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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.

Right To File Regular Appeal Cannot Be Curtailed Merely Because Application To Set Aside Ex-Parte Decree Was Dismissed. heldBut where the defendant has been pursuing the remedy bona fide under Order IX Rule 13 CPC, if the court refuses to condone the delay in the time spent in pursuing the remedy under Order IX Rule 13 CPC, the defendant would be deprived of the statutory right of appeal.

Right To File Regular Appeal Cannot Be Curtailed Merely Because Application To Set Aside Ex-Parte Decree Was Dismissed: SC [Read Judgment] BY: ASHOK KINI21 Nov 2019 6:07 PM But where…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Section 354, 511 and 376 – Criminal force on the victim -Rape attempt – Delay in registering the FIR HELD Husband of the complainant ­victim (P.W.3) was staying in Nandprayag while the incident occurred in the remote village of Salna – Subsequent to the incident, the complainant­ victim first travelled to meet her husband (P.W.3) – After narrating the said incident to him, she further travelled to register a complaint before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chamoli, which is again far off from the place of occurrence

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CHAITU LAL — Appellant Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND — Respondent ( Before : N.V. Ramana and Ajay Rastogi, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal No. 2127…

Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) – Sections 302 and 326 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 301, 301(2), 225 and 24(8) – Evidence Act, 1872 – Section 165 – Murder – Cross­examination of witnesses -‘Victim’s counsel has a limited right of assisting the prosecution, which may extend to suggesting questions to the Court or the prosecution, but not putting them by himself.’

Private Counsel Engaged By Victim To Assist Public Prosecutor Cannot Make Oral Argument/Cross Examine Witnesses: SC [Read Judgment] BY: ASHOK KINI20 Nov 2019 5:59 PM ‘Victim’s counsel has a limited…

Service Matters

Upon reaching a finding of arbitrariness in the selection process, the Court could at the most have issued a direction to the State Screening Committee to reassess the names of all candidates by giving due consideration to all relevant documents………….. it was not for the Court to sit in judgment over the merit of the candidates and substitute its reasoning for that of the Screening Committee. Appeal Allowed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH BAIDYANATH YADAV — Appellant Vs. ADITYA NARAYAN ROY AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M. Shantanagoudar and Ajay Rastogi, JJ. ) Civil…

Having regard to the material on record and since large amounts of money belonging to innocent investors have been siphoned off, as well as for the aforesaid reasons, the High Court, in our considered opinion, should not have released the Respondent on bail………the impugned order granting interim bail to the Respondent stands set aside.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION — Appellant Vs. RAMENDU CHATTOPADHYAY — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M. Shantanagoudar and Sanjiv Khanna, JJ. ) Criminal Appeal…

Section 100 CPC – The order of the High Court interfering with concurrent findings of facts by two courts is, therefore, held to be unsustainable in exercise of the powers under Section 100 of the Civil Procedure Code. The order of the High Court is consequently set aside. The orders dated 06.03.1998 and 13.06.2002 of the Trial Court and the First Appellate Court are restored. The suit of the plaintiffs is dismissed. The present appeal is allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NARESH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. HEMANT AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ashok Bhushan and Navin Sinha, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

There was no reason for the National Commission to hold that there was any violation of the requisite conditions on part of the appellant and there was no justification to reduce the claim to the extent of 60% of the IDV of the vehicle. The conclusions drawn and the directions issued by the State Commission, in our view, were quite correct and did not call for any interference.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH KAMLESH — Appellant Vs. SHRIRAM GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD — Respondent ( Before : Uday Umesh Lalit and Vineet Saran, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

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