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Constitution of India, 1950 — Articles 14, 21 — Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) — Substantive Equality and Inclusion — Scope and Spirit — The measure of a just society demands the removal of barriers for all citizens to realize their potential, transforming formal equality into substantive inclusion — Constitutional vision requires every person, regardless of physical or sensory limitation, to participate with dignity — Rights guaranteed to persons with disabilities are expressions of the constitutional promise of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination, not acts of benevolence. (Paras 1, 12, 13) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 321 — Withdrawal from prosecution — Requirement of High Court permission for withdrawal of cases against sitting or former MPs/MLAs — Following Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India — High Court must exercise judicial mind and give a reasoned order when considering an application for permission to withdraw prosecution against sitting/former legislators — Application must disclose reasons for withdrawal and records of the case must be before the High Court — Absence of requisite permission from the High Court means that the withdrawal application cannot be granted and the criminal proceedings cannot be quashed on this ground — High Court’s rejection of quashing petition confirmed. (Paras 2, 7, 9, 10) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 313 — Examination of Accused — Object and Scope — Non-compliance with mandatory requirement — Fair Trial — The object of Section 313 CrPC is to ensure a fair trial by providing the accused with an opportunity to explain all incriminating circumstances appearing in the prosecution evidence against them personally — It is a mandatory, non-negotiable obligation upon the Court and is not a mere formality; it is based on the cardinal principle of natural justice (audi alterum partem) — The statement cannot be the sole basis for conviction and is neither substantive nor a substitute piece of evidence. (Paras 6, 7.1, 7.2) Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 — Section 14(1) — Mandamus to acquire land — Power of State Government to acquire land for Slum Rehabilitation Scheme — Preferential Right of Owner — The power of the State Government to acquire land under Section 14 read with Section 3D(c)(i) of the Slum Act is subject to the preferential right of the owner to redevelop the area — Acquisition is not warranted when the owner is willing to undertake development in exercise of their preferential right, and the process must be kept in abeyance until such right is extinguished — No mandamus can be issued to the State Government to acquire the subject property under Section 14 of the Slum Act where the subsequent purchaser from the original owner (Respondent No. 4) has a subsisting preferential right to develop the property. (Paras 63, 64, 71, 72, 77(1)) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 227 — Discharge of Accused — Principles for deciding discharge application — Standard of proof for framing charge — The Court, at the stage of framing charge, must sift the evidence to determine if there is a “sufficient ground for proceeding”; a prima facie case must be established — If two views are possible and one gives rise to “suspicion only, as distinguished from grave suspicion,” the trial Judge is empowered to discharge the accused — The Judge is not a “mere post office” but must exercise judicial mind to determine if a case for trial is made out — The strong suspicion required to frame a charge must be founded on material that can be translated into evidence at trial — Where the profile of allegations renders the existence of strong suspicion patently absurd or inherently improbable, the accused should be discharged. (Paras 14, 15, 16, 17)

HELD modify the sentence imposed for the offence under Sections 376(2)(i) and 376(2)(m) of IPC and for the offence under Section 5 (i) and 5 (m) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, so as to commensurate the said sentences with the sentence imposed for the offence under Section 376(A) of IPC, and accordingly imposes sentence directing the appellant/petitioner to undergo imprisonment for a period of twenty years instead of life imprisonment for the said offences.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH MOHD. FIROZ — Appellant Vs. STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit, CJI, S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M.…

Held Trial court directions restored whereby temporary injunction granted – defendants to maintain status quo with respect to the Will property till final disposal of the suit and, the defendants would furnish the details and account of the movable property of the deceased-Ishwarbhai Madhavbhai Patel from the date of his death within 30 days from the date of the order – Suit be expedited

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HARISH ISHWARBHAI PATEL — Appellant Vs. JATIN ISHWARBHAI PATEL AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath, JJ. ) Civil…

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 – Section 168 – Just Compensation – Section 168 of the Act deals with the concept of “just compensation” and the same has to be determined on the foundation of fairness, reasonableness and equitability on acceptable legal standard – claimants cannot expect a wind fall but compensation so granted cannot be PITTANCE

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJ BALA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. RAKEJA BEGAM AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. ) Civil…

Promissory Estoppel – Doctrine of estoppel will not be applied against the State in its governmental, public or sovereign capacity – to permit an estoppel to be operated against the legislative functions of the Parliament is a fallacy – Claim of the appellants on estoppel is without merit and deserves to be rejected.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S HERO MOTOCORP LIMITED — Appellant Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. )…

(IPC) – Sections 302 and 149 – Murder – Non-recovery of the weapons cannot be a ground to discard the evidence of the injured eye witnesses -HELD in order to make culpable homicide as murder the act by which death is caused should fall not only under any one or more of clauses firstly to fourthly under Section 300, IPC but they should also not fall under any of the five exceptions to Section 300, IPC –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GURMAIL SINGH AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : C.T. Ravikumar and Sudhanshu Dhulia, JJ.…

Education – Provisional admission to post-graduate medical courses – Schedule for admission to the post-graduate medical courses must be followed strictly leaving no discretion to any authority to permit admissions over the cut-off date under schedule for admission to post-graduate medical courses

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BOARD OF GOVERNORS IN SUPERSESSION OF MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA — Appellant Vs. DR. PRIYAMBADA SHARMA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ajay…

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