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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.

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.304 Part II–Culpable Homicide—As per post mortem report injuries were not sufficient in ordinary cause to cause death and deceased had survived 14 days from the date of incident—Order of High Court in acquitting three accused and conviction of other two accused persons u/s 304-Part II, IPC upheld

(2018) 102 ACrC 309 : (2018) 181 AIC 159 : (2018) 1 AICLR 260 : (2017) AIR(SCW) 5048 : (2017) AIR(SC) 5048 : (2017) AllSCR(Crl) 1989 : (2017) 4 BomCR(Cri)…

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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