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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.

Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (NI) – Sections 138, 143A and 148 – Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) – Sections 357(2) and 389 – Dishonour of cheque – Suspension of Sentence – Direction to deposit 25% of the amount of compensation – Appeal against same – Section 148 of the N.I. Act as amended, shall be applicable in respect of the appeals against the order of conviction and sentence for the offence under Section 138 of the N.I. Act, even in a case where the criminal complaints for the offence under Section 138 of the N.I. Act were filed prior to amendment Act No. 20/2018 i.e., prior to 01.09.2018.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH  SURINDER SINGH DESWAL @ COL. S.S.DESWAL AND OTHERS — Appellant  Vs.  VIRENDER GANDHI — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna, JJ.…

Brother In Law Can Be Ordered To Pay INTERIM Maintenance To Widow Under Domestic Violence Act HELD–Ultimately, whether the requirements of Section 2(f); Section 2(q); and Section 2(s) are fulfilled is a matter of evidence which will be adjudicated upon at the trial. At this stage, for the purpose of an interim order for maintenance, there was material which justifies the issuance of a direction in regard to the payment of maintenance.

REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPEAL NO(S). 617 OF 2019 (@SLP(Crl.) No(s). 652 of 2019) AJAY KUMAR                                     Appellant(s) VERSUS LATA @ SHARUTI & ORS.                         …

Dishonour of ChequeFriendly LoanWhen financial capacity of complainant to lend the amount is being questioned, it was necessary for the complainant to have explained his financial capacityComplainant failed to prove his financial capacity to lend--A ccused acquitted.

Dishonour of ChequeRebuttable Presumption–Onus is on the accused to raise the probable defenceThe standard of proof for rebutting the presumption is that of preponderance of probabilities.

Dishonour of ChequeRebuttable PresumptionInference of preponderance of probabilities can be drawn not only from the materials brought on record by the parties but also by reference to the circumstances upon which they rely

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 1113 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 826 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before HonTjle Mr. Justice Ashok Bhushan Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.M. Joseph Criminal Appeal No. 636…

Rape—False promise to marry—If it is established and proved that from very beginning the accused who gave the promise to the prosecutrix to marry, did not have any intention to marry and the prosecutrix gave the consent for sexual intercourse on such an assurance by the accused that he would marry her; such a consent by the prosecutrix would not be an excuse for the offender Rape—False promise to marry—Merely because the accused had married with another lady and/or even the prosecutrix has subsequently married, is no ground not to convict the accused

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 1097 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 825 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao Hon’ble Mr. Justice M. R. Shah Criminal Appeal…

COMPENSATION TO BE AWARDED – CONSUMER FORA — The amount of the interest is the compensation to the beneficiary deprived of the use of the investment made by the complainant – Therefore, such interest will take into its ambit, the consequences of delay in not handing over his possession – In fact, that the learned SCDRC as well as NCDRC has awarded compensation under different heads on account of singular default of not handing over possession – Such award under various heads in respect of the same default is not sustainable.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DLF HOMES PANCHKULA PVT. LTD. — Appellant Vs. D.S. DHANDA, ETC. ETC. — Respondent ( Before : D.Y. Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta, JJ. )…

The Commission does have the jurisdiction to dismiss the complaint in limine and decline its admission without notice to the opposite party. However, such jurisdiction to dismiss the complaint in limine has to be exercised by the Commission having regard to facts of each case, i.e., in appropriate case.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH M/S ANJANEYA JEWELLERY — Appellant Vs. NEW INDIA ASSURANCE CO.LTD. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Abhay Manohar Sapre and Dinesh Maheshwari, JJ.…

Service Matters

Service Law-Arrears of Pay—Date of first appointment-Delay & Latches-­Appellant was appointed on contract basis against a reserved post due to non-availability of candidate–As per orders advertisement was issued continuously for 5 years but no candidate from reserved category was found—Appellant gave representations for de-reserving the post as per office orders

2019(2) Law Herald (SC) 1054 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 820 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao Hon’ble Mr. Justice M. R. Shah Civil Appeal…

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