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Meritorious reserved category candidates must be considered against unreserved vacancies at the screening stage without availing any concession, prioritizing merit over category bias. The Commission under the WBCE Act has jurisdiction to adjudicate deficiencies in patient care services and qualifications of personnel, distinct from medical negligence handled by State Medical Councils. Income Tax Act, 1961 — Section 37(1) — Revenue Expenditure vs. Capital Expenditure — Non-compete fee — Whether payment of non-compete fee constitutes allowable revenue expenditure or capital expenditure — Non-compete fee is paid to restrain a competitor, which protects or enhances the business profitability and facilitates carrying on the business more efficiently — Such payment neither creates a new asset nor increases the profit-earning apparatus for the payer, meaning the enduring advantage, if any, is not in the capital field — The length of time of the advantage is not determinative if the advantage merely facilitates business operations, leaving fixed assets untouched — Payment of non-compete fee made by the appellant (formed as a joint venture) to L&T (previous partner) to restrain L&T from competing for 7 years was essentially to keep a potential competitor out and ensure the appellant operated more efficiently and profitably, without creating a new capital asset or monopoly — Held: Payment of non-compete fee is an allowable revenue expenditure under Section 37(1) of the Act. (Paras 16, 25-29) Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 118 — Competency of child witness — Effect of delay and tutoring — Although a minor child is competent to testify, the reliability and evidentiary value of testimony given many years after the event, especially when the child has been residing with the complainant’s family (maternal grandparents), is significantly affected by the high possibility of memory distortion and tutoring. (Paras 5, 7, 10.2) Service Law — High Court Staff — Regularization — Discrimination — Appellants (Operator-cum-Data Entry Assistants/Routine Grade Clerks) appointed by Chief Justice under Rules 8(a)(i), 41, and 45 of Allahabad High Court Officers and Staff (Conditions of Service and Conduct) Rules, 1976 — High Court refused regularization of Appellants while regularizing numerous similarly situated employees appointed through the same channel — Justification based on whether initial appointment was labelled ‘ad-hoc’ or whether appointment letter stipulated an examination — Held, distinction based solely on stipulations in appointment letters, when the channel of appointment and nature of work are identical, is arbitrary, unreasonable, and superficial — Such differential treatment violates Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Constitution, as equals must be treated equally without rational differentia. (Paras 3, 4, 17, 23-28)

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS) – Sections 8, 15, 42 and 52 – Non-production of contraband – Appeal against acquittal – If the seizure of the material is proved on record and is not even doubted or disputed the entire contraband material need not be placed before this Court.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  STATE OF RAJASTHAN — Appellant Vs. SAHI RAM — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and Vineet Saran, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No.…

Customs Act, 1962 – Sections 18 and 130E – Customs Tariff Act, 1975 – Section 16 – Customs Valuation (Determination of Price of Imported Goods) Rule, 1988 – Rules 9 and 9(1)(b) – Import activity – The value of the software and the concerned services were therefore rightly included and taken as part of the importation. Appeal dismissed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  INDUSIND MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LTD — Appellant Vs. COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS, NEW DELHI — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and Vineet Saran,…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302, 323 and 324 – Murder – Appeal against conviction and sentence – accused should have known that hitting the deceased on the head with a sickle with great force causing fracture of the skull, is dangerous & would have imminently caused death. Appeal dismissed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  GURU @ GURUBARAN AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. STATE REP. BY INSP. OF POLICE — Respondent ( Before : Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose,…

Consumer Protection Act, 1986 – Section 2(1)(d), 2(1)(e), 2(1)(f), 2(1)(g) and 2(1)(o) – Validity of imposition of “composition fee” and “extension fee” – This Court hold that the determination of the dispute concerning the validity of the imposition of a statutory due arising out of a “deficiency in service”, can be undertaken by the consumer fora as per the provisions of the Act – HUDA vs. Sunita, (2005) 2 SCC 479, overruled.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH  PUNJAB URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (NOW GLADA) — Appellant Vs. VIDYA CHETAL AND RAM SINGH — Respondent ( Before : N.V. Ramana, Mohan…

Ancestral Property—Karta of HUF executed sale deed of Co-parcenary Property in favour his second wife without any sale consideration—Such sale of HUF property was not for legal necessity or benefit to the estate-Sale deed executed by karta and further sale by his second wife to subsequent purchasers held to be null and void

2019(3) Law Herald (SC) 2054 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 1257 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Indu Malhotra Civil Appeal No.…

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