Page 47 - Delhi High Court

BharatPe takes fresh legal action against co-founder Ashneer Grover: Report

The case is in addition to the earlier civil suit filed by Resilient Innovations against Ashneer Grover

Taking steps to arrest absconding Virender Dixit: CBI tells Delhi HC

The CBI on Friday told the Delhi High Court it was taking steps to secure the arrest of absconding self-styled spiritual preacher Virender Dev Dixit who is facing rape charges. After perusing a status report filed by the investigating agency in a sealed cover, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan observed that the CBI was making "ernest efforts" to comply with the court's directions to take action against Dixit who has been absconding for several years. "He appears to be outside India. We will arrest him soon. We have taken help of Interpol," counsel for CBI told the bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna. The high court was hearing a 2017 petition filed by NGO Foundation for Social Empowerment, represented by lawyer Sravan Kumar, alleging that several minors and women were illegally confined at Dixit's "spiritual university" -- Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Rohini and were not allowed to meet their parents. The bench asked the CBI to file a fresh status report in

Bamnoli land case: HC asks 'The Wire' to remove article on Delhi chief secy

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed news portal The Wire to take down an alleged defamatory article casting aspersions on Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in relation to the Bamnoli land acquisition matter. In an interim order, Justice Sachin Datta granted ad-interim injunction in favour of the chief secretary and also directed the news portal and its reporter concerned to take down the article and the offending tweets. "I have granted an ad-interim injunction. I have directed defendant no. 2 and 2 (The Wire and its reporter) to take down the article and the offending tweets," the judge said while pronouncing the order. The detailed order is awaited. On Tuesday, the high court had reserved its order on the officer's plea seeking interim relief in the defamation suit. The defamation suit was filed in relation to a news article on November 9 which alleged links of the chief secretary's son to the beneficiary's family. The 19-acre land in question was acquired by the National Hig

HC grants time to Oppn to reply to plea against use of INDIA acronym

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted time to several opposition parties to respond to a petition to restrain them from using the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan also granted time to the Centre to file its reply to the public interest litigation which alleged that by using INDIA acronym, the parties were taking "undue advantage in the name of our country". "We need a week-ten days more time to put in our reply," Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma submitted on behalf of the central government. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented nine political parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and others, said there were "preliminary objections" against the petition and the Supreme Court has already dealt with the issue. On the last hearing, he had said the petition was not maintainable. The bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, listed the matter for hearing on

Spouses capable of earning should not burden their partner: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court stated that maintenance provisions under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA) are gender neutral

Delhi High Court to hear pleas seeking Uniform Civil Code on Dec 1

The Delhi High Court Monday listed for hearing on December 1 a batch of petitions seeking a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and observed that it "cannot do anything" if the issue has already been decided by the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan observed that in March, a top court bench had already declined a plea for "gender neutral" and "religion neutral" laws filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, one of the petitioners before the high court as well. The court deferred further hearing on the petitions while noting that none appeared for the petitioners during the proceedings and Upadhyay was yet to place on record his prayers in the petition before the Supreme Court. "Supreme Court has already decided the matter virtually... If the matter is covered by Supreme Court then we can't do anything," the bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna said. In April, a division bench headed by the then Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma had said that Upadhyay's ...

10-yr reopening of I-T assessment applies to serious cases: Delhi HC

Only in cases where there is evidence of concealing income above Rs 50 lakh, says court

AAP's Raghav Chadha moves HC challenging summons in defamation complaint

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the summons issued to him by a trial court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Delhi BJP leader Chhail Bihari Goswami. As the matter came up before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, Chadha's counsel said that they wanted to file certain additional documents in the case and sought some time. The high court listed the matter for hearing on December 11. A magisterial court had earlier issued summons to AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Raghav Chadha in the defamation complaint and the sessions court upheld it on November 9, saying that the summoning order was perfectly correct and legal on facts as well as in law. Chadha challenged the sessions court order before the high court. Goswami had filed the complaint before a metropolitan magistrate here accusing Jain, a former Delhi minister and sitting MLA, and Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, of having made alleged defamatory remarks against him over Nor

Delhi HC orders high powered committee on pvt schools' staff salary issue

The Delhi High Court has directed the city government to constitute a high powered committee to supervise implementation of recommendations and guidelines of the sixth and seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) dealing with salaries and arrears to staff of private unaided schools and recognised private unaided minority schools here. Terming education as an invincible weapon for empowering the next generation, the high court said the regulating authority has to exercise certain control to ensure that uniform quality of education was provided to every student of the country. The high court said the committee shall be constituted at Central and Zonal level and also directed the Directorate of Education (DoE) to issue a notification within two weeks for the purpose of convening zonal committee, wherein, various stakeholders including teaching and non-teaching staff of several schools, who are aggrieved by the nonimplementation of the Pay Commission, shall file their claim before the ...

Everything about Nimisha Priya, Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen

Nimisha Priya has been convicted for the murder of Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni citizen

Delhi HC stays proceedings in money laundering case against Pawan Munjal

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the proceedings against Hero Motocorp chairman Pawan Kant Munjal in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Justice Saurabh Banerjee issued notice to the investigating agency on Munjal's petition against the ED case and granted it time to file its reply. While granting the interim relief, the judge observed that a similar stay order was recently passed on the predicate offence under the Customs Act and the petitioner has been exonerated by the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) in that matter. "Accordingly, there shall be a stay of proceedings under the ECIR," the court ordered. The court clarified that the stay was in relation to the petitioner only and the ED was free to proceed further according to law. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had filed a prosecution complaint last year on charges of allegedly "carrying, attempting to export and illicit export of prohibited ite

No vending, hawking in Connaught Place: Delhi HC directs authorities

The Delhi High Court has directed the authorities here to ensure that there are no illegal hawkers or vendors in Connaught Place. In a hearing held on Friday, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan directed the Delhi Police and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to strictly implement its 2021 order which asserted that there has to be zero tolerance towards all unauthorised hawkers. The bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, observed that the situation which arose in Nehru Market in 2021 -- when fire tenders could not access a building where a fire broke out -- cannot happen again. We can't have vendors in every nook and corner, the court said as it asked the authorities to come up with a protocol to deal with the re-entry of vendors even after their removal. NDMC and Delhi Police shall ensure that the order of this court (of October 2021) is implemented in letter and spirit, it ordered. The court was hearing a petition by the association of traders of shop own

HC seeks Delhi govt's stand on PIL for CAG audit of private schools

The Delhi High Court Friday sought the stand of the city government on a public interest litigation seeking audit of accounts of all unaided private schools here by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG). A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan issued notice on the petition by Jan Seva Welfare Society, and also sought the stand of the CAG as well as all unaided private schools in the capital. The petitioner argued that unaided private schools cannot be permitted to increase their fee until their accounts are audited by the CAG and examined by the DoE. Delhi government counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi opposed the petition and said there was no legal requirement to get the accounts of unaided private schools mandatorily audited by the CAG. He said the law mandates the schools that have the autonomy to fix the fees can tender their statement of accounts for audit to the Directorate of Education (DoE). The bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, voiced its reservations .

Delhi govt issued order of salaries to disengaged assembly fellows, HC told

The Delhi High Court on Friday was informed by the city government that it has issued orders for payment of salaries to disengaged Delhi Assembly Research Centre fellows for the services already rendered by them. Delhi government counsel for services and finance departments stated before Justice Subramonium Prasad that they have started receiving compliance and that the order does not pertain to the 17 petitioners but for all fellows who worked during the relevant period. "On November 8, we issued orders to all concerned and on November 9, we wanted compliance from all concerned and we have started receiving compliance. It is not only for these 17 petitioners but it is for all who have worked during this period," advocate Avnish Ahlawat, representing the two departments, told the court. In compliance with the court's earlier direction, she also placed the November 8 order on record. The court, which has listed the matter for December 6 for further proceedings, was hearing a petitio

Delhi Police asked to prepare security arrangements SOP for college fests

The Delhi High Court Friday directed the city police to hold a meeting with representatives of Guru Gobind Singh IP university, IIT Delhi and Delhi University, and come up with a standard operating procedure for making security arrangements during college festivals. The court passed the order on a case it has registered on its own following allegations by several female DU students that they were secretly filmed while changing in an IIT-Delhi washroom for a fashion show during the institute's ongoing festival earlier this year. The bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan asked DU to place on record an advisory in relation to college festivals and said, "In the meantime, DCP Legal is directed to convene a meeting in which representatives of IIT, Delhi University and IP University shall be called." "In this meeting, the standard operating procedure (SOP) shall be put in place regarding the security measures during college fests organized by the universities," ordered the bench,

Subjected to criminal prosecution to create 'chilling effect': NewsClick

NewsClick Wednesday alleged in the Delhi High Court that investigating agencies were abusing the process of law to subject it to criminal prosecution to create a "chilling effect". The court was hearing petitions by the news portal for quashing the cases the Delhi Police and Enforcement Directorate have registered against it over alleged violation of foreign funding laws. "I am being targeted because I happen to be an entity engaged in news circulation on digital platform," said senior advocate Siddharth Agarwal, representing the petitioner, before Justice Saurabh Banerjee. "We have reached a place where criminal law is used as a weapon of choice for chilling effect. There is nothing here that needs to be investigated," argued the senior lawyer. The criminal cases, he added, were intended to "silence" independent and impartial reporting, discourage journalists and "create a chilling effect". PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, which owns NewsClick, had moved the high court in 2021 seeki

HC seeks Centre, Delhi govt view on PIL to distinguish religion from dharma

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre and city government on a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the authorities to use the proper meaning of the term religion and not use it as a synonym of dharma in official documents. A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted time to the governments to respond to the petition by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The petition also sought a direction to include a chapter on "dharma and religion" in syllabus of primary and secondary schools in order to educate the masses and control the religion-based hatred and hate speeches. There is a colonial mindset which is being continued, said the petitioner before the bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. In his petition, the petitioner asserted that dharma is not religion as the former is non-divisive, non-exclusive and transcends narrow boundaries of religion. If we try to define religion then we can say that religion is a tradition

HC seeks Centre's response on PIL to include 'Dharma' in school syllabus

The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela after noting down the submissions, issued notice to all respondents and listed the matter for January 2024

'Can't turn blind eye': Delhi HC orders strict enforcement of fire norms

Asserting that it cannot turn a blind eye to potential violation of fire norms, the Delhi High Court has directed the city government authorities to conduct regular checks at Azad Market to identify the violators and refer them to the Fire Prevention Wing. A bench headed by Chief Jusice Satish Chandra Sharma, in an order passed on Monday, directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Fire Services to ensure scrupulous and rigorous enforcement of fire safety norms. The court's order came on a public interest litigation by Azad Market Residents Welfare Association for action against unauthorised and illegal constructions in the north Delhi market. The petitioner contended there were buildings in the area that were constructed in violation of the applicable bylaws and fire safety norms resulting in fire accidents and loss of human lives. The court said the grievance raised by the petitioner was sufficiently addressed by the MCD which cleared the area of unauthorised and ..

Delhi HC released Judicial Service Exam 2023 notification, check details

A notification has been released by the Delhi High Court for the Delhi Judicial Service Examination for the year 2023. Eligible candidates must apply by November 22, 2023