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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.

Acquisition of land – If there is a large tract of land under acquisition but is capable of being used for the purpose for which smaller plots are used and is situate in a fully developed area with little or no requirement of any further development to be made, there would be no need for deduction of the value.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. RADHESHYAM AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : S. Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari, JJ.…

Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 – Sections 129 and 132 – Exemption from payment of general tax – – correct to hold that provisions from Section 141AA to Section 141F form a complete code when tax has to be computed and paid on the carpet area method, and for such computation, reference cannot be made to the provisions of Sections 129 to 133 which relate to property tax payable on annual rateable value.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH PARIVAR SEVA SANSTHA — Appellant Vs. AHMEDABAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION — Respondent ( Before : Sanjiv Khanna and J.K. Maheshwari, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

Service Matters

Service Law – Dismissal – CISF Constable – Gross negligence and dereliction of duty – – Desirability of continuing the constable in the Armed Forces is certainly questionable and the Disciplinary Authority could not be expected to wear blinkers in respect of his past conduct while imposing the penalty of dismissal from service on him

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS @PPELLANT Vs. SUBRATA NATH — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, CJI. and Hima Kohli, JJ. )…

Electricity Act, 2003 – Sections 61, 62 and 63 – Determination of tariff – – The Electricity Act 2003 seeks to distance the State Governments from the determination and regulation of tariff, placing such power completely within the ambit of the Appropriate Commissions

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH THE TATA POWER COMPANY LIMITED TRANSMISSION — Appellant Vs. MAHARASHTRA ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud,…

A & C act 1996 – The court at the referral stage can interfere only when it is manifest that the claims are ex facie time-barred and dead, or there is no subsisting dispute – In the context of issue of limitation period, it should be referred to the Arbitral Tribunal for decision on merits – Similar would be the position in case of disputed “no claim certificate” or defence on the plea of novation and “accord and satisfaction”

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S. MEENAKSHI SOLAR POWER PVT. LTD. — Appellant Vs. M/S. ABHYUDAYA GREEN ECONOMIC ZONES PVT. LTD. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R.…

Acquisition of land – Development charge – Land owners, whose land has been utilized 40 years back, now cannot be compelled to pay the development charge for the development which has already taken place, only for a parcel of land to which they have not given compensation up to decades.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICER AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. ISMAIL BHAI AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : S. Abdul Nazeer and J.K. Maheshwari,…

Contract Act, 1872 – Sections 2 and 10 – Contract concluded – If the proposals containing the essential terms have been accepted, and the acceptance is communicated and, if the other conditions in Section 2 of the Indian Contract Act are complied with, viz., that is there is consideration and the contract is enforceable in law, within the meaning of Section 10 of the Act, it would lead to the creation of a concluded contract.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH KARNATAKA POWER TRANSMISSION CORPORATION LIMITED — Appellant Vs. JSW ENERGY LIMITED (EARLIER KNOWN AS JINDAL THERMAL POWER COMPANY LIMITED AND JINDAL TRACTABEL POWER COMPANY…

HELD – SCOI assess the wholebody disability at 30% and propose to enhance the compensation under the heads of pain and suffering due to two surgeries undergone and future surgeries to be undergone. Also towards loss of future amenities and towards loss of income during laid up period for a period of twelve months compensation is enhanced –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH T. J. PARAMESHWARAPPA @ PARAMESHWARAPPA @ J.T. PARAMESHWARAPPA @ TALALKENA GOWDRA PARAMESHWARAPPA — Appellant Vs. THE BRANCH MANAGER,NEW INDIA ASSURANCE CO. LTD. AND OTHERS…

HELD It is the duty of the Court, while interpreting the contract to decipher the true and correct meaning the parties intended and enforce the rights arising out of the contract – Officers administering the contract will not have any discretion whatsoever to admit or deny escalation after the conditions specified in a contract are satisfied.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH — Appellant Vs. M/S SEW CONSTRUCTION LIMITED AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : A.S. Bopanna and Pamidighantam Sri…

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