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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.

Constitution of India, 1950 – Article – 142 – Bihar Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1960 – Section – 4-B – Liability to pay market fee – Whether the sugar factories engaged in purchasing sugarcane and selling sugar and sugar molasses are liable to pay market fee under the provisions of the Bihar Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1960

  (2006) 1 SCC 509 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA HARINAGAR SUGAR MILLS LTD. AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Ashok Bhan,…

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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