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Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Sections 451 & 457 — Release of Seized Property — Trial Court rejecting release application for iron ore on grounds of applicant’s failure to substantiate ownership — High Court setting aside trial court’s order without examining correctness of its finding on ownership — High Court should have either agreed with trial court’s finding on ownership or recorded reasons for disagreeing — Failure to do so warrants interference and remand. Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 50 — Opinion as to relationship, when relevant — Opinion expressed by conduct of person with special knowledge on relationship is relevant — Essentials are court’s opinion, expression through conduct, and person having special knowledge — Conduct alone is not proof but an intermediate step to infer opinion — Opinion must be proved by direct evidence — Court needs to weigh evidence to form its own conclusion; Trial Court erred in treating opinion of witnesses as fact rather than evidence to be weighed and failed to independently assess credibility. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Bail — Anticipatory Bail — Supreme Court granted leave to appeal against High Court’s rejection of bail in anticipation of arrest — Custodial interrogation not required — Appellant may be admitted to bail in anticipation of arrest upon arrest, subject to terms and conditions fixed by the trial court — Appellant directed not to dissuade witnesses from disclosing facts to authorities. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 366 — Death Sentence Reference — Sentencing Procedure — Conviction and death penalty were pronounced on the same day without a proper inquiry into aggravating and mitigating circumstances, psychological evaluation, or jail conduct report. This haste violated established sentencing principles and vitiated the death sentence. Army Act, 1950 — Sections 63 and 69 — Possession of ammunition — Substitution of conviction — Tribunal can substitute conviction from a civil offence (Section 69) to an act prejudicial to good order and discipline (Section 63) if evidence supports the latter and the original court-martial could have lawfully found the accused guilty of the substituted offence.

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.302–Murder–Material Contradictions-Acquittal- -Inconsistent version between the evidence of Investigation Officer and father of deceased with regard to recovery of material objects and also in identification of those material objects—Acquittal upheld. 

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2911 : 2018 LawHerald.org 1760 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vineet Saran Criminal Appeal No. 1133-1135…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.498-A-Cruelty against wife—Relatives of Husband–Quashing–Appellants are not the immediate family members of the husband—They are his maternal uncles—Except the bald statement that they supported the husband who was harassing the wife for dowry and that they conspired with the third Respondent for   taking away his child to the U.S.A., nothing else indicating their involvement in the crime was mentioned—Prima facie case has not been made out against the appellants for proceeding against them under Sections 498-A, 120-B, 420 and 365 IPC-FIR quashed

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2909 : 2018 LawHerald.org 1759 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.A. Bobde Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao CRIMINAL APPEAL No.…

Land Acquisition Act, 1894, S. 18—Development Charges—Deduction of 50%—Deduction held to be justified on following grounds—Held; (i) Land acquired in question is a large chunk of land (101 acres approx.); (ii) It is not fully developed; (iii) Landowners have not filed any exemplar sale deed relating to large pieces of land sold in acres to prove the market value of the acquired land; (iv) Exemplar sale deed relied on by the landowners, pertains to very small pieces of land (19 guntas); (v) Three distinguishing features noticed in the land in exemplar sale deed are not present in the acquired land.  

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2902 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1757 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before                                    Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit    …

Rape— Women of easy virtue—A woman of easy virtue also could not be raped by a person for that reason. Perjury—Police Officers—To initiate prosecution under Section 195 Cr.P.C too readily that too against the police officials who were conducting the investigation may not be a correct approach.

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2883 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1755 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Indira Banerjee Criminal Appeal No. 2299…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.302~Murder~Charges—Omission to frame charge—Accused failed to prove prejudice caused to him due to non- framing of charge—Non objection has been raised earlier on this ground-­ Accused throughout has been defending himself against charge u/s 302 r/ w S.34 IPC-In such facts and circumstances, it cannot be said that the failure of justice has occasioned to him and the absence of a charge under Section 302 read with Section 34IPC cannot be said to have caused any prejudice to him—Conviction upheld.     

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2869 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1753 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mrs. Justice R. Banumathi Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Indira Banerjee Criminal Appeal No. 1568…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.302~Murder~Injuries on deceased-Acquittal- -Weapon of offence—Deceased had suffered multiple chop injuries- Weapon of offence recovered from place of occurrence is an ordinary knife used for cutting betel nut, one feet long with a bent sharp point—Chop injuries were not possible with the same—The alleged knife was not even shown to doctor for eliciting opinion if the injuries could have been caused by the same—Accused acquitted.   

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2862 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1752 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.F. Nariman Hon’ble Mr. Justice Navin Sinha Criminal Appeal No. 1330…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, S.231(2)–Deferment of cross-examination of witness—Balance must be struck between the rights of the accused, and the prerogative of the prosecution to lead evidence—The following factors must be kept in consideration: (i) possibility of undue influence on witness(es); (ii) possibility of threats to witness(es); (iii) possibility that non-deferral would enable subsequent witnesses giving evidence on similar facts to tailor their testimony to circumvent the defence strategy; (iv) possibility of loss of memory of the witness(es) whose examination-in-chief has been completed; (v) occurrence of delay in the trial, and the non-availability of witnesses, if deferral is allowed, in view of Section 309(1) of the Cr.P.C.

2018(4) Law Herald (SC) 2852 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1751 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Indu Malhotra Criminal Appeal No.…

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