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Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 11(6) and 11(6-A) — Appointment of Arbitral Tribunal (AT) — Scope of Judicial Scrutiny — The enquiry under Section 11 is confined to a prima facie determination of the existence of an arbitration agreement, and no further — The referral court must refrain from entering into contentious factual or legal issues related to authority, capacity, arbitrability, maintainability, or merits of claims, adhering to the principle of minimal judicial intervention. (Paras 14, 15, 17, 19) Criminal Law — Conviction — Circumstantial Evidence — Last Seen Together Theory — Must establish acquaintance between accused and deceased for theory to apply as a circumstance linking chain; mere fact of accused and deceased being in the same vicinity shortly before the crime, without proven acquaintance, is insufficient to propound the ‘last seen together theory’ as a conclusive link, though presence in same vicinity remains a relevant initial fact. (Para 6) Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Suit for Permanent Injunction — Dismissal of Suit — Reversal by High Court — Scope of Interference by Supreme Court — Where the Trial Court dismissed a suit for permanent injunction on grounds of failure to establish title and uncertainty in property identification, and the High Court reversed this relying on unproven and unauthenticated documents/surveys (like a BDA survey not proved or authenticated, and a letter without a clear seal or legible signature), the High Court erred. (Paras 3, 4, 11, 12, 14) Succession Act, 1925 — Section 63 — Indian Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 68 — Proof of Will — Requirement of attestation — Will excluding one legal heir (daughter) — One attesting witness (DW-2) examined — DW-2 must speak not only to the execution by the testator and his own attestation, but also to the attestation by the other witness — Failure of the Trial Court and High Court to find the Will proved — Evidence of DW-2 affirmed the signatures of the testator and both attesting witnesses after being suggested so in cross-examination by the plaintiff — Where a positive suggestion is made in cross-examination, and the witness affirms it, the response has probative value and cannot be ignored merely because it was a leading question — Concurrent finding disbelieving the Will reversed. (Paras 6, 16, 23, 24, 29 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Claim Petition — Standard of Proof — In motor vehicle accident claims, the standard of proof is based on preponderance of probabilities, not proof beyond reasonable doubt — However, claimants must establish three elements: (i) occurrence of accident; (ii) involvement of the specific offending vehicle; and (iii) rash and negligent act of the driver — Mere occurrence of the accident alone is insufficient if the involvement of the vehicle and negligence are not established. (Paras 5, 7, 8, 16)

Whether an application under Section 416 of the Act could at all be maintained by a person in whose favour there was only an agreement for sale and who had not acquired the title – Writ petition filed in the High Court was not confined to raising dispute between private parties. There was essentially an element of public interest involved as serious questions alleging violations of building laws and the town planning were raised – Appeal allowed.

  (2005) 12 SCC 317 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DEBASHIS ROY AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. CALCUTTA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : R.C. Lahoti, C.J.; H.K.…

Service Matters

The Court ordered District Court, Chandigarh to record finding – Held, accepting the findings of District Judge in light of evidence produced before him about respondent having relied on false and fabricated documents that suit was barred by limitation – Finding about respondent having continued to be Markfed employee and only on deputation with the Sugarfed cannot be sustained – Suit filed by respondent before Trial Court rightly dismissed – Judgments of High Court and Addl. District Judge set aside – Appeal allowed.

AIR 1997 SC 2001 : (1997) 4 JT 597 : (1997) 3 SCALE 515 : (1997) 4 SCC 756 : (1997) 3 SCR 747 : (1997) AIRSCW 1787 : (1997)…

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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