High Courts Weekly Round-Up

Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by a 20-year-old engineering student whose admission was rejected by the Directorate of Technical Education for failing to comply with the OBC category.

The High Court recently allowed a writ petition filed by an inmate currently lodged in Taloja Central Prison, holding that reasons for rejecting his application for parole and the reasons for dismissing the appeal were not in consonance with each other and entirely different reasons are stated in both the orders.

Partly allowing a criminal appeal filed by one Parshuram Shankar Kamble, the Bombay High Court set aside his murder conviction and held him guilty under Section 304 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment.

 Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court recently frowned upon the Magisterial practice of outsourcing the recording of judicial orders to police personnel, and framed guidelines for “future guidance of criminal courts”, non-observance of which may cause initiation of departmental proceedings.

The High Court last week ordered trial of former RJD MLA Mohd. Sohrab for allegedly shielding his son Sambia who has been accused of killing an IAF corporal in a hit-and-run case last year during the Republic Day parade rehearsal.

The High Court recently expressed concern over the “dismal failure in the matter of extending effective legal aid/assistance to convicts”, and made it mandatory for Judges across the State to inform convicts of their right to file an appeal and legal aid while disposing of a case.

 Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Friday lamented the increasing instances of dishonest litigation in the country, and dismissed an appeal with costs of Rs. 2 lakhs for “abuse of process of law”.

The High Court granted interim relief to NDTV, which has been served Income Tax notice of Rs. 428 crore and has been asked to pay up the amount “immediately now”, observed that no coercive action should be taken against the media house.

The High Court on Friday issued notice to TV journalist Arnab Goswami and his channel ‘Republic TV’ on Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s plea that they be restrained from running misleading news items on his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death and using the phrase ‘murder of Sunanda Pushkar’ as it is yet to be established if her death was murder.

The High Court constituted a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ruma Pal to recommend measures to balance free press, fair trial and integrity of judicial proceedings and how court proceedings should be covered by media in Delhi.

Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a direction requiring contesting candidates in elections to submit documents in support of the averments made in the affidavit submitted at the time of filing the nomination form.

Hyderabad High Court

The Hyderabad High Court on Monday paved the way for 3-year LLB Course graduates to apply for the post of Law Clerk, directing the Registry to amend a notification which had made eligible only graduates from the 5-year law course.

Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Monday upheld an order passed by a single Judge quashing the State Government’s order providing 85% quota in medical admissions for students from the State Board, leaving only 15% of the total seats for students from CBSE and other boards.

Patna High Court

The Patna High Court, in Gauri Shankar Mandal vs State of Bihar, referred to the division bench a peculiar question with regard to examination of victims suffering from mental ailment.