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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.

Dowry Death—Dowry demand—Defence version that since the accused possessed scooter as well as motorcycle, there was no necessity to make demand of scooter ; is totally irrelevant. Remarks by Judge—If that part of the evidence is not consistent with the facts on record, the Court may not accept it. But only for that reason, the Court should not make disparaging remarks.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3380 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Jusitce C.K. Thakker The Hon’ble Mr. Jusitce P. Sathasivam Criminal Appeal No. 1612 of…

Decree obtained by fraud—Such a judgment, decree or order —by the first Court or by the final Court— has to be treated as nullity by every Court. When sale to become absolute be set aside—Where a third party challenges the judgment-debtor’s title by filing a suit against the auction-purchaser, the decree holder and the judgment-debtor should be necessary parties to that suit and if the suit is decreed, the Court shall direct the decree-holder to refund the money to the auction-purchaser.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3365 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Civil Appeal No. 4727…

Consumer Protection Act, 1986, S.12–lnsurance–Theft of Vehicle-Delay of 21/2 months in giving intimation of theft by insured to insurer-It amounts to breach of policy-­Insured was obligated to give intimation immediately after theft came to his knowledge-Mere intimating the police or lodging FIR does not amount to sufficient compliance-Claim held to be rightly repudiated.

2017(1) Law Herald (SC) 558 (NCDRC) : 2017 LawHerald.Org 598 IN THE NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION Before The Hon’ble Mr. Presiding Member V.K. Jain Revision Petition No. 176 of…

Remand— Only when a charge sheet is not filed and investigation is kept pending, benefit of proviso appended to Sub-section (2) of Section 167 of the Code would be available to an offender; once, however, a charge sheet is filed, the said right ceases. Such a right does not revive only because a further investigation remains pending within the meaning of Sub-section (8) of Section 173 of the Code. Investigation–Further investigation can be carried on despite filing of a police report, in terms of Section 173(8) Cr.P.C.

    2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3348 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No.…

Sanction—The order granting sanction must be demonstrative of the fact that there had been proper application of mind on the part of the sanctioning authority. Sanction—Only because an order of sanction contains certain irregularities, the court would not set aside an order of conviction.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3342 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Harjit Singh Bedi Criminal Appeal No. 766…

Rape on minor—Punishment–It must depend upon the conduct of the accused, the state and age of the sexually assaulted female and the gravity of the criminal act. Rape on minor—Sentence less than–Minimum punishment of 10 years—Recourse to the proviso can be had only for “special and adequate reasons” and not in a casual manner.

2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3337 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arijit Pasayat The Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.P. Naolekar Criminal Appeal No. 782 of 2001…

Murder–Circumstantial Evidence–It is not an inflexible rule that the identification of the body, cause of death and recovery of weapon with which the injury may have been inflicted on the deceased are not established, it would result in acquittal provided the charges against the accused otherwise can be established on the basis of the other reliable and trustworthy evidence.

  2007(4) LAW HERALD (SC) 3327 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before The Hon’ble Mr. Justice R.V. Raveendaran The Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.Sudershan Reddy Criminal Appeal No. 101 of…

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