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Presidency Towns Insolvency Act, 1909 — Section 9(2) — “Decree or order” — Whether includes a recovery certificate issued by a Debts Recovery Tribunal under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (pre-2016 amendment) — Held, no — Insolvency Act, being weighed with grave civil consequence of “civil death”, must be strictly construed — Expression “decree or order” must bear the meaning assigned under Ss. 2(2) and 2(14), CPC, requiring adjudication by a “court” in a “suit” — A DRT recovery certificate, not being a decree or order of a court within this meaning, cannot found an insolvency notice under S. 9(2) — Ratio of Paramjeet Singh Patheja v. ICDS Ltd., (2006) 13 SCC 322 (rendered qua arbitral awards) held to rest on a wider principle applicable equally to DRT recovery certificates — Impugned judgment of Division Bench, Bombay High Court, affirming Single Judge’s quashing of insolvency notice, upheld. Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 — Section 47 — Non-discrimination in government employment — Employee acquiring disability during service — Mandatory obligation on employer to shift employee to alternate post with same pay and service benefits, or, failing that, to accommodate on supernumerary post till superannuation — Respondent, a CRPF Constable (Driver), rendered blind/partially blind in 1996 and medically invalidated from service in 1998 without consideration of alternate posting — Held, S. 47 casts a positive and mandatory obligation on employer to protect disabled employee and not await a request for accommodation — Order of medical invalidation dated 11-3-1998 held ultra vires S. 47 and Arts. 14 and 21 of the Constitution — Single Judge’s direction reinstating respondent, upheld by Division Bench, affirmed in principle, though relief modified in view of respondent’s superannuation — Kunal Singh v. Union of India, (2003) 4 SCC 524; Bhagwan Dass v. Punjab State Electricity Board, (2008) 1 SCC 579; Ravinder Kumar Dhariwal v. Union of India, (2023) 2 SCC 209, relied on. State Financial Corporations Act, 1951 — Sections 29 & 30 — Auction sale of mortgaged property by Financial Corporation for recovery of dues — Judicial review of, scope — Borrowers persistently defaulting over eight years despite multiple opportunities, repayment schedules fixed by High Court, and statutory notices — Financial Corporation auctioning mortgaged property after affording repeated chances including a final 21-day matching offer, which borrowers ignored — Held, fairness required of a Financial Corporation cannot be carried to the extent of disabling it from recovering what is due to it; fairness is not a one-way street — Courts have no say in matters between the Corporation and its debtor except where there is (a) statutory violation, or (b) the Corporation has acted unfairly/unreasonably — Writ court/civil court does not sit as an appellate authority over commercial decisions of the Corporation — Absence of prior valuation report, by itself, held insufficient to vitiate auction where borrowers never objected to the basis of sale (BOS — balance outstanding as on date of possession/sale deed) and themselves sought to retain the property on the very same terms — Concurrent findings of Trial Court and High Court setting aside auction sale, reversed. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — Sections 19(1) & 21 — “Knowledge that such an offence has been committed” — Meaning and scope — Held, not confined to direct/personal knowledge of commission of offence based on person’s own senses — Includes awareness founded on receipt of credible information regarding commission of offence punishable under the Act — Where such information is received directly from the victim, capable of communicating/reporting/informing, the same is deemed credible — Restrictive construction confining “knowledge” to direct, sensory knowledge would render sub-sections (5) & (6) of S. 19 and R. 4 of POCSO Rules, 2012 non-functional, and defeat the protective purpose of the Act — Person receiving report from victim not obliged to independently verify or investigate truth of allegation before reporting — Conducting a prior “verification exercise” to ascertain correctness of the child’s complaint, and reporting only if own assessment finds signs of assault, is impermissible and defeats the very purpose of the Act, since it may result in disappearance of evidence and delay — Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 — Section 14(1)(b) — Subletting, assignment or parting with possession — Whether involuntary transfer pursuant to statutory scheme of bank amalgamation attracts the provision — Original tenant-bank (HCB) amalgamated with another bank (PNB) pursuant to a Scheme framed by RBI and notified by the Central Government under S. 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 — Consequent thereto, HCB ceased to exist and all its rights, including tenancy rights in the demised premises, vested in PNB, which came into possession without the landlord’s written consent — Held, S. 14(1)(b) is of wide amplitude, covering subletting, assignment, and “any other mode” by which possession is parted with, and does not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary transfers — Once the twin ingredients — transfer of tenancy rights/possession, and absence of the landlord’s written consent — are satisfied, the provision is attracted irrespective of the reasons necessitating the transfer — Contention that a statutory amalgamation stands outside the mischief of the provision, rejected

Presidency Towns Insolvency Act, 1909 — Section 9(2) — “Decree or order” — Whether includes a recovery certificate issued by a Debts Recovery Tribunal under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (pre-2016 amendment) — Held, no — Insolvency Act, being weighed with grave civil consequence of “civil death”, must be strictly construed — Expression “decree or order” must bear the meaning assigned under Ss. 2(2) and 2(14), CPC, requiring adjudication by a “court” in a “suit” — A DRT recovery certificate, not being a decree or order of a court within this meaning, cannot found an insolvency notice under S. 9(2) — Ratio of Paramjeet Singh Patheja v. ICDS Ltd., (2006) 13 SCC 322 (rendered qua arbitral awards) held to rest on a wider principle applicable equally to DRT recovery certificates — Impugned judgment of Division Bench, Bombay High Court, affirming Single Judge’s quashing of insolvency notice, upheld.

Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 — Section 47 — Non-discrimination in government employment — Employee acquiring disability during service — Mandatory obligation on employer to shift employee to alternate post with same pay and service benefits, or, failing that, to accommodate on supernumerary post till superannuation — Respondent, a CRPF Constable (Driver), rendered blind/partially blind in 1996 and medically invalidated from service in 1998 without consideration of alternate posting — Held, S. 47 casts a positive and mandatory obligation on employer to protect disabled employee and not await a request for accommodation — Order of medical invalidation dated 11-3-1998 held ultra vires S. 47 and Arts. 14 and 21 of the Constitution — Single Judge’s direction reinstating respondent, upheld by Division Bench, affirmed in principle, though relief modified in view of respondent’s superannuation — Kunal Singh v. Union of India, (2003) 4 SCC 524; Bhagwan Dass v. Punjab State Electricity Board, (2008) 1 SCC 579; Ravinder Kumar Dhariwal v. Union of India, (2023) 2 SCC 209, relied on.

Chhattisgarh Co-Operative Societies Act I960 – (i) Clauses (a) and (b) of Section 54(3), as special provisions for the appointment of the CEO of Cooperative Banks confer upon them the power to appoint their CEO (ii) However, where a Cooperative Bank is a Central Society within the ambit of Section 49-E(2), the CEO shall be appointed from among the officers of the cadre constituted and maintained under Section 54, where such cadre has been constituted. (iii) Where no cadre has been constituted under Section 54, the CEO of a Cooperative Bank which is a Central Society under Section 49-E(2) shall be appointed with the prior approval of the Registrar as stipulated in Section 49-E(2)(b)(ii).

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH MANAGING DIRECTOR CHHATTISGARH STATE CO-OPERATIVE BANK MARYADIT — Appellant Vs. ZILA SAHKARI KENDRIYA BANK MARYADIT AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Dr. Dhananjaya…

Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam, 1973 – Sections 31 and 32 – Change of land use from commercial to residential – Ujjain Municipal Corporation was not made a party and had no opportunity to represent their stand on the change in the layout plan – HELD It proper to direct the appellant-board and the authorities to ensure that the areas/land earmarked for the primary school and park/garden are not converted into residential plots – Appeal allowed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH MADHYA PRADESH HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. VIJAY BODANA AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Sharad A. Bobde,…

Consumer Protection Act, – Section 13(2)(a) – Whether Section 13(2)(a), which provides for the respondent/opposite party filing its response to the complaint within 30 days or such extended period, not exceeding 15 days, should be read as mandatory or directory – District Forum has no power to extend the time for filing the response to the complaint beyond the period of 15 days in addition to 30 days as is envisaged under Section 13 of the Act.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CONSTITUTION BENCH NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED — Appellant Vs. HILLI MULTIPURPOSE COLD STORAGE PRIVATE LIMITED — Respondent ( Before : Arun Mishra, Indira Banerjee, Vineet…

VIRTUAL CURRENCY (VC) CASE :: Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 – Section 45JA and 45L – Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – Section 35A read with 36(1)(a) and 56 – Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 – Section 10(2) read with Section 18 – Virtual currencies – Position as on date is that VCs are not banned

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH INTERNET AND MOBILE ASSOCIATION OF INDIA — Appellant Vs. RESERVE BANK OF INDIA — Respondent ( Before : Rohinton Fali Nariman, Aniruddha Bose and…

Foreign Exchange Management (Realisation, Repatriation and Surrender of Foreign Exchange) Regulations, 2000 – Regulation 6 – Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 – Section 16(3), 10(6), 46 and 47 – Contravention referred to in Section 10(6) by its very nature is a continuing offence –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SUBORNO BOSE — Appellant Vs. ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

Textile Undertakings (Nationalisation) Act, 1995 – Sections 4(2), 4(5), 7 and 20 – Loan – Recovery proceedings – Claim by the lender Bank towards which a decree had already been granted in respect of one claim and the other claim is pending consideration. The fact as to whether in the matter of take over, the liabilities were also included is one aspect of the matter HELD This is an aspect which is to be examined after providing opportunity to the parties, if need be, after tendering evidence in that regard – Question of liability could neither have been decided in the writ proceedings before the High Court nor in this appeal

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH UCO BANK — Appellant Vs. NATIONAL TEXTILE CORPORATION LIMITED AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ.…

HELD “…….. once the testator has given an absolute right and interest in his entire property to a devisee it is not open to the testator to further bequeath the same property in favour of the second set of persons in the same will, a testator cannot create successive legatees in his will. The object behind is that once an absolute right is vested in the first devisee the testator cannot change the line of succession of the first devisee.”

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M.S. BHAVANI AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. M.S. RAGHU NANDAN — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M. Shantanagoudar and R. Subhash Reddy, JJ. )…

All India Council of Technical Education Act, 1987 – Section 2(g) – Technical education – Having realized the difficulties in view of dual regulations of pharmacy education under the PCI and AICTE HELD Therefore, even according to the Union of India, the word ‘pharmacy’ is to be deleted from the definition of ‘technical education’ contained in Section 2(g) of the AICTE Act.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH THE PHARMACY COUNCIL OF INDIA — Appellant Vs. DR. S.K. TOSHNIWAL EDUCATIONAL TRUSTS VIDARBHA INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before :…

Income Tax Act, 1961 – Section 80IA and 80IA(4)(i)(b) – – Deduction – As regards clause (b) of Section 80IA(4)(i), HELD the ITAT, as well as, the High Court have justly affirmed the view taken by the first appellate authority, holding that the respondent/assessee Company qualified for the deduction under Section 80IA being an enterprise carrying on the stated business pertaining to infrastructure facility Appeal dismissed.

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH COMMISSIONER OF INCOME TAX, UDAIPUR — Appellant Vs. M/S. CHETAK ENTERPRISES PRIVATE LIMITED — Respondent ( Before : A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari,…

Service Matters

Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 – Section 1 – Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACP)- ACP Scheme which is now superseded by MACP Scheme is a matter of government policy – Interference with the recommendations of the expert body like Pay Commission and its recommendations for the MACP, would have serious impact on the public exchequer – HELD Impugned orders cannot be sustained and are liable to be set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. M.V. MOHANAN NAIR — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi, A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ.…

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