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National Highways Act, 1956 — Amendments and compensation provisions — Section 3-J introduced in 1997 removed applicability of Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1894 Act) provisions for solatium and interest — Overturned by various High Courts, including reading down Sections 3-G and 3-J to grant solatium and interest — Subsequently, Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (2013 Act) and its amended provisions extended to NH Act — Court clarified that landowners acquired lands under NH Act between 1997 and 2015 are entitled to solatium and interest — Review Petition filed by NHAI arguing financial burden was underestimated rejected, but clarification on delayed claims issued. Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 21 Rule 102 — Applicability — Provision contemplates a situation where a judgment debtor transfers property after institution of suit to a person who then obstructs execution — Not applicable where respondents derived title from independent registered sale deeds, not from the judgment debtor. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — Section 28-A — Re-determination of compensation — Second application for re-determination based on High Court award maintainable even after accepting compensation based on Reference Court award — Principle of merger means appellate court’s award supersedes earlier award, entitling landowners to benefit from higher compensation — Object of Section 28-A is to ensure equality in compensation among similarly placed landowners. Electricity Act, 2003 — Section 61, 86 — Tariff determination and Generation Based Incentive (GBI) — State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has exclusive power to determine tariff — Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) introduced GBI to incentivise renewable energy generation — GBI is intended to be over and above the tariff fixed by SERC — SERC must consider GBI while determining tariff, but not necessarily deduct it — SERC’s power to determine tariff includes considering incentives — Parliament’s allocation of funds for GBI does not prevent SERC from considering it in tariff — SERC must exercise its power harmoniously with other stakeholders to achieve policy objectives. Contract Law — Award of Tender — Judicial Review — High Court should exercise restraint when reviewing tender evaluation processes, especially in technical matters, unless there is clear evidence of mala fide, arbitrariness, or irrationality — A marginal difference in scores, as seen in this case, does not automatically warrant interference, especially when the owner has the right to accept or reject bids and the contract is already underway.

Previous Bad Character—Use of previous bad character evidence is prohibited except when the convict himself chooses to lead evidence of his good character. Murder—Death Sentence—Life Imprisonment—The criminal, however ruthless he might be, is nevertheless a human being and is entitled to a life of dignity notwithstanding his crime. Murder—Death Sentence—Where the social re-integration of the convict may not be possible, the option of a long duration of imprisonment is permissible. DNA Test—Failure to produce available DNA evidence leads to an adverse presumption against the prosecution and in favour of appellant for the purpose of sentence only.

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 172 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 2051 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan B. Lokur Hon’ble Mr. Justice S. Abdul Nazeer Hon’ble Mr.…

High Court dismissed the revision by observing that even though Session Court and High Court have concurrent revisionary jurisdiction but there was no special circumstance to bypass the forum of Session Judge—Appeal against this order—Held; keeping in view the matter is already pending for 16 years impugned order of High Court set aside-High Court to hear the revision on merits-Question of law left open

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 637 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 614 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar Hon’ble Mr. Justice N.V. Ramana Criminal Appeal No.…

Insurance—Where due to deficiency in service, the complainant has suffered loss of benefits of an escalation in his investment value than mere direction for refund of payment along with interest will not provide sufficient redressal of his grievance—Heavy Compensation amount over and above such amount should be awarded

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 633 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 6O9 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hetnant Gupta Civil Appeal…

Agreement to Sell—Concurrent findings of fact—The issue of readiness and willingness is the most important issue for considering the grant of specific performance of the contract and the same having been held (in favour or against the plaintiff) by the Courts below on appreciation of evidence; is binding even on Supreme Court

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 630 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 608 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Ms. Justice Indu Malhotra Civil Appeal No.…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.354 and S.448–Outraging modesty of woman-­Reduction in Sentence—Compounding of Offence—House Trespass-Incident is about 10 years old-Submission by complainant that with passage of time, the grudges amongst each other have vanished away and have taken a shape of friendship-Sentence reduced to period already undergone which was more than minimum prescribed sentence-­Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, S.320

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 618 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 2138 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kurian Joseph Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hemant Gupta Criminal Appeal No(s). 1415…

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