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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.

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 – Section 8 – Reference to arbitration – Non-existence of arbitration agreement in relation to the entire subject-matter of the suit, and when the substantive reliefs claimed in the suits fall outside the arbitration clause in the original licence agreement.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GUJARAT COMPOSITE LIMITED — Appellant Vs. A INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dinesh Maheshwari and Sudhanshu Dhulia, JJ. ) Civil…

IMPORTANT – Constitution of India, 1950 – Article 142(1) – Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage – In exercise of power under Article 142(1) of the Constitution of India, has the discretion to dissolve the marriage on the ground of its irretrievable breakdown

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CONSTITUTION BENCH SHILPA SAILESH — Appellant Vs. VARUN SREENIVASAN — Respondent ( Before : Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Abhay S. Oka, Vikram Nath and J.K.…

Complainant has attempted to turn a purely contractual dispute between the parties into a criminal case – Not only that, there is an inordinate delay in lodging the complaint – Complaint does not disclose that any of the ingredients of the offence complained of have been made out – Complaint bearing filed before the trial court under Section 403, 406, 420 and 120B of the IPC is dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PRAKASH AGGARWAL — Appellant Vs. GANESH BENZOPLAST LIMITED AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and Vikram Nath, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Service Matters

Order passed by the learned Single Judge as well as the impugned judgment and order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court directing to pay additional 2% in addition to the existing pay to the post of Assistant Executive Engineer (Electrical) from the date of their initial appointment is/are hereby quashed and set aside.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KARNATAKA POWER TRANSMISSION CORPORATION LIMITED AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. SRI. B. G. MANAMOHANA PRIYANKA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah…

Service Matters

Appointment to post of Sub Inspector of Police – Eligibility – Remanded to DB of HC that it will be open for the Division Bench to call for the expert’s opinion on the questions of which their answers were alleged to be incorrect for which the objections were raised so that if ultimately it is found that the answers with respect to some questions were incorrect and consequently, the marks are added and they may become eligible.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SACHIT KUMAR SINGH AND OTHERS ETC. ETC. — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND OTHERS ETC. ETC. — Respondent ( Before : M.R.…

Suit for specific performance – Agreement to sell – where the sum named is an amount the payment of which may be substituted for the performance of the act at the election of the person by whom the money is to be paid or the act done, the Court may refuse to pass the decree for specific performance. In the present case, the condition specifically stipulates that in case of failure on the part of the seller to execute the sale deed within the stipulated time the buyer shall be entitled to double the amount given as an advance.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH T.D. VIVEK KUMAR AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. RANBIR CHAUDHARY — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Service Matters

Work Charged Establishment Revised Service Conditions (Repealing) Rules, 2013 – Rule 5(v) – Pension – after rendering of service as work charged for number of years and thereafter when their services have been regularized, they cannot be denied the pension on the ground that they have not completed the qualifying service for pension – That is why, the service rendered as work charged is to be counted and/or considered for the purpose of qualifying service for pension

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UDAY PRATAP THAKUR AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar,…

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