Ministers should take oath of transparency, not of ‘secrecy'

During debate on Right to Information Act, 2005, Mr Ram Jethmalani, MP and renowned Advocate said: simple philosophy of article 19 of the Constitution is that no servant can tell his master, "I have a secret to keep from you". If the people of India are the ultimate masters, no servant has a right to tell even a single master, "I will not give you this information; I will keep it as a...

A person on Deputation has no right to demand continuation of his service once the deputation period is over: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court speaking through Justice Ved Prakash Vaish in Dr.Professor Santhosh Panda vs. Indira Gandhi National Open University [ W.P.(C) 2299/2016] has ruled that a person on deputation (deputationist) cannot seek to claim any vested right to the post deputed, or get absorbed to the deputed department once the period of deputation, from his parent department is over.The...

Obscene acts done or viewed in privacy do not constitute an Offence: Bombay HC [Read Judgment]

A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court recently held that any obscene action done or viewed in privacy would not constitute an offence under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code.The factual matrix leading to the petition being filed before the High Court involved a complaint being made to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Andheri, by Mr. Jagjit Girmile, who is a Journalist by...

Narada News Sting : Calcutta HC to hear Plea demanding CBI probe against TMC leaders on 22nd March [Read Petition]

A petition has been filed before the High Court of Calcutta, demanding that Election Commission of India be directed to disallow the Trinamool leaders involved in the recent sting operation conducted by Narada News from contesting in the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections.The petition, filed by Mr. Amitabha Chakraborti and Mr. Sk. Abu Abbasuddin demands that the video footage of the...

[Read Jt] German Bakery Blast Case; Bombay HC quashes Death Penalty of Himayat Baig

A Division Bench of Bombay High Court set aside the Death sentence of Mirza Himayat Baig, the lone convict in the Pune German Bakery Blast case. The Bench comprising of Justices N H Patil and S B Shukre acquitted Baig for all major offences under Indian Penal Code (including 302 and 120B) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Bench maintained the conviction under Section 474 IPC...

Tamil Nadu introduces Bill for of e-Court fee system in Madras High Court [Read the bill]

The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to introduce e-stamps for payment of Court fee by way of Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suits Valuation (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amend the Tamil Nadu Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1955, in view of the observations of Madras High Court in 2013.While disposing of an application filed by a litigant, Madras High Court had in 2013 recommended...

[Read Order] #JNU Sedition Case; Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya get interim bail

Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are granted interim bail for Six months by Delhi Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh in the JNU Sedition case. The bail applications were opposed by the Prosecution on the grounds that the two were the main organisers of the Afzal Guru event, held on the JNU campus on 9th February.They were in judicial custody...

Bombay HC commutes Death Sentence of 23 yr old Youth to Double Life in a Rape and Murder Case [Read Judgment]

The Bombay High Court in State of Maharashtra v  Vitthal Tukaram Atugade[Confirmation Case No:1 of 2015] has commuted the death sentence of a 23 year old youth, with sentence of ‘double life’ imprisonment ,which has to run Consecutively. The Court held that even though the crime, committed by the accused was heinous in nature, considering the cumulative effect of the facts and...

RTI: PIO not required to furnish Info which requires drawing of inferences or making assumptions: Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

In Muhammed Siyad P.A. & Ors. v. Sreejith Appu & Ors [W.A No:1135/2015 &other connected cases] the petitioners based on the position of their rank, claimed before the single bench,that they are eligible for consideration towards appointment to various posts of Assistant Executive Engineers existing in the Kerala State Electricity Board(K.S.E.B).The petitioners taking rescue under...

Karnataka HC declares law levying life time tax on vehicles registered outside State as Unconstitutional and ultra vires [Read Judgment]

Disposing of a bunch of Writ Petitions, Karnataka High Court on Thursday quashed the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation [Amendment] Act, 2014 as unconstitutional and ultra vires. The Amendment Act levied a lifetime tax on motor vehicles registered outside the State of Karnataka, in case they have been in the State for a period exceeding thirty days.Representing one of the petitioners,...

Kerala High Court sets aside disqualification of former Chief Whip P.C George [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Kerala has on Monday, revoked the order of disqualification imposed on former Chief Whip Mr P.C George  by the speaker, as a legislator in the Kerala Assembly.Mr George was disqualified by the speaker , pursuant to a complaint made by his party Kerala Congress (M) stating that he had evaded/ defied his party whip on numerous occasions.To avoid disqualification, Mr George...

Justice A.K. Mishra recuses himself from hearing challenge to anticipatory bail granted to Secretary of Calcutta HC Bar Association

Justice Arun Kumar Mishra today recused himself from hearing a petition seeking stay of the anticipatory bail granted to Secretary of Calcutta High Court Bar Association, in the case levying allegations of rape against the leader.Justice Mishra reasoned that being on the administrative side of the High Court had given him access to some complaints in the case. “When a judge is in knowhow...