Page 28 - High Court

HCs express discontent over last-minute animal slaughter pleas before Eid

Despite the occasion of Bakra Eid being marked on calendars, High Courts often receive pleas regarding animal sacrifices a day before the festival

Million of hits to e-Court services reflect citizen-centric efforts: J&K LG

L-G Sinha was addressing an event organised to mark the foundation stone laying for the new High Court complex of J-K and Ladakh at Raika on Wednesday

Karnataka HC refuses to reject FIR against Rahul Gandhi over KGF copyright

The complaint alleged that the party had posted two videos during the Bharat Jodo Yatra with songs from the movie without permission, in violation of the Copyright Act

CJI Chandrachud lays foundation stone of new high court complex in Jammu

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a new high court complex in Jammu. Justice Chandrachud described judicial officers as frontline warriors and exhorted them to live up to the expectations of the common man seeking justice. The state-of-the-art complex, estimated to cost over Rs 800 crore, is located in the Raika forest belt on the outskirts of Jammu. It would contribute to the improvement of the judicial system, said the CJI who was accompanied by Supreme Court Judges Sanjay Kishan Koul and Pankaj Mithal, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh B D Mishra. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal joined the event virtually. The Chief Justice also launched e-initiatives for the judiciary of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including a Document Management System for the High Court and a National Service for tracking electronic processes in the district courts of the two Union Territories.

Adipurush row: Allahabad HC issues notice to writer Manoj Muntashir

The High Court has also asked the Centre what action can be taken under Cinematograph Act 1952

Bombay HC fumes over last-minute stay application on LOCs to travel abroad

The Bombay High Court has expressed displeasure over last-minute applications filed seeking temporary stay on Look Out Circulars (LOCs) to travel abroad, and observed that such practice was not acceptable. A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale in its order of June 23 said applications are filed after the applicants finalise their itineraries even before permission is sought from court. This is not a question of whether there is a right that is violated. In all these applications, it seems that the courts are more or less being taken for granted, that permissions will follow and that matters and, more importantly, that applications will be taken up on a priority basis and even out of turn to permit the applicants to keep to their itineraries, the court said. This is not acceptable, the bench said, noting that persons seeking stay on LOCs are required to approach the court in good time and not attempt to pressurise the courts. The court said when last minute ...

Australia dismisses Russia's bid for injunction to stop embassy's eviction

Australia's highest court on Monday dismissed Russia's application for an injunction that would have prevented Moscow's embassy being evicted from a site in the national capital Canberra. In dismissing the application, High Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia's challenge on constitutional grounds to a law terminating the lease as weak and difficult to understand. Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia's lease on the largely empty block on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House. Russia's lawyer Elliot Hyde had argued that the Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky would not have confidence in the integrity and security of a consular building already on the site if the embassy was not allowed to maintain possession until the challenge to the validity of the lease termination was decided. Elliot said a man who has been living on the site in a portable cabin at least since last week was a security guard. The

Gauhati High Court stays the Wrestling Federation of India elections

The Gauhati High Court on Sunday stayed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, scheduled for July 11, on a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association. Assam Wrestling Association, in its petition filed against the WFI, IOA ad-hoc body and the Sports Ministry, said that though it was entitled to be an affiliated member of the WFI, it was granted one "despite recommendation made by then WFI Executive Committee at WFI's General Council in Gonda, on November 15, 2014. The ad-hoc panel has fixed June 25 as the last date for receiving the names for the electoral college while the while the elections to elect the new governing body would be held on July 11. The petitioner contended that unless their body is affiliated to the WFI, and they can nominate their representative to the electoral college, the election process should be stalled. The court directed the respondents -- WFI ad-hoc body and the Sports Ministry -- that till the next date is fixed for hearing they shou

Why no coercive action order against Wankhede should be vacated: HC to CBI

The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the CBI to stop playing hide and seek after the agency sought vacation of an earlier order granting interim protection to IRS officer Sameer Wankhede in the Cordelia cruise drug bust' bribery case. A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and S G Dige rebuked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for claiming that they may want to arrest Wankhede in future if he does not cooperate in their probe but not telling the court if it has reached the conclusion that his arrest is required. The bench said the CBI's arguments were creating serious doubts in the minds of the court. It also directed the agency to produce its case diary on the next date of the hearing June 28 to show the progress in the investigation. The CBI had sought vacation of an earlier order passed by the court directing that no coercive action be taken against Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Wankhe

AAP to move SC against appointment of ex-HC judge Umesh Kumar as DERC chair

The AAP government will move the Supreme Court against the appointment of former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, Power Minister Atishi said on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, she said the government had recommended the name of Justice (retd) Sangeet Lodha for the post on June 21. However, it was "sidelined and former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar was appointed as the chairman by the BJP-led Centre. This has been done to 'trouble' the elected government of Delhi. In the coming days, we will approach the Supreme Court against this 'illegal' appointment," she said. A statement issued by the lieutenant governor's office on Wednesday night said Justice Kumar has been appointed the DERC chairman by President Droupadi Murmu. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had in January recommended the name of retired high court judge Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava for appointment as the chairperson of the power regulator.

Karnataka HC says not having sex is cruelty under Hindu Marriage Act

The Karnataka High Court has held that refusing sex to wife was an act of cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955

HC stays order allowing banks to declare account as fraud without hearing

The pleas said the circulars were in violation of the principle of natural justice as no opportunity to be heard was being given to borrowers before classifying their accounts as fraudulent

WB panchayat polls: HC asks SEC to deploy forces in all districts in 48 hrs

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the July 8 panchayat elections in the state. The court noted that no appreciable steps have been taken ever since an order was passed by it on June 13 to deploy central forces in sensitive areas for the poll process. Petitioners had prayed for the deployment of central forces for ensuring peaceful elections, claiming that the state had witnessed large-scale violence during municipal elections in 2022 and Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections in 2021. Opposition parties have been alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters resorted to violence to prevent their candidates from filing nomination papers. The state claimed before the court that till Wednesday, more opposition candidates filed nominations than those of the ruling party. Thursday was the last day for filing nomination.

Bihar bridge collapse: Patna High Court slams laxity of govt, contractor

The Patna High Court on Wednesday blamed laxity of the Bihar government and the contractor concerned for the collapse of part of the four-lane Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge, being built over the Ganga in Bhagalpur district, on June 4. The high court directed the state government to submit the action taken report on the issue, while asking the managing director of the firm constructing the bridge to remain present before the court along with his expert team on June 21, when the matter will come up for hearing again. This court is shocked at the collapse of constructed part of the bridge on June 4... Last year also, while the construction work was going on, some structure of the bridge had collapsed on April 13, the bench of Justice Purnendu Singh said. The incident occurred due to the laxity of the state government and the contractor, observed the court. The bench said it seeks to prevent the misuse of public money and exploitation of natural resources in the interest of the ...

'Discretion to choose HC, trial court to file anticipatory bail plea'

The Delhi High Court has said that applicants have the discretion to choose between the high court and trial court when filing an anticipatory bail plea

HC suggests immediate measures to reduce traffic congestion in Nainital

The Uttarakhand High Court has warned against the possibility of a Joshimath-like situation arising in Nainital and asked the authorities to take immediate measures to reduce traffic congestion in the town during the peak tourist season. Joshimath grabbed the headlines early this year due to a land-subsidence crisis which led to cracks appearing in houses, fields and roads. With the temperature soaring, droves of tourists are visiting Nainital these days causing long and frequent traffic jams in the popular tourist spot. Taking suo motu cognisance of a PIL on the pressure of traffic in Nainital, the division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal said the issue must be addressed promptly, otherwise the town may also face a Joshimath-like situation. The court ordered immediate replacement of cycle rickshaws with e-rickshaws in Nainital to address the problem of traffic congestion which is worsening each passing year. The court stated that the government sh

Lawyers' body calls for changes in elevation process of judges to SC, HC

A lawyers' body on Thursday called for changes in the manner in which judges are elevated to the Supreme Court and high courts, saying their appointments and elevations should be made "solely on the basis of merit". Adish C Aggarwala, chairman of the All India Bar Association, while speaking to the media here also said that court proceedings should ideally be video-recorded and that the retirement age of judges in the apex court, high courts and the subordinate judiciary should be raised. He also said that retired judges should not be appointed to any tribunal or commissions. On the issue of appointing judges to high courts, Aggarwala was also against chief justices of high courts being chosen from the high courts of other states. "Chief justices coming from other states may be not in a position to make just and proper administrative decisions, as they are usually unaware of the local factors," he contended.

Contractors cannot undertake shoddy construction using public money: HC

The Karnataka High Court has rejected the petition by a construction company seeking the return of the bank guarantee which was encashed by the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSPHIDC) for alleged shoddy construction of police quarters by the firm. The High Court also directed that engineers involved in shoddy constructions using public money be brought to book. Citing earlier Supreme Court judgements, the High Court said that bank guarantees were not for show and the corporation had done the right thing. "What would unmistakably emerge is that the Bank Guarantee is not furnished for it to be photo-framed and hung on the wall, it has a purpose. The purpose is redeemed by the Corporation and cannot be found fault with." PG Setty Construction Technology Pvt Ltd had approached the High Court after KSPHIDC encashed the bank guarantee of Rs 1,15,13,500 for allegedly shoddy construction of 144 police quarters in Mandya and Chamarajanagar district

HC asks trial courts to allow hybrid hearing of cases without prior request

The Delhi High Court has directed the trial courts in the city to allow a hybrid hearing of the cases listed before them, without any prior request for the same from the parties. The court has directed to ensure that in matrimonial disputes, cases concerning child adoption and child custody, sexual offences or violence against women and those invoking the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, no one apart from the parties and their counsel can access or join the proceedings digitally. It has also said in case of in-camera proceedings or where a specific direction is issued by a judge, digital or physical access to the hearing should be limited to the persons concerned. "The district courts in Delhi shall permit any of the parties and/or their counsel to appear through hybrid/video-conferencing mode during court proceedings, without there being any requirement of a prior request for the same," the high

Guj HC asks govt to seek expert take on condition of old bridges in Gondal

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to seek expert opinion on the condition of two century-old bridges at Gondal town of Rajkot district on a PIL seeking their repair to avoid incidents like the Morbi bridge collapse. The division bench of Acting Chief Justice AJ Desai and Justice Biren Vaishnav directed the state government to depute experts to physically examine the bridges and file a report by the next date of hearing on June 28. It also issued notices to the Gondal municipality and additional engineer (design) of the roads and buildings department among other respondents. A public interest litigation, filed by lawyer Yatish Desai, stated that the bridges, which are both located on Gondal river, are around a century old and in a very dilapidated condition. Like many other buildings, the bridges were built by the erstwhile King Bhagvatsinhji Maharaj, it said. The traffic of the city and surrounding villages passes through these bridges, which overflow