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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.

UOI directing to Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) against respondents – protection sought u/section 140(5) Companies Act being ultra vires – HELD application/proceedings under section 140(5) of the Companies Act, 2013 are maintainable even after the resignation of the concerned auditors – Appeal accepted against Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. DELOITTE HASKINS AND SELLS LLP AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and M.M.…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302, 120-B, 506 read with 34 – Arms Act, 1959 – Section 27 – Conviction and sentence – Acquittal – The question is whether a convict has a fair chance of being acquitted based on palpable evidence – If the answer is yes, the convict should not be kept in custody for a long time until the appeal is decided

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH OMPRAKASH SAHNI — Appellant Vs. JAI SHANKAR CHAUDHARY AND ANOTHER ETC. — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and J.B. Pardiwala, JJ. ) Criminal…

Service Matters

Service Law – Dismissal from Service – Certain irregularities – Powers/Jurisdiction of Municipal Commissioner – Nature of Penalties – HELD per resolution the Commissioner was authorized to take action against any officer with regard to the lapses and/or negligence on the part of the officers in various works and purchases is concerned

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER, JAMNAGAR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. R.M. DOSHI — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and J.B. Pardiwala, JJ. )…

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 – Distribution of the assets – Companies Act, 2013 – Sections 326 and 327 of Companies act shall not be applicable – the distribution of the assets shall have to be made as per Section 53 of the IBC subject to Section 36(4) of the IBC, in case of liquidation of company under IBC

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MOSER BAER KARAMCHARI UNION THR. PRESIDENT MAHESH CHAND SHARMA — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah…

Service Tax (Determination of Value) Rules, 2006 – Rule 2A – the determination of value of service portion in the execution of the works contract is to be made as per Rule 2A, however with an option to the assessee to avail the benefit of Composition Scheme – Therefore, either the assessee has to go for Composition Scheme or go for Determination of Value as per Rule 2A and the assessee has to pay service tax on the service element and can claim CENVAT Credit on the said amount only.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CC AND CE AND ST, NOIDA — Appellant Vs. M/S INTERARCH BUILDING PRODUCTS PVT. LTD. — Respondent ( Before : M. R. Shah and…

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 – Section 24(2) – Acquisition proceedings Lapse by High Court – Possession could not be taken due to stay order/pending litigation, the matters are required to be remanded to the High Court to decide the writ petitions afresh in accordance with law.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. HIRA SINGH — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. ) Civil…

Amount of compensation was deposited with the Reference Court in term of Section 30/31 of the 1894 Act HELD one of the conditions being satisfied, the order passed by the High Court cannot be legally sustained whereby the acquisition has been held to have lapsed in terms of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY — Appellant Vs. ANITA SINGH AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Abhay S. Oka and Rajesh Bindal, JJ. ) Civil…

Carriage by Road Act, 2007 – Section 16 – No notice under Section 16 of the Carriage by Road Act, 2007 was necessary for instituting any suit or legal proceedings much less counter-claim against the common carrier for recovering the loss other than the loss of or damage to the consignment

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ESSEMM LOGISTICS — Appellant Vs. DARCL LOGISTICS LIMITED AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : V. Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Default bail – Filing of a charge sheet is sufficient compliance – where the accused fails to apply for default bail when the right accrues to him, and subsequently a chargesheet, or a report seeking extension of time is preferred before the Magistrate or any other competent court, the right to default bail would be extinguished

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH JUDGEBIR SINGH @ JASBIR SINGH SAMRA @ JASBIR AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y.…

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