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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.

Evidence Law–Extra Judicial confession–Circumstantial evidence–An extra judicial confession is, on the face of it, a weak piece of evidence and the Courts are reluctant in the absence of a chain of cogent circumstances to rely on this evidence for the purpose of recording a conviction–Evidence Act, 1872, Section 3 and 24.

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 11 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dalveer Bhandari The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No. 377 of…

Cooperative Law–Revision–Recovery of dues–Recovery certificates issued against appellant for recovery of dues to cooperative bank–Petitioner filed application before Divisional Joint Registrar, who ordered to maintain status quo and set aside recovery certificate–High Court set aside impugned order–Appeal against–Order upheld by Supreme Court

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 7 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Markandey Katju Special Leave Petition (C) No. 18563…

Land and Property Law–Acquisition of land–Lapsing of Reservation–Land reserved under development plan–Land not acquired within 10 years of final plan and no steps under Land Acquisition Act were commenced–After 10 years, land owner served notice under Section 127 of Act of 1966 to authorities to acquire land, within six months or take steps to acquire it–No action from authorities–Reservation lapsed and land has to be released in favour of the appellant

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 6 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Markandey Katju The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Aftab Alam Civil Appeal No. 7801 of 2002…

Dishonour of cheque–Appeal against acquittal–Complaint dismissed by Trial Court–High Court without assigning reason refused to grant leave–On the plainest consideration of justice, the High Court ought to have set forth its reasons, howsoever brief, in its order indicative of an application of its mind, all the more when its order is amenable to further avenue of challenge

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC)  4 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Mukundakam Sharma Criminal Appeal No. 810…

Voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons–The facts involved in a particular case, depending upon various factors like size, sharpness, would throw light on the question whether the weapon was a dangerous or deadly weapon or not–That would determine whether in the case Section 325 or Section 326 IPC would be applicable.

2009(1) LAW HERALD (SC) 1 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Mukundakam Sharma Criminal Appeal No. 1956…

Arbitration Agreement –Contract–Valid contract–In the absence of signed agreement between the parties, it would be possible to infer from various documents duly approved and signed by the parties in the form of exchange of e-mails, letter, telex, telegrams and other means of tele-communication.

2010(2) LAW HERALD (SC) 805 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice P. Sathasivam Arbitration Petition No. 10 of 2009 Trimex International FZE Ltd. Dubai v.…

Courts below held that the petitioners had knowledge of the concession made in favour of C and negated their contention that they were not aware of the same till they signed the compromise petition before this Court in another appeal–Order, upheld–No reason to interfere with the judgment and order of the High Court impugned in these proceedings-

2010(2) LAW HERALD (SC) 781 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Altamas Kabir The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 6286…

Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, S. 13–Divorce–Mental Cruelty–To establish cruelty it is not necessary that physical violence should be used-However continued ill-treatment cessation of marital intercourse, studied neglect, indifference of one spouse to the other may lead to an inference of cruelty.   

2010(2) LAW HERALD (SC) 756 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.S. Sirpurkar The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar Civil Appeal No. 5387 of…

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