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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.

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, S. 17-B-Termination of Service–Non recovery of excess amount paid to employee–If the Court/Tribunal, eventually upholds the termination order as being legal against the workman, yet the employer will have no right to recover the amount already paid by him to the delinquent workman pursuant to order passed under Section 17-B of the ID Act during pendency of these proceedings      

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 829 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 718 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari Civil Appeal Nos.…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.302 and S.120-B-Murder–Circumstantial Evidence—Acquittal—Missing Link evidence–circumstances which emerged and taken note of gives a suspicion in completing the claim of commission of crime beyond doubt—Petitioner held entitled to benefit of doubt-Petitioner acquitted.                 

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 821 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 610 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before HonTjel Mr. Justice Ajay Rastogi Hon’bel Mr. Justice K.M. Jospeh Criminal Appeal NO(s). 148…

Territorial .Jurisdiction—Place of Suing—Interpretation of word “portion of the property” in S.17 CPC cannot only be understood in a limited and restrictive sense of being portion of one property situated in jurisdiction of two courts but would include more than one property or properties located at different locations.

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 804 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 714 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Honlrie Mr. Justice Ashok Bhushan Hon’ble Mr. Justice K.M. Joseph Civil Appeal No. 1052…

Civil Procedure Code, 1908, S.144–Restitution–Restoration of Possession—There was no decree or order of the Trial court by virtue of which the appellant was given possession of the property, nor did any decree or order mandate that the respondent hand over possession to the appellants—In these circumstances, the provisions of Section 144, CPC were not attracted

  2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 801 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 713 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud Hon’ble Mr. Justice Hemant Gupta Civil…

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, S.439–Bail–Cancellation of–Cheating–FIR against builders for not fulfilling their obligations under agreement to sell entered by them with various prospective buyers–Trial Court cancelling bail order of Respondent No.2 who was a proclaimed offender-High Court set aside the order and restored interim bail granted by Trial Court without assigning any reasons and even without issuing notice to complainants—Impugned order of High Court set aside—Respondent No.2 directed to surrender before Session Judge.

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 790 : 2019 LawHerald.Org 620 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice N.V. Ramana Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar Crl A. No.…

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