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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.

Murder—Identification of Accused—Specific identification of the four accused, from a group of 200- to 300 rioters, with 100% perfection; without a mention of any distinguishing marks seems highly improbable—Accused acquitted. Murder—Test Identification Parade—No reasonable explanation provided for such an inordinate delay of 55 days in conducting the TIP— Accused acquitted Murder—Gunshot Injury—Both the Post -Mortem report and the F.S.L. report are incompatible with each other with regard to exit wound and recovery of bullet—Accused acquitted. Murder—Benefit of doubt arising out of inefficient/defective investigation must be bestowed upon the accused.

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 55 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1960 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice N. V. Ramana Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar Criminal Appeal…

Identity of victim of sexual offences—Directions issued that no person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large.

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 26 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1938 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan B. Lokur Hon’ble Mr. Justice Deepak Gupta Writ Petition (Civil)…

Arbitration—Interest on Award—In an international commercial arbitration, in the absence of an agreement between the parties on interest, the rate of interest awarded would be governed by the law of the seat of arbitration Arbitration—Interest on Award—International commercial agreement–When the parties do not operate in the same currency, a uniform rate of interest for both the currencies would not be justified

2019(1) Law Herald (SC) 9 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1918 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Honble Mr. Justice Rohinton Fall Nariman Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Indu Malhotra Civil Appeal No.…

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