Supreme Court Weekly Round-Up

Insulting By Using Abusive Language Will Not, By Itself, Constitute Abetment Of Suicide [M Arjunan V. The State Rep. by its Inspector of Police]

The Supreme Court observed that an act of insulting a person by using abusive language will not, by itself, constitute the abetment of suicide. Allowing the appeal filed by a man convicted for abetting suicide, the bench comprising of Justice R Banumathi and Justice Indira Banerjee observed that there should be evidence capable of suggesting that the accused intended by such act to instigate the deceased to commit suicide.

Karnataka Stamp Act: Courts Have No Discretion To Impose Lesser Penalty While Admitting Insufficiently Stamped Documents [Gangappa vs. Fakeerappa]

The Supreme Court, interpreting a provision in the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, observed that, while admitting insufficiently stamped documents, trial courts have no discretion in levying the penalty. The issue raised in the appeal was whether the trial court could have imposed a penalty at the rate of two times of the deficient amount of stamp duty or it was obligatory for the trial court to impose the penalty at the rate of 10 times. The bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Ajay Rastogi observed that there is no discretion vested with the authority impounding the document in the matter of collecting duty under Section 33 of the Act. It said that there is clear contradistinction between the power under Section 33 and that under Section 39.

Appointment Of Information Commissioners: Disclose Info On Shortlisted Candidates, Criteria Etc. : SC To Centre, States

The Supreme Court directed the Centre as well as States to disclose information pertaining to shortlisted candidates and the criteria being following for appointments to the Central Information Commission as well as the State Information Commissions, on their respective websites.