Latest Post

Environment Law — Environmental Clearance — Prior clearance — Mandatory character — Prior environmental clearance under EIA Notification, 2006 is mandatory, being founded on the precautionary principle and couched in imperative terms — Word “prior” and the graded four-stage screening, scoping, public consultation and appraisal process render an anterior assessment the sine qua non of the clearance regime — Decriminalisation of contraventions under Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 does not alter this mandatory character. Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 415 — Appeal — Maintainability — Conviction recorded for first time by appellate court reversing acquittal — An appeal under Section 374 CrPC (Section 415 BNSS) is not maintainable against a judgment of conviction recorded by a Sessions Court while exercising appellate jurisdiction and reversing an order of acquittal passed by the Trial Court — No such second appeal is contemplated under CrPC or BNSS — The only remedy available is revision under Section 397 r/w 401 CrPC (Section 438 r/w 442 BNSS) Income Tax Act, 1961 — Section 44B — “Carriage” of passengers — Meaning and scope of — Cruise operations by non-resident shipping entity — Held, the word “carriage” under Section 44B cannot be restrictively construed to mean movement only from Port A to Port B. A round-trip cruise voyage, where passengers have the option to disembark at intermediate ports without compulsion to return to the originating port, constitutes carriage of passengers within the meaning of Section 44B. Provision of incidental on-board entertainment and hospitality does not alter the essential character of the activity as carriage of passengers. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Quashing of FIR — Scope of inquiry — Mini-trial impermissible — At the stage of considering quashing of an FIR, the Court’s inquiry is confined to whether the allegations, taken at face value, prima facie disclose commission of a cognizable offence — Court cannot conduct a “mini-trial” by sifting evidence, assessing probabilities, or evaluating witness credibility — High Court exceeding these limits by examining trap proceedings, absence of personal recovery, and departmental enquiry findings, held impermissible. Succession Act, 1925 — Sections 33, 35 and 38 — Hindu/Christian Succession — Applicability of S. 33 confined to property owned by deceased male; erroneous application by High Court set aside — Where property was purchased and registered in the joint names of two wives, the same is owned by them and not by the husband, notwithstanding that he provided the consideration — Section 33, which governs devolution on intestacy of a male’s property between his widow and lineal descendants, is not attracted to property never vested in the husband’s name — High Court’s application of S. 33 to the entirety of the suit property held misconceived.

In the absence of any credible eye witness to the incident and the fact that the presence of the accused appellants at the place of incident is not well established – Constrained to accord benefit of doubt to both the accused appellants – Conviction and sentence is set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOHD. MUSLIM — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH (NOW UTTARAKHAND) — Respondent ( Before : V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Criminal…

A simple suit for partition cannot be binding on third parties – No party to a suit for partition, even by way of compromise, can acquire any title to any specific item of property or any particular portion of a specific property, if such a compromise is struck only with a few parties to the suit – Allegations of fraud require special pleadings in terms of Order 6 Rule 4 CPC.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S TRINITY INFRAVENTURES LTD. & ORS. ETC. — Appellant Vs. M.S. MURTHY & ORS. ETC. — Respondent ( Before : V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj…

Dishonour of cheque – Setting aside of conviction and sentence – Settlement between with parties – Respondents will have no objection as the outstanding amount has already been received by them – Conviction and sentence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act is set aside

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH R VARATHARAJAN — Appellant Vs. RAMASAMY — Respondent ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sanjay Kumar, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No 1698 of 2023…

HELD purported to project a case of mismanagement and oppression by the appellants in the Petitions styled under Sections 397 and 398 of the Companies Act, By Order dated  the NCLT, Ahmedabad Bench disposed of the petitions with the following directions –In this set of facts, it is not just and equitable to order winding up of the company

HASMUKHLAL MADHAVLAL PATEL AND ANR. vs. AMBIKA FOOD PRODUCTS PVT. LTD. AND ORS. WITH CIVIL APPEAL NO. 8195 OF 2018 J. [K.M. JOSEPH] …………………………………………J. [B.V. NAGARATHNA] Case No.: CIVIL APPEAL…

You missed