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Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 21 — Right to Life and Healthy Environment — Environmental Degradation: Pollution of Jojari, Bandi, and Luni Rivers in Rajasthan due to untreated industrial effluents and municipal sewage threatens the lives of 2 million people and the ecosystem — This constitutes a gross dereliction of constitutional duty and a direct constitutional injury — The right to a healthy environment, including pollution-free water and air, is an indispensable facet of the right to life under Article 21, reinforced by Articles 48A and 51A(g) — Judicial intervention is warranted when environmental degradation strikes at the foundation of these guarantees. (Paras 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 28) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 11(6), Section 11(12)(a), Section 2(1)(f), Section 2(2) — Applicability of Part I, including Section 11, to International Commercial Arbitration (ICA) — Dispute arising from a Buyer and Seller Agreement (BSA) where Respondent No. 1 is foreign company (incorporated in Benin) — BSA stipulates arbitration “will take place in Benin” and is governed by laws of Benin — Held: Dispute is an ICA under Section 2(1)(f) — Under Section 2(2), Part I of the Act applies only where the place of arbitration is in India — Designation of Benin as the place of arbitration, coupled with choice of Benin law as governing/curial law, unequivocally establishes Benin as the juridical seat — Indian Courts lack jurisdiction under Section 11 to appoint an arbitrator for a foreign-seated arbitration — Petition seeking appointment of an arbitrator in India is fundamentally misconceived and legally untenable. (Paras 2, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30) Government Contracts and Tenders — Letter of Intent (LoI) — Legal Nature — An LoI is ordinarily a precursor to a contract, indicating intent to enter into a future agreement, but does not itself create a concluded contract or vested, enforceable rights unless the necessary preconditions are satisfied — A bidder’s commercial expectation that a contract will follow an LoI is not a juridical entitlement — If the LoI explicitly stipulates conditions precedent (like compatibility testing, live demonstration, and cost disclosure) before execution of an agreement/final award letter, the LoI remains provisional and conditional until such prerequisites are met. (Paras 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) — Section 7 — Application by Financial Creditor — Rejection for technical defects — Affidavit Verification — Whether an application under Section 7 of the IBC, verified later than the date of the supporting affidavit, is liable to be rejected at the threshold — Mere filing of a ‘defective’ affidavit (e.g., dated before application verification) does not render the Section 7 application non est and liable to be rejected; such a defect is curable and not fundamental. (Paras 1, 17) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Inherent powers of High Court — Quashing of criminal proceedings — Scope — Principles for quashing FIR or complaint under Section 482 CrPC, including where allegations, taken at face value, do not constitute any offence, or where the proceeding is manifestly attended with mala fide or maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive (referring to State of Haryana vs. Bhajan Lal) — High Court error in refusing to quash proceedings despite clear absence of ingredients for the alleged offences. (Paras 12, 17, 25, 26, 27)

Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 21 — Right to Life and Healthy Environment — Environmental Degradation: Pollution of Jojari, Bandi, and Luni Rivers in Rajasthan due to untreated industrial effluents and municipal sewage threatens the lives of 2 million people and the ecosystem — This constitutes a gross dereliction of constitutional duty and a direct constitutional injury — The right to a healthy environment, including pollution-free water and air, is an indispensable facet of the right to life under Article 21, reinforced by Articles 48A and 51A(g) — Judicial intervention is warranted when environmental degradation strikes at the foundation of these guarantees. (Paras 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 28)

Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 11(6), Section 11(12)(a), Section 2(1)(f), Section 2(2) — Applicability of Part I, including Section 11, to International Commercial Arbitration (ICA) — Dispute arising from a Buyer and Seller Agreement (BSA) where Respondent No. 1 is foreign company (incorporated in Benin) — BSA stipulates arbitration “will take place in Benin” and is governed by laws of Benin — Held: Dispute is an ICA under Section 2(1)(f) — Under Section 2(2), Part I of the Act applies only where the place of arbitration is in India — Designation of Benin as the place of arbitration, coupled with choice of Benin law as governing/curial law, unequivocally establishes Benin as the juridical seat — Indian Courts lack jurisdiction under Section 11 to appoint an arbitrator for a foreign-seated arbitration — Petition seeking appointment of an arbitrator in India is fundamentally misconceived and legally untenable. (Paras 2, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30)

THREE GOLDEN PRINCIPLE FOR INJUNCTION GRANT : (plaintiff) was able to make out all the three neces­sary ingredients for grant of permanent injunction with the aid of evidence, namely, the prima facie case, the balance of convenience and the irreparable loss and injury, if the injunction is not granted to him. Since the respondent held a Patta of the suit land, there was a prima facie case in his favour. Secondly, he was also held to be in possession of the suit land and hence the other two ingredients, namely, the balance of convenience and irreparable loss and injury, were also in his favour.

(2017) 179 AIC 116 : (2017) AIR(SCW) 5094 : (2017) AIR(SC) 5094 : (2017) 125 ALR 468 : (2018) 1 ALT 51 : (2017) 6 AndhLD 59 : (2017) 3…

Normally, retrial has to be ordered by appellate court under S.386 Cr.P.C—However, in exceptional circumstance, such a power can be exercised by the High Court under Art. 226 or by Supreme Court under Art. 32 (ii) Such a power can be exercised even before the pronouncement of the judgment by the Trial Court.

  (2018) 1 AICLR 240 : (2017) AIR(SCW) 5690 : (2017) AIR(SC) 5690 : (2017) 3 AllCrlRulings 3409 : (2017) AllSCR(Crl) 1928 : (2017) 4 BomCR(Cri) 661 : (2018) CriLJ…

Landlord & Tenant–Eviction–Parting with Possession-Appellant took shop for running ration shop in 1964-He entered into partnership in 1977 and parted with possession without consent of landlord-­ Eviction upheld on ground of parting with possession without the consent of landlord without adjudicating about the genuineness of the partnership agreement. 

  (2017) 179 AIC 245 : (2017) AIR(SCW) 3353 : (2017) AIR(SC) 3353 : (2017) AllSCR 1621 : (2017) 125 ALR 186 : (2017) 3 ARC 15 : (2017) 3…

Specific Relief Act, 1963, S.20–Specific Performance-Agreement to Sell—Once the Trial Court, first and second Appellant Court formed an opinion and decided to grant the specific performance of the agreement to the plaintiff in exercise of their respective discretionary powers, Supreme Court being the last court in hierarchy cannot disturb such concurrent findings while exercising power under Article 136 of the Constitution of India—Such concurrent findings are binding on Supreme Court.

  (2018) 181 AIC 255 : (2017) AIR(SCW) 3601 : (2017) 4 AIRJharR 415 : (2017) AIR(SC) 3601 : (2017) AllSCR 1855 : (2017) 5 ALT 29 : (2017) 5…

Service Matters

Service Law—Joining Back—Deputation to Foreign Country-­Appellants while in service went on foreign service without taking requisite permission—When they came back and submitted joining report but were not issued joining orders—Since no departmental inquiry or action was taken for not taking permission; period spent in foreign country is to be treated as ‘unauthorised absence’

(2017) AIR(SCW) 5569 : (2017) AIR(SC) 5569 : (2017) AllSCR 2385 : (2018) 1 CLR 403 : (2018) 156 FLR 401 : (2017) 4 JLJR 384 : (2017) 10 JT…

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