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Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Inherent powers of High Court — Quashing of Criminal Proceedings — Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 — Sections 420 (Cheating), 344 (Wrongful confinement for ten or more days), and 506 (Criminal intimidation) — Scope of quashing power: Quashing under Section 482 CrPC must be exercised sparingly, with circumspection, and only in exceptional situations; court must avoid delving into disputed facts at the pre-trial stage — Interference is warranted only when the case falls within recognized parameters (like those in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335) — Where allegations in FIR and charge sheet, corroborated by witness statements, prima facie disclose essential ingredients of offences under Sections 420, 344, and 506 IPC, quashing is unwarranted. (Paras 12, 18, 20, 23, 25, 30, 32, 34) Service Law — Termination of Contractual Service — Qualifications — Interpretation of Educational Qualifications — Advertisement requiring “Postgraduate degree in Statistics” — Appellant holding M.Com. degree with Business Statistics and Indian Economic Statistics as principal subjects — Where no Government university offers a degree exclusively titled “Postgraduate degree in Statistics,” insisting solely on the title of the degree, without considering the actual curriculum, amounts to elevating form over substance — The interpretation must be contextual and purposive — Termination based solely on the title of the degree, ignoring expert opinion (Director, W.S.O., S.W.M., P.H.E.D.) that the appellant meets the requirement and the University certificate confirming inclusion of Statistics as principal subjects, is arbitrary and unreasonable. (Paras 3, 4, 31, 32, 37, 44) Contempt of Court — Initiating contempt proceedings — Clear and unequivocal terms of the underlying order — A Contempt Petition can be dismissed summarily only if the underlying order, the non-compliance of which is alleged, is genuinely unclear, ambiguous, or susceptible to two equally reasonable interpretations — Where the High Court dismissed a Contempt Petition holding that the underlying order was capable of two interpretations, but the Supreme Court found, upon reading the order as a whole, that there were clear and categorical directions and recorded statements regarding handing over of possession and payment of compensation, the dismissal of the Contempt Petition was erroneous. (Paras 1, 7, 8, 9, 10) Goods and Services Tax (GST) — Exemption Notification — Notification No. 9/2017- Integrated Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017 — Entry 13 — Exemption on services by way of renting of residential dwelling for use as residence — Renting residential property as hostel to students/working professionals — Conditions for exemption: renting service, residential dwelling, and use as residence — The term “residential dwelling” is not defined under GST laws but refers to any residential accommodation for long-term stay, excluding commercial places, hotels, guesthouses for temporary stay — Property comprising 42 rooms rented out and sub-leased for use as hostel accommodation is considered a “residential dwelling” as its nature and use remain residential, not commercial accommodation like a hotel. (Paras 36, 46, 47, 50) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — Section 31(7)(a) and (b) — Power of Arbitral Tribunal to grant interest — Party Autonomy — Pre-award (pendente lite) interest — Section 31(7)(a) mandates that the Arbitral Tribunal’s discretion to award interest on the sum awarded (from date cause of action arose till date of award) is subject to the agreement between the parties (“unless otherwise agreed by the parties”) — When parties specify a contractual rate of interest in the agreement, subject to no legal bar, this stipulation takes precedence over the Arbitrator’s discretion to deem a rate “reasonable” — Arbitral Tribunal is bound by the contractual terms regarding interest once agreed upon, and the borrower cannot later challenge the rate as unconscionable or against public policy, especially in commercial transactions between parties of equal bargaining power — Post-award interest is governed by Section 31(7)(b) (Paras 51, 53, 56, 64, 65, 70).

Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 482 — Inherent powers of High Court — Quashing of Criminal Proceedings — Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 — Sections 420 (Cheating), 344 (Wrongful confinement for ten or more days), and 506 (Criminal intimidation) — Scope of quashing power: Quashing under Section 482 CrPC must be exercised sparingly, with circumspection, and only in exceptional situations; court must avoid delving into disputed facts at the pre-trial stage — Interference is warranted only when the case falls within recognized parameters (like those in State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 335) — Where allegations in FIR and charge sheet, corroborated by witness statements, prima facie disclose essential ingredients of offences under Sections 420, 344, and 506 IPC, quashing is unwarranted. (Paras 12, 18, 20, 23, 25, 30, 32, 34)

Service Law — Termination of Contractual Service — Qualifications — Interpretation of Educational Qualifications — Advertisement requiring “Postgraduate degree in Statistics” — Appellant holding M.Com. degree with Business Statistics and Indian Economic Statistics as principal subjects — Where no Government university offers a degree exclusively titled “Postgraduate degree in Statistics,” insisting solely on the title of the degree, without considering the actual curriculum, amounts to elevating form over substance — The interpretation must be contextual and purposive — Termination based solely on the title of the degree, ignoring expert opinion (Director, W.S.O., S.W.M., P.H.E.D.) that the appellant meets the requirement and the University certificate confirming inclusion of Statistics as principal subjects, is arbitrary and unreasonable. (Paras 3, 4, 31, 32, 37, 44)

Preventive Detention–Once it is found that the detention order contains many grounds, even if one of them is to be rejected, principle of segregation contained in Section 5A gets attracted—Grounds are referred to as ‘materials on which the order of detention is primarily based’-

2017(1) Law Herald (SC) 133 : 2017 LawHerald.Org 512 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.K. Sikri  The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre                                            …

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article – 32, 21 – Environment Protection Act, 1986 – Rule 5(3)(d), 3(1), 3(2)(v) – Public interest litigation – There is a challenge to the validity of the Notification dated 18.8.1994 – The main grievance in this petition is that a Notification dated 19.2.1991 declaring coastal stretches as Coastal Regulation Zones which regulates the activities in the zones has not been implemented or enforced

  (1996) 3 AD 641 : (1996) 4 JT 263 : (1998) 4 SCALE 11 : (1996) 3 SCALE 579 : (1996) 2 SCALE 44 : (1996) 5 SCC 281…

Service Matters

Regularisation of the services — The Respondents appear to have approached the M.P. State Administrative Tribunal at Jabalpur in appeal, which was dismissed by the Tribunal holding that it had no jurisdiction to entertain the same as the Respondents were not employees/civil servants under the State Government —

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CONTROLLER, GOVT. PRINT. AND STATIONERY PRESS AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. RASHIDA B. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Vikramajit Sen, J; T.S. Thakur,…

Central Excise Tariff – Item 26AA(ia), 25(8) – Classification of elastic rail clips – Learned Counsel for the appellant that a Special Bench of five members of Central Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal has considered the same question and taken the view in favour of the assessee that elastic rail clips are classifiable under Item 26AA(ia)/25(8)

  (1998) 77 ECR 439 : (1997) 92 ELT 5 : (1998) 4 JT 439 : (1997) 8 SCC 483 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA VEE KAY INDUSTRIES — Appellant Vs.…

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