period of eclipse” or delay on the part of state machinery is arbitrary and discriminatory–Ashok Kumar Yadav v. State of Haryana, 1985 INSC 137, relied on; State of Uttar Pradesh v. Atul Kumar Dwivedi, 2022 INSC 24, Distinguished.

Right to Information Act, 2005 — S. 24(4) — Madhya Pradesh Special Police Establishment Act, 1947 — S. 2(1), S. 3 — “Intelligence and Security Organisation” — Scope and Applicability of Exemption — Jurisdiction of Special Police Establishment (SPE) — The expression “intelligence and security organisations” under Section 24 of the RTI Act implies that the concerned entity must be statutory or institutionally empowered to handle matters of intelligence and national/state security — The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh, established under Section 2(1) of the Act of 1947, is clothed with a limited jurisdiction restricted strictly to investigating offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and select economic/fraud offenses under Sections 409, 420, and Chapter XVIII of the Indian Penal Code — Because neither the Lokayukt nor the SPE handles matters connected to general ‘intelligence’ and ‘security’, the SPE cannot be deemed an “intelligence and security organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act — Principle of institutional parity cannot be invoked to grant blanket exemptions to a anti-corruption investigation agency.

Powers of judicial review in contractual or commercial matters – – Courts will not interfere by exercising powers of judicial review even if a procedural aberration or error in assessment or prejudice to a tenderer, is made out – Power of judicial review will not be invoked to protect private interest at the cost of public interest, or to decide contractual disputes.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH TATA MOTORS LIMITED — Appellant Vs. THE BRIHAN MUMBAI ELECTRIC SUPPLY & TRANSPORT UNDERTAKING (BEST) AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya…

Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 – Section 22A – User development fee collected by the airport operation, maintenance and development entities (i.e., the Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd., the Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd., and the Hyderabad International Airport Pvt. Ltd.) is not subjected to service tax levy, under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1994.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CENTRAL GST DELHI – III — Appellant Vs. DELHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LTD — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta, JJ.…

Service Matters

Under Rule 7 of the Odisha Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1992, the departmental inquiry initiated against her (a retired officer) with the sanction of the Government, shall not be in respect of any event which took place more than four years before such institution. She submitted that the allegations indicated in the chargesheet were beyond the period of four years – Contention upheld

chargesheet was in clear breach of the mandate of Rule 7 of Rules 1992. Accordingly, the chargesheet and other consequential departmental proceedings initiated against the officer were quashed. The court…

(IPC) – Ss 419, 353, 447 and 120B – Discharge – took photographs of case records from mobile phone of civil judge – Court sounds a note of caution for the appellant to be careful in future to avoid recurrence of similar incident and at the same time records a note of appreciation for the second respondent for not precipitating the matter further – After all, ‘to err is human but forgiving is divine’

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NEVILLE DADI MASTER @ NEVILLE MASTER — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat…

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 – Section 3(1)(x) – Quashing of charge-sheet – Voluntarily causing hurt – There is no material worthy of consideration in this behalf except a bald statement that the complainant sustained multiple injuries “in his hand and other body parts” – If indeed the complainant’s version were to be believed, the IO ought to have asked for a medical report to support the same

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAMESH CHANDRA VAISHYA — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta,…

Parties have suffered an irretrievable breakdown of marriage and hence, in order provide complete justice, the this Court exercised the power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India to grant mutual consent divorce to the parties and also closed all cases filed by the parties against each other.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANSI KHATRI — Appellant Vs. GAURAV KHATRI — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, JJ. ) Transfer Petition (Civil) No.…

Acquittal – Rape and murder of a six-year-old -There are, in fact, yawning gaps in the chain of circumstances rendering it far from being established- pointing to the guilt of the appellant – Needless to state, such responsibilities would be all the more heightened in cases of crimes involving severe punishments such as imprisonment for life or the sentence of death

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH PRAKASH NISHAD @ KEWAT ZINAK NISHAD — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol,…

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