Can CIC Impose Token Penalty? Delhi HC To Examine

The High Court of Delhi last week issued notice to the Central Information Commission on a Petition challenging an award of token penalty by the latter.The Petition, filed by Mr. R.K. Jain, challenged an order passed by the CIC in February this year, wherein the CIC had imposed a token penalty of Rs. 5,000 on the PIO, while refusing to accept the explanation rendered by him for not providing...

Calcutta HC To Have Summer Vacation Benches; Bar Association Opposes

Taking a cue from the Supreme Court, the Calcutta High Court has decided to hold special sittings during the summer vacation to hear cases that were instituted prior to 2000 in a bid to reduce pendency.The court’s Bar Association is however opposed to it. It passed a resolution against it on the grounds that of the two-week vacation, the court will hold sittings on nine days.While...

Quit Within 7 Days Or Face Nationwide Movement: Pakistan Lawyers To PM Nawaz Sharif

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Saturday said that they would launch a countrywide movement if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif doesn’t resign on the Panama Papers scandal within seven days.“Both bar associations are of the view that in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Panama Papers case (that questioned the moral...

Former AMU Scholar Gulzar Wani Acquitted In Sabarmati Express Blast Case After 16Yrs In Prison [Read Judgment]

A Barabanki District Court has acquitted the two accused in the Sabarmati Express Blast Case of 2000. One of the accused is 44-year-old Ex- AMU Scholar Gulzar Wani who was arrested in the case in 2001 by Delhi Police when he was only 28.Additional Sessions Judge MA Khan acquitted Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Abdul Mubeen of all charges due to lack of evidence against them.Nine died and over a...

Most High Courts Notify RTI Rules Which Frustrate The Purpose Of The Act: Study

A study conducted by the Legal System Reforms Project, Azim Premji University, Bangalore has revealed that most High Courts notify RTI rules which frustrate the purpose of the RTI Act. The report titled, “The Implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in Nine High Courts of India - A Comparative Study”, compares the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI)...

Collecting Undated Cheques From Assesses By Excise Dept Illegal: Delhi HC [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court, in the case of Digipro Import and Export Pvt Ltd vs Union of India, has termed the practice of collecting undated cheques from assesses by officials of Anti-Evasion Department of Central Excise ‘illegal’.A bench comprising Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Chander Shekhar highlighted the serious ramifications of letting this illegal practice continue.They noted that...

Why Aren’t Steps Being Taken To Provide Shelter To All The Homeless In Delhi? HC Asks Govt. [Read Order]

The High Court of Delhi on Sunday directed the Delhi Government to inform it as to why steps were not being taken “to ensure that adequate shelters are provided to all the homeless in Delhi”. The Court took note of an article titled “Home razed, they are back on streets” published in The Times of India, which suggested that a demolition of a night shelter in Amir Khursro Park in...

Bombay HC Grants Anticipatory Bail To Woman Booked Under S.153A For Facebook Post [Read Order]

The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to a woman booked under Section 153 (a)(1) of the Indian Penal Code for a Facebook post.An FIR was registered at Oshiwara police station against the applicant woman on Thursday.According to the prosecution, the applicant had posted an article on “Facebook” which is “defamatory in nature and has hurt the feelings of a particular class...

NGT Seeks Report From State On Illegal Mining In River Son [Read Order]

The Central Zone bench of National Green Tribunal Bhopal has directed the district collectors of Umaria and Shahdol of Madhya Pradesh to take immediate action against persons indulged in illegal sand mining in river Son.The illegal mining is causing threat to the endangered species Ghariyal found in river Son.The scientific name of Gharial is Gavialis Gangeticus a crocodilian of Gavialidae...

Kulbhushan Jadav Case: Serious Mistake For India To Go To ICJ, Says Justice Katju

Former Judge of Supreme Court of India Justice Markandeya Katju has opined that it was a serious mistake for India to go to the ICJ on Kulbhushan Jadav issue, as India have played into Pakistan's hands, and given it a handle to open up many other issuesIn his Facebook page Justice Katju has written that ‘now it is certain that Pakistan will approach the ICJ for deciding the...

Do Not Kiss, Fondle Or Sleep Alone With Children: Centre’s Manual On “Living Conditions In Institutions For Children In Conflict With Law”

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed a manual titled “Living conditions in Institutions for Children in conflict with Law”, in conformity with the Supreme Court decision in the case of Re-inhuman conditions in 1382 prisons, WP (C) 406 of 2013. The Court had, in February, 2016, directed the Centre to prepare a manual similar to the Model prison Manual being prepared...

Wife Paying Maintenance To An Able Bodied Husband Would Promote “Idleness”: Kerala HC [Read Judgment]

The High Court of Kerala recently quashed a husband’s claim for maintenance, observing that maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act is to be paid to the husband only when he is able to prove any incapability or handicap.The Bench comprising Justice A.M. Shaffique and Justice K. Ramakrishnan further observed that in the absence of such circumstances, endowing maintenance on...