(1) AKASH AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 17-03-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 376 and 354(b) — Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 — Sections 9, 10 and 18 — Mere grabbing of breasts and attempting to drag a minor beneath a culvert, without further actions indicating a definitive intent to commit rape, is insufficient to constitute an attempt to rape under Section 376 IPC read with Section 18 of the POCSO Act — The High Court in this criminal revision partly allowed the revision, modifying the summoning order aga India Law Library Docid # 2423663
(2) UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS Vs. SMTI. LALTANPUII PROPRIETOR OF TWO BROTHERS[MEGHALAYA HIGH COURT] 13-03-2025 Customs Act, 1962 — Sections 124, 110A and 130 — A government authority that seizes goods and subsequently disposes of them without informing the owner, after a release order has been affirmed up to the Supreme Court, is liable to pay damages to the owner for the loss of those goods — The High Court dismissed the appeal of the Customs authorities, upholding the single judge's order directing them to pay Rs. 60 lakhs to the respondent as the value of seized betel nuts — The Customs had seized the India Law Library Docid # 2423510
(3) ABHISHEK SUREKA AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF ASSAM AND ANOTHER[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 13-03-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 498A — Cruelty — Dowry Demand as a Key Element — The legislative intent behind the insertion of Section 498A was to prevent the abuse of married women for want of dowry — The term 'cruelty' under this section is often understood in the context of harassment or torture for dowry demands — In the absence of any allegation of demand for dowry, quarrels between husband and wife or the demand for divorce by the husband or his relatives may not automatically amount to India Law Library Docid # 2423429
(4) SHRI THOUDAM RAGHUMANI SINGH Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR AND OTHERS[MANIPUR HIGH COURT] 13-03-2025 Service Law — Appointment — Die-in-Harness Scheme — The court applied the principle of res judicata and found the rejection of a compassionate appointment claim unsustainable due to a factually incorrect finding regarding the submission of a timely application — A writ petition challenged the rejection of the petitioner's claim for appointment under the Die-in-Harness Scheme — The court found that one ground for rejection was already decided in a previous writ petition and thus barred by res jud India Law Library Docid # 2423522
(5) STATE OF MEGHALAYA THROUGH THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA Vs. SMTI. UTTORA G. SANGMA[MEGHALAYA HIGH COURT] 12-03-2025 Meghalaya Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1983 — Meghalaya Civil Services (Pension) (Fourth-Amendment) Rules, 1998 — Rule 38A — An employee whose service is regularized is entitled to post-service retiral benefits, and under specific circumstances, resignation tendered while regularization is under consideration can be considered as voluntary retirement from a regular post — The High Court dismissed the State's appeal, affirming the single judge's decision to grant post-service retiral benefits, India Law Library Docid # 2423511
(6) SHRI NINGTINGLUNG KAMEI Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR AND OTHERS[MANIPUR HIGH COURT] 12-03-2025 Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 — Sections 4, 9 and 11 — The High Court examined whether the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) has the jurisdiction under the Act, 1971, to pass a resolution recommending the constitution of a temporary committee for Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) after the expiry of their terms — A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenged a resolution by the Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) regarding the administration of Autonomous District Councils ( India Law Library Docid # 2423521
(7) MOTAKATLA JHANSI VANI REDDY Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) — Section 47 (1) — Arrest — Mandatory requirement — An individual arrested without a warrant must be immediately informed of the grounds for their arrest — Failure to comply with this provision renders any further detention of the person illegal, as emphasized by the High Court. India Law Library Docid # 2423378
(8) MOTALEB BHUYAN AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF ASSAM AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Constitution of India, Article 226 — Writ Jurisdiction — Interference with Cancellation of GST Registration — The High Court may exercise its jurisdiction under Article 226 to interfere with orders of cancellation of registration under the Central Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 (Central Act) and State Goods and Service Tax Act, 2017 (State Act), particularly when the orders are found to be bad in law and in violation of the provisions of the Acts or the Rules framed thereunder India Law Library Docid # 2423430
(9) SHANKAR KUMAR SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND OTHERS[JHARKHAND HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Service Law — Dismissal — A disciplinary dismissal can be upheld based on inquiry findings, including audio-video evidence and a compromise agreement, even if the charged employee initially denied the allegations — Dismissal from service for taking a bribe upheld; court found no error in the disciplinary process considering the complainant's statement, audio-video evidence, and the petitioner's subsequent compromise involving the return of the money, which contradicted his initial denial. India Law Library Docid # 2423562
(10) EMPLOYER IN RELATION TO THE MANAGEMENT OF M/S HINDUSTAN COPPER LIMITED Vs. EX-EMPLOYEES' COORDINATION COMMITTEE[JHARKHAND HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Industrial Disputes Act, 1947— An industrial tribunal's award can be set aside if the reference is vague, the representation of workmen is not properly established, and the tribunal fails to consider foundational facts and evidence — Industrial Tribunal award in favor of ex-employees for wage arrears set aside due to vagueness of reference, questionable representation by an unrecognized association, and lack of verified evidence regarding the ex-employees' details and voluntary retirement scheme India Law Library Docid # 2423563
(11) RAM KHELAWAN MALLAH @ RAM KHELAWAN NISHAD AND OTHERS Vs. BASANTI DEVI AND OTHERS[JHARKHAND HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 90 — Recitals in a registered settlement deed more than 30 years old are not conclusive proof of the truth of the recited facts, and the presumption under Section 90 primarily applies to the execution, signature, and attestation of the document, requiring independent proof of the contents if disputed — In a second appeal against the reversal of a trial court's dismissal of a suit for title declaration, the High Court held that the first appellate court erred in treat India Law Library Docid # 2423564
(12) KUNDAN SINGH Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR (NOW JHARKHAND)[JHARKHAND HIGH COURT] 11-03-2025 Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 302 — A murder conviction can be upheld based on the consistent testimony of eyewitnesses regarding the act of firing, even if there are minor discrepancies with the initial report or medical opinion concerning the exact distance of the shot, provided the delay in filing the FIR is adequately explained and the overall evidence identifies the accused as the assailant — The High Court dismissed a criminal appeal against a conviction and life sentence for murder — India Law Library Docid # 2423565
(13) GUDLA HYMAVATHI(DIED) PER LRS. AND OTHERS Vs. BYRI VENKATA SIVAPRASAD AND OTHERS[ANDHRA PRADESH HIGH COURT] 10-03-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 173 — Enhancement of Compensation — Appellate court's power, under Section 173 to enhance the compensation awarded by the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), even when the claimants have not filed a separate appeal or cross-objections — The court in National Insurance Company Limited vs. E. Suseelamma and others held that if the awarded compensation is not just and reasonable based on the evidence and settled legal principles, the appellate court can exerci India Law Library Docid # 2423379
(14) UNITED INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED Vs. DALIMON BEWA AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 10-03-2025 Motor Accident Claims — Causation of Death in Motor Vehicle Accident Claims — The central contention of the appeal is whether the death of ‘S’ on 27.01.2014 was a direct result of the injuries he sustained in a vehicular accident that occurred on 31.12.2012 — The appellant/insurance company argues that there is no sufficient evidence linking the accident to the death, which occurred approximately one year and 26 days later India Law Library Docid # 2423431
(15) FIROJA KHATUN Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 10-03-2025 Citizenship Act, 1955 — Section 6A — Constitution of India, 1950 — Article 226 — Writ Jurisdiction — Challenging Order of Foreigners' Tribunal — The petitioner has invoked the writ jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to challenge the opinion of the Foreigners’ Tribunal declaring her a foreigner — The writ court can review the findings of the Tribunal if they are perverse, not based on evidence, or involve an error of law apparent on the record. However, India Law Library Docid # 2423432
(16) MD. ALIMUDDIN Vs. MD. DALU MIA AND OTHERS[GAUHATI HIGH COURT] 10-03-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 — Section 100 — Second Appeal — The appellant preferred a second appeal under Section 100 challenging the concurrent judgments and decrees of the learned Civil Judge, Barpeta, and the learned Munsiff No.1, Barpeta — The High Court's jurisdiction in a second appeal is confined to cases involving a substantial question of law — The High Court cannot re-appreciate the entire evidence on record as it would in a first appeal under Section 96 CPC — The existence of a India Law Library Docid # 2423433
(17) SMT. GOURI DEBNATH (PODDER) AND OTHER Vs. STATE OF TRIPURA[TRIPURA HIGH COURT] 10-03-2025 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 482 — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Sections 96 and 49 — The power to grant anticipatory bail, now under Section 482 BNSS, 2023, is an extraordinary power that should be exercised cautiously, but it can be invoked even after the issuance of an arrest warrant in extreme, exceptional cases where there are grounds to believe the person is falsely implicated or will not misuse their liberty, and where not granting it would cause a miscarriage of j India Law Library Docid # 2423473
(18) CHIRAGBHAI ARVINDBHAI DESAI Vs. HEIRS OF PUSHPABEN D/O. AMBALAL JAVERBHAI AND WD/O MANUBHAI PARSHOTTAMBHAI AND OTHERS[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 07-03-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 — Order 6 Rule 17 — Limitation Act, 1963 — Articles 58, 59 and 113 — An amendment introducing a clearly time-barred claim under the Limitation Act, 1963, can be rejected by the court, even if the underlying transaction is alleged to be void, particularly when there is no reasonable explanation for the significant delay in seeking the amendment, as per principles governing amendments under Order 6 Rule 17 of the CPC. India Law Library Docid # 2423264
(19) STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. HITENDRASINH HARISINH ZALA AND OTHERS[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 07-03-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 378(1)(3) — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) - Section 498-A, 306 and 114 — Appellate Court's Discretion in Acquittal Appeals — In an appeal against acquittal, the Appellate Court will not interfere with the trial court's decision if the view taken by the trial court is reasonable and plausible, even if a different view is possible, and the accused is entitled to the benefit of doubt — This is because, in acquittal appeals, there is a double presumption of in India Law Library Docid # 2423259
(20) STATE OF GUJARAT Vs. HARESH @ GOPALBHAI JENTIBHAI UMRETHIA PATEL AND OTHERS[GUJARAT HIGH COURT] 07-03-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 378(1)(3) — Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) — Section 498-A, 306 and 114 — Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — Section 3(1)(10) — Benefit of doubt — An appellate court, hearing an appeal against acquittal has the power to review the evidence, it should not interfere with the trial court’s order of acquittal if the trial court’s judgment is based on evidence and the view taken is reasonable and plausible — This restrain India Law Library Docid # 2423260