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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.
Service Matters

Promotion – The respondents-employees were appointed to the posts of L.D.C. in 1970-71 – The Departmental Promotion Committee constituted for the purpose of selection for promotion to the post of U.D.C. had considered the appellant’s claim and found him fit. It regularised his services and has given him the promotion as he was senior to the respondents

  (1997) 10 JT 700 : (1997) 3 SCALE 91 : (1997) 9 SCC 658 : (1997) SCC(L&S) 1098 : (1997) 2 SCR 628 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA PRAHALLAD BARAL…

Uttar Pradesh Imposition of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1960 – Section – 3(7) – Judicial separation – The claim made by learned Senior Counsel for the appellants, is that a wife who had separated in property from her husband, shall be treated to be a judicially separated wife for the purposes of Section 3(7) of the U.P. Imposition of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1960

  (1998) 7 JT 237 : (1998) 9 SCC 186 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SAROJ BHARDWAJ (SMT) AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. ADDITIONAL CIVIL JUDGE AND OTHERS — Respondent (…

Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 – Section 95(2)(b) – Statutory liability of insurer – Scope of – The insured vehicle allowed to carry six passenger, the maximum liability of insurer is at the rate of Rs. 2,000/- per passenger subject to total liability of Rs. 20,000/-. Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 – Section 110-B – Compensation – Considerations for determination of – Necessity to balance loss of future pecuniary benefit which could have accrued to the claimant – Decision partly on conjectures – Permissibility.

  (1971) ACJ 206 : AIR 1971 SC 1624 : (1971) 1 SCC 785 : (1971) SCR 20 Supp : (1971) 3 UJ 489 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA SHEIKHUPURA TRANSPORT…

Interpretation of deeds – Release deed – Scope of – Principle for construction of instrument relinquishing the property – Effect of wide language employed in the instrument. It is a well settled rule of interpretation of deeds of release that however wide and general the covenant of release may be, its operation must be restricted to the rights which are in the contemplation or in controversy between the parties and would not cover or comprehend rights which are never in the minds of the parties at that time.

  AIR 1975 SC 895 : (1976) 1 SCC 299 : (1975) 7 UJ 303 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA RAJAGOPAL PILLAI AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. PAKKIAM AMMAL AND OTHERS…

Constitution of India, 1950 – Articles 252, 168, 250 – Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 – Section 2(h) – A.P. (Telangana Area) District Municipalities Act, 1956 – Section 244(1)(c)(iii) – The primary object and the purpose of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, as the long title and the preamble show, is to provide for the imposition of a ceiling on vacant land in urban agglomerations,

  AIR 1979 SC 1415 : (1979) 3 SCC 324 : (1979) 3 SCR 802 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA UNION OF INDIA (UOI) AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. VALLURI BASAVAIAH…

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