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Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Sections 165, 166 — Death allegedly caused by murder inside a motor vehicle — Claim for compensation — Requirement of causal link between death and “use” of motor vehicle — Held, mere presence of a motor vehicle in the chain of circumstances leading to death does not attract liability under MVA — Some nexus between the vehicle and the death must be established. Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976 — Section 2(25) — “Occupier” — Scope of definition — The MHAD Act defines only “occupier,” which includes any person liable to pay rent, an owner in occupation, a rent-free tenant, a licensee, or one liable to pay damages for use and occupation — Occupancy is not a statutory tenancy dependent on the owner’s will, and even a person in possession without formal rent liability may claim occupancy status for reallotment purposes. Stamp Act, 1899 — Section 26, proviso — Mining lease — Stamp duty on instrument with indeterminate value — Determinant of stamp duty — Where value of subject-matter is indeterminate at execution, proviso to S.26 specifically governs mining leases, directing that estimated royalty or value of share, as estimated by the Collector where State is lessor, suffices for stamp duty purposes — Proviso held not inconsistent with main provision — actual value of mining lease is ascertainable only once mining operations commence Service Law — Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) — Grade Pay convergence — Effect on promotions within cadre — Convergence of Grade Pay pursuant to Sixth Central Pay Commission does not obliterate separate identity of promotional posts within a cadre — Promotions carry promotional increments, enhanced running-duty allowances and post-specific benefits, remaining financially meaningful notwithstanding constancy of Grade Pay. Multiple FIRs across States cannot be quashed or clubbed under Article 32 where they relate to distinct transactions, victims, and offences despite similar modus operandi. A. Cyber Fraud — Multiple FIRs across States — Clubbing declined — Clubbing/consolidation of FIRs registered in different States was declined where each FIR was lodged by a different complainant induced to part with money on separate occasions, with distinct victims, amounts and transactions, notwithstanding a common bank account and similar modus operandi; clubbing at a nascent investigation stage involving complex cyber-forensic tracing would impede fair investigation and cause hardship to complainants.

Criminal Law – Dying declaration – Merely because the weapon used is not recovered cannot be a ground not to rely upon the dying declaration. HELD Rioting – Merely because three persons were chargesheeted/charged/tried and even out of three tried, two persons came to be acquitted cannot be a ground to not to convict the accused under Section 148 IPC.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH — Appellant Vs. SUBHASH @ PAPPU — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna, JJ. ) Criminal…

Right of defendant to prosecute the plaintiff owing to the dishonour of the cheque issued by the plaintiff cannot be frustrated by seeking a declaration that the said cheque was handed over as a security – Such a declaration cannot be ex facie granted as it would be contrary to the provisions of the N.I. Act and particularly Section 118(a) thereof – Hence, the plaint is liable to be rejected in exercise of jurisdiction under Order VII Rule 11 CPC.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S FROST INTERNATIONAL LIMITED — Appellant Vs. M/S MILAN DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS (P) LIMITED AND ANOTHER @ RESPONDENT ( Before : M.R. Shah and…

Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 – Section 9 – Eviction – Section 3(1) of the Nationalisation Act, declares that on the appointed day, which was 01.05.1973, the right, title and interest of the owners in relation to the coal­mines specified in the Schedule shall stand transferred to and shall vest absolutely in the Central government free from all encumbrances – As could be seen from clause (xi) of Section 2(h), even the lands and buildings used solely for the location of the management, sale or liaison offices or for the residence of officers and staff were also included in the definition of the word “mine”

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S BHARAT COKING COAL LIMITED — Appellant Vs. MAHENDRA PAL BHATIA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, JJ.…

Power of Attorney – Section 49 of the Registration Act can amplify or magnify the clauses contained in the deed of Power of Attorney – Document should expressly authorize the agent, (i) to execute a sale deed; (ii) to present it for registration; and (iii) to admit execution before the Registering Authority.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MRS. UMADEVI NAMBIAR — Appellant Vs. THAMARASSERI ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE REP BY ITS PROCURATOR DEVSSIA’S SON REV. FATHER JOSEPH KAPPIL — Respondent ( Before…

Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 – Sections 45 and 137 – Karnataka Land Reforms Rules, 1974 – Rule 19 – Occupancy rights – Duty of the Tahsildar to verify the Revenue Records and other documents and incorporate/record the name of the owner of the land – Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 is a beneficent legislation for granting occupancy rights to cultivating tenants of agricultural lands

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NADAKERAPPA SINCE DECEASED BY LRS. AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. PILLAMMA SINCE DECEASED BY LRS. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : S. Abdul…

Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 – Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation will have the power to suspend or initiate departmental proceedings against an Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMC), who is an officer, superior in rank to the Assistant Commissioner

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KALYAN DOMBIVALI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION — Appellant Vs. SANJAY GAJANAN GHARAT AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai, JJ.…

Service Matters

HELD The State has made conscious decision to delink the retirees from the service conditions guiding the serving staffs of the concerned institutions and placed them in the retirement rules meant for those in the Manipur State Service. In such a situation, we do not think the anomaly pointed out in the judgment under appeal

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. Y. IBEHAIBI DEVI (D) BY LRS. AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. THE STATE OF MANIPUR REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER (HIGHER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION)…

Suffice it to state that the amount of Rs.4 Crores has been deposited with the concerned authorities and the appellant has been enjoying the facility of ad-interim bail – Direct that the appellant shall continue to be on bail on the same conditions on which he was allowed the facility of ad-interim bail – Security and documents of surety furnished at that stage shall continue to be operative as conditions of bail.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH MOHIT BATHLA — Appellant Vs. CENTRAL GOODS AND SERVICE TAX, DIVISION PANIPAT, CGST COMMISSIONERATE, PANCHKULA — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit, S.…

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