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Specific Relief Act, 1963 — Section 20 — Specific performance — Discretionary and equitable relief — Clean hands — Grant of specific performance is discretionary, not automatic even where a valid contract subsists; a plaintiff must approach the Court with clean hands. Where the plaintiff’s spouse lodged a criminal complaint seeking recovery of the advance paid, alleging the vendor fraudulently suppressed a subsisting injunction, while simultaneously maintaining a civil suit for specific performance, such conduct amounts to blowing “hot and cold” and disentitles the plaintiff to equitable relief. Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 299 — Absence of order — Effect on conviction — Where no order under S. 299 was ever passed at the stage the co-accused was tried (case having been split due to abscondence), the earlier deposition of a witness (since deceased) could not be relied upon to convict the accused apprehended and tried years later; identification by surviving eyewitnesses being doubtful and other witnesses having turned hostile, conviction based on such uncorroborated prior testimony unsustainable — appellant acquitted. Hindu female’s property devolves equally on husband and daughter separately; gift of undivided coparcenary share needs no co-owner’s consent. A. Hindu Succession Act, 1956 — Section 15(1)(a) — Devolution of Female Intestate’s Property — Properties of a Hindu female dying intestate devolve, in the absence of sons/daughters’ issue predeceasing her, upon her husband and daughter in equal shares under Section 15(1)(a); such undivided share in the husband’s hands does not partake the character of coparcenary property. Armed Forces — Air Force Order No. 33/2017 — Prior Permission for Civil Post — Mandatory Nature — Requirement of seeking prior permission before applying for a civil post, and subsequent grant of NOC, held mandatory and not merely procedural/directory, since AFO 33/2017 has necessary nexus with regulating premature discharge of Airmen and its object of maintaining operational preparedness of the Air Force. Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — Deficiency of Service — Maintenance Contractor’s Liability — Elevator Malfunction — Comprehensive maintenance contractor, being both manufacturer and repair contractor with exclusive technical knowledge of safety interlocks and brake mechanisms, held principally deficient in service for failing to act on its own identified remedy (voltage stabiliser) despite repeated notice of persistent malfunction over several months preceding fatal accident.

Assault on Public Servant-Obscene Acts—Reduction in Sentence—Keeping in view age of appellant (60 years),  his spotless career throughout without any criminal antecedents and fact that he has already undergone one month jail sentence out of 3 months sentence for the offence committed 13 years ago; sentence reduced to already undergone subject to payment of enhanced fine

2018(3) Law Herald (SC) 2294 : 2018 LawHerald.Org I486 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA                                                                Before Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Hon’ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit Criminal…

Income-Deceased aged 38 years was in the business of selling desi ghee and namkeen bhujia in a small village—Held; Income assessed by Tribunal as Rs.1200/ – per month is on lower side—Income should have been assessed at Rs.2500/- per month keeping in view circumstances of case

2018(3) Law Herald (SC) 2305 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1492 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Chief Justice DipakMisra Honble Mr. Justice A M Khanwilkar Civil Appeal No.7279of2018 (Arising…

IMP – PAY & RECOVER — Accident—Tractor-trailer—No evidence that any trailer was insured or trailer was attached to the tractor—Thus, it would follow that injured person (other than driver of tractor) travelled in tractor as a passenger–Insurance company not liable to pay-However, insurance company directed to pay & recover.

  2018(3) Law Herald (SC) 2288 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1489 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Hon’ble Mr. Chief Justice Dipak Misra                  Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.M. Khanwilkar CIVIL…

Rape—Injuries on Prosecutrix—Gang Rape—Admittedly, there was a tussle at a time of alleged incident and she tried to save herself—However, victim has not sustained any injury except some bruises on her cheeks–Her clothes were not even soiled with mud—Accused acquitted Rape—Gang Rape—Medical record and the Doctor’s evidence do not specify whether there were any signs of forcible sexual intercourse-Accused acquitted Rape—Absence of semen—Gang Rape—Clothes worn by victim (petticoat) did not contain any seminal stain—Hard to believe that sexual assault had taken place on the victim—Accused acquitted Identification of Accused—Identification from the voice of the accused may be possible if there is evidence to show that the witness was sufficiently acquainted with the accused in order to recognize him or her by voice.

  2018(3} Law Herald (SC) 2274 : 2018 LawHerald.Org 1454 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before Honble Mr. Justice N.V. Ramana Honble Mr. Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar Criminal Appeal…

Lis Pendence—Agreement to Sell-During pendency of litigation some more transaction took place in relation to suit property—Such transactions are directly hit by the principle of lis pendence-These transaction are not binding on parties to the suit much less on plaintiffs—Such parties would be at liberty to now work out their inter se rights

2018(3) Law Herald (SC) 2245 : 2017 LawHerald.Org 2213   SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH NADIMINTI SURYANARAYAN MURTHY(DEAD) THROUGH LRS. — Appellant Vs. KOTHURTHI KRISHNA BHASKARA RAO & ORS. — Respondent ( Before…

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