Page 29 - Delhi High Court

HC dismisses Balaji's plea against lower court's refusal for PMLA discharge

The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed as withdrawn, a petition filed by former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, challenging an order of a sessions court that refused to discharge him from a money laundering case. A division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam dismissed as withdrawn, the petition filed by the DMK leader, after an endorsement was made by his counsel to withdraw it. In its brief order, the bench said the criminal revision petition has been instituted challenging the order of rejection of discharge petition. It was brought to the notice of this court that the charges were framed on August 8, 2024 and a Prosecution Witness was examined on August 16 and that the cross-examination was in progress. Balaji's counsel submitted that since the trial had commenced, the petitioner was not inclined to pursue this petition. An endorsement was made to withdraw it. Therefore, the petition was dismissed as withdrawn, the bench added. Balaji was ...

HC asks authorities to reply to Singh's plea to allow meeting with Kejriwal

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Tihar Jail authorities to file response on a plea by AAP MP Sanjay Singh claiming that he was not being allowed to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in prison. Singh said jail authorities denied him a physical meeting with Kejriwal in prison on grounds that he was an ex-prisoner. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted three days to the jail authorities to file their response to the petition, and listed the matter for hearing on September 9. Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the alleged excise policy scam. During the hearing, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Singh, submitted that his client was a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and he was denied physical meeting on the ground that he was an ex-prisoner. He claimed that Kejriwal has serious medical health conditions and his family wishes to meet him to check on his health. The way the jail superintendent was dealing with things shows the shocking state o

All not well in health dept: Delhi HC asks Aiims director to bring reforms

Observing that "all is not well" in the city's health department which is witnessing a "bitter" fight between authorities, the Delhi High Court on Monday tasked the AIIMS director with the responsibility of implementing the recommendations of the six-member expert committee headed by Dr S K Sarin for improving services at Delhi government-run hospitals. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, which received a letter from Sarin urging that the committee be recused from monitoring the implementation of the proposed reforms, remarked that four member doctors, who were working in hospitals under the Delhi government, were "feeling threatened" and "scared". The court lamented the "complete lack of consensus between the bureaucrats and the minister", and said the quality of healthcare services in Delhi continued to be "dismal" and the common man was the ultimate victim of apathy and indifference at the hands of those who are responsible. "The letter speaks volume. The court is of

Delhi HC rejects plea to quash defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal

BJP leader accused Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders of defaming the BJP by claiming the party was responsible for deleting 3 million names from the Delhi electoral rolls

Delhi High Court quashes govt's 1987 eviction notice to Express Newspapers

The Delhi High Court has held as arbitrary and malafide the Centre's decision to terminate its lease deed with Express Newspapers for the Express Building' at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg here and quashed the 37-year-old notice seeking ejection of the media house from the premises. Justice Prathiba M Singh, while dealing with the lawsuits by both the central government and Express Newspapers Ltd filed over three decades ago, said the action of the authorities was an attempt to "muzzle Express Newspapers and dry up its source of income." The court nonetheless directed Express Newspapers to pay around Rs 64 crore to the Centre as payment towards conversion charges, ground rent and additional ground rent in relation to the building. The termination of the lease dated 17th March, 1958 by notice dated 29th September, 1987 and 2nd November, 1987 is arbitrary and mala fide, it ruled on Friday. The re-entry notice to Express Newspapers as also the notices to the tenants (in Express building) b

Owner knowingly used coaching basement for commercial purpose: CBI to court

The owner of Rau's IAS study circle coaching institute where three UPSC aspirants drowned due to waterlogging in old Rajinder Nagar on July 27 "knowingly" used the basement for commercial purpose in contravention of the usage approved by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the CBI has alleged. In light of the "seriousness" of the allegations, the CBI sought special court's permission for "custodial interrogation" of coaching institute owner Abhishek Gupta and other accused Deshpal Singh, Harvinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Sarabjeet Singh and Tajinder Singh who have been in judicial custody. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nishant Garg on Saturday sent all six to CBI custody till September 4. In its submission to the court, the CBI has said that its probe has also shown that the institute did not have a fire safety certificate for nearly one year after the issue was flagged before the Delhi High Court in 2023. When the matter was raised before the high court last year that many

HC asks for Centre's stand on plea over 'misbranding' of Patanjali product

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the Centre's stand on a petition seeking action against the alleged misbranding of Patanjali's "Divya Dant Manjan" as a vegetarian product. The petitioner's counsel claimed that though the dental care product was being sold with a "green dot", symbolising that it was a vegetarian commodity, it contains fish extract, a non-vegetarian ingredient. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Centre, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as well as Patanjali, Divya Pharmacy, Yoga guru Ramdev and other related parties on the petition by lawyer Yatin Sharma. The law does not mandate declaration of a "drug" as vegetarian or non-vegetarian but the packaging of "Divya Dant Manjan" wrongly carries a "green dot", which qualifies as "misbranding" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the petitioner's counsel argued. The matter would be heard next in November. Represented by advocates Swapnil Chaudhary and Prashant Gupta, the petitioner stat

Two-thirds land of Yamuna floodplain encroached in recent years: DDA survey

A DDA survey has found that two-thirds land of the Yamuna floodplain has been encroached upon in recent years, officials said on Friday. Delhi High Court on March 27 directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to use the latest technology such as satellite imagery and drone photography to ascertain the current status of the land in Zone O. In its survey, the DDA recorded that 7,362.56 hectares of a total 9,700.00 hectares in Zone O, comprising the Yamuna floodplain, had been encroached upon, a senior official said. On July 8, the high court directed the DDA vice-chairman to remove all encroachments and illegal constructions on the Yamuna riverbank, riverbed and drains flowing into the river. According to the high court order, the DDA has to coordinate with all agencies concerned to ensure the removal of encroachments from the floodplain. The Delhi Police may provide necessary force to maintain law and order during anti-encroachment drives. The court also asked the DDA to fence

Delhi HC denies interim bail to PFI leader OMA Salam in UAPA case

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to grant interim bail to Popular Front of India (PFI) leader OMA Salam, arrested in a case registered under the anti-terror law UAPA against the banned organisation and its members. A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma rejected Salam's plea seeking a release for two weeks and said no case was made out for grant of interim bail. The present plea is dismissed, the bench said. Salam had sought two weeks' interim bail on the ground that his daughter passed away in April and his wife was now in a "depressive state". Salam, the chairman of the PFI, was arrested by anti-terror agency NIA during a massive crackdown on the banned organisation in 2022. According to the National Investigation Agency, the PFI, its officer bearers and members hatched a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for committing acts of terror in various parts of the country and were conducting camps to indoctrinate and train their cadres for this purpose. Preceding

Drug companies move Delhi HC seeking interim relief against FDC ban

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had on August 22 issued notification banning the 156 FDC medicines saying they had no therapeutic benefits

HC grants time to Brij Bhushan to file note seeking quashing of FIR

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted time to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to file contentions for seeking quashing of the FIR and charges framed against him in a sexual harassment case lodged by several women wrestlers. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted two weeks to Singh and listed the matter for further hearing on September 26. Petitioner seeks time to prepare a short note raising all the contentions for seeking quashing of the charge sheet and all other proceedings emanating therefrom. Two weeks are granted to do so, the court said. The plea was opposed by the counsel for the State and the victims who contended that it was not maintainable. The complaints were made by six women wrestlers and the trial court found that the complaint of one of them was time barred so it framed charges based on the complaints of five victims, senior advocate Rebecca John submitted, adding that, this shows there was a deep applicatio

HC extends interim protection of suspended IAS Puja Khedkar till Sept 5

Puja Khedkar, facing allegations of cheating and improperly securing OBC and disability quota benefits

Delhi HC overturns AAR ruling on Tiger Global-Flipkart transaction

Tiger Global had sold its stake in Flipkart to Walmart during the year. It claimed exemption from capital gains tax on the sale under the DTAA

Rohan Dua files defamation suit on 'sexist' claims in Manu Bhaker Interview

Journalist Rohan Dua's interview with Olympian Manu Bhaker led to allegations of sexism, accusing him of focusing on the Bhaker's appearance rather than her sporting achievements

Decide plea on exclusion of penalty for unnatural sex in BNS: HC to Centre

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to treat as representation a PIL against exclusion of penal provisions for the offences of unnatural sex and sodomy from the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the Indian Penal Code. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gelela asked the Central government to expeditiously decide the representation, preferably within six months. The court disposed of the petition and granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the court for revival of plea in case there is a delay on the government's part to decide his representation. The court was hearing a PIL by Gantavya Gulati, a lawyer who was appearing in person, seeking to address the "exigent legal lacuna" resulting from the enactment of the BNS which has also led to the repeal of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The bench passed the order after the central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia submitted that the issue was under ...

Will settle all dues by September 30: SpiceJet to Delhi High Court

The lessors had filed a case against SpiceJet in December, claiming dues of more than $20 million for the engines

UPSC coaching centre deaths: Court denies bail to 4 co-owners of basement

A Delhi court on Friday rejected the bail applications of four jailed co-owners of a coaching centre basement where three civil services aspirants drowned last month. Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna said, "Investigation is at initial stage. I am not inclined to give bail." A detailed order of the court is awaited. On August 17, the court had reserved the order after hearing the arguments of the lawyers of the CBI and the basement's four joint owners -- Parvinder Singh, Tajinder Singh, Harvinder Singh and Sarbjit Singh. The Delhi High Court recently transferred the probe into the deaths in the basement of the coaching centre building in Old Rajinder Nagar from police to the CBI "to ensure the public has no doubt over the investigation".

Delhi HC okays appointment of arbitrator in Ashneer Grover-BharatPe dispute

The court ruled that the arbitration will be under the Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)

Excise Policy case: HC extends interim bail of Amit Arora till Aug 30

Arora had filed a regular bail application seeking relief under the provison to Section 45 of the PMLA as his bail is set to expire on August 21

Delhi HC extends interim protection of IAS Pooja Khedkar till August 29

Former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar is accused of falsifying and misrepresenting facts in her application to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)