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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.

State of Meghalaya seeks to assert its right to do business in lotteries under Article 298(b) and its executive power to do so would be subject to parliamentary legislation, viz., the Act of 1998, the grievances raised by it in that context would constitute disputes which fall squarely within the four corners of Article 131 of the Constitution.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF MEGHALAYA — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA & OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjay Kumar. JJ. ) Original…

(CrPC) – S 313 – (IPC) – Ss 302 read with 120B – Murder – Criminal Trial – Examination of accused – Failure to put material circumstances to the accused amounts to a serious irregularity – It will vitiate the trial if it is shown to have prejudiced the accused – Conviction and sentence is set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJ KUMAR @ SUMAN — Appellant Vs. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Rajesh Bindal, JJ. )…

Rape of a minor by Inspector – High Court ought to have been to confine itself to the acceptance/rejection of the prayer for bail made by the accused under Section 439 of the Code; however the High Court, being satisfied that there were, in its opinion, grave lapses on the part of the police/investigative machinery, which may have fatal consequences on the justice delivery system, could not have simply shut its eyes.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SANJAY DUBEY — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Krishna Murari and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, JJ. )…

Tamil Nadu Cultivating Tenants Protection Act, 1955 – Sections 3 and 4 – – eviction of the cultivating tenant at the behest of the landlord is circumscribed, by the Act – Hence, the court is required to ensure that even the limited ground(s) for eviction by the landlord of the cultivating tenant, are not frustrated by granting some extra benefit or indulgence to the cultivating tenant.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH K. CHINNAMMAL (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. L.R. EKNATH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : Krishna Murari and Ahsanuddin Amanullah,…

Greater inconvenience is likely to be caused by passing any interim order of constitution of CoC in relation to the corporate debtor as a whole; and may cause irreparable injury to the home buyers – This Court are not inclined to alter the directions in the order impugned as regards the projects other than Eco Village-II.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH INDIABULLS ASSET RECONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED — Appellant Vs. RAM KISHORE ARORA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjay Kumar, JJ.…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Clauses 5 and 6(2) of Fifth Schedule and Article 19(1)(e) – Whether a non Tribal has the right to vote in a Scheduled Area – Right to vote will be governed by Part III of the 1950 Act – Every eligible voter is entitled to be registered in the electoral roll of a constituency, in which he is ordinarily residing – Therefore, any person eligible to vote who is ordinarily residing in the Scheduled Area has a right to vote, even if he is a non­ Tribal.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ADIVASIS FOR SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and…

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