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Constitution of India, 1950 — Articles 14, 21 — Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) — Substantive Equality and Inclusion — Scope and Spirit — The measure of a just society demands the removal of barriers for all citizens to realize their potential, transforming formal equality into substantive inclusion — Constitutional vision requires every person, regardless of physical or sensory limitation, to participate with dignity — Rights guaranteed to persons with disabilities are expressions of the constitutional promise of equality, dignity, and non-discrimination, not acts of benevolence. (Paras 1, 12, 13) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 321 — Withdrawal from prosecution — Requirement of High Court permission for withdrawal of cases against sitting or former MPs/MLAs — Following Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India — High Court must exercise judicial mind and give a reasoned order when considering an application for permission to withdraw prosecution against sitting/former legislators — Application must disclose reasons for withdrawal and records of the case must be before the High Court — Absence of requisite permission from the High Court means that the withdrawal application cannot be granted and the criminal proceedings cannot be quashed on this ground — High Court’s rejection of quashing petition confirmed. (Paras 2, 7, 9, 10) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 313 — Examination of Accused — Object and Scope — Non-compliance with mandatory requirement — Fair Trial — The object of Section 313 CrPC is to ensure a fair trial by providing the accused with an opportunity to explain all incriminating circumstances appearing in the prosecution evidence against them personally — It is a mandatory, non-negotiable obligation upon the Court and is not a mere formality; it is based on the cardinal principle of natural justice (audi alterum partem) — The statement cannot be the sole basis for conviction and is neither substantive nor a substitute piece of evidence. (Paras 6, 7.1, 7.2) Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971 — Section 14(1) — Mandamus to acquire land — Power of State Government to acquire land for Slum Rehabilitation Scheme — Preferential Right of Owner — The power of the State Government to acquire land under Section 14 read with Section 3D(c)(i) of the Slum Act is subject to the preferential right of the owner to redevelop the area — Acquisition is not warranted when the owner is willing to undertake development in exercise of their preferential right, and the process must be kept in abeyance until such right is extinguished — No mandamus can be issued to the State Government to acquire the subject property under Section 14 of the Slum Act where the subsequent purchaser from the original owner (Respondent No. 4) has a subsisting preferential right to develop the property. (Paras 63, 64, 71, 72, 77(1)) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 227 — Discharge of Accused — Principles for deciding discharge application — Standard of proof for framing charge — The Court, at the stage of framing charge, must sift the evidence to determine if there is a “sufficient ground for proceeding”; a prima facie case must be established — If two views are possible and one gives rise to “suspicion only, as distinguished from grave suspicion,” the trial Judge is empowered to discharge the accused — The Judge is not a “mere post office” but must exercise judicial mind to determine if a case for trial is made out — The strong suspicion required to frame a charge must be founded on material that can be translated into evidence at trial — Where the profile of allegations renders the existence of strong suspicion patently absurd or inherently improbable, the accused should be discharged. (Paras 14, 15, 16, 17)

Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 32 — Two dying Declarations, one oral and one written, with several discrepancies cannot convict the accused — Oral dying declaration allegedly made by deceased before her father, uncle and grand — mother, in which names of accused mentioned. However second dying declaration recorded by Magistrate five days later stated that the victim could not recognize any accused because of fire

AIR 1999 SC 3062 : (1999) CriLJ 4070 : (1999) 2 DMC 439 : (1999) 6 JT 41 : (1999) 5 SCALE 31 : (2000) 1 SCC 310 : (1999)…

The truck driven by the respondent No. 2 almost came to the centre of the road and the appellant must have been put in a dilemma and in the agony of that moment, the appellant’s failure to swerve to the extreme left to the road did not amount to negligence. Thus, there was no contributory negligence on his part especially when the respondent No. 2, the truck driver had no case that the appellant was negligent. Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 – Section 110-B – Contributory negligence –

(2002) ACJ 1720 : AIR 2002 SC 2864 : (2002) 6 JT 380 : (2002) 3 PLR 467 : (2002) 5 SCALE 493 : (2002) 6 SCC 455 : (2002)…

The Trial Court has found that when the version, as regards the recovery was truthfully and fully corroborated, was acceptable and there was no reason to reject the version of the witness – The medical evidence substantially establishes the intention of the accused to eliminate the deceased and the injuries sustained by the deceased discloses the coordinated vengeance with which the assault was caused by the Appellants, in order to ensure that the deceased did not survive – Appeals dismissed.

  (2013) 5 ABR 841 : (2013) 7 AD 664 : AIR 2013 SC 3510 : (2013) CriLJ 4011 : (2013) 8 SCALE 131 : (2013) 12 SCC 721 SUPREME…

Indian Penal Code, 1860, S.185–False Statement- In order to prosecute an accused for an offence punishable under Section 182 IPC, it is mandatory to follow the procedure prescribed under Section 195 of the Code else such action is rendered void ab initio-Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, S.195.

2017(1) Law Herald (SC) 144 : 2017 LawHerald.Org 513 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.K. Sikri The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre Criminal…

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