Page 5 - High Court

Karnataka HC stays BJP's defamation case over ads against CM Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka HC stays trial in BJP's defamation case against CM Siddaramaiah over Congress ads that called previous Bommai government a '40% commission sarkar' and alleged ₹1,500 crore corruption

Telangana to amend law to provide 42% quota for BCs in local body polls

Telangana cabinet on Thursday decided to issue an ordinance facilitating 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local body polls by amending an Act that was passed by the State Assembly in 2018, Revenue Minister P Srinivasa Reddy said. In a media briefing after the cabinet meeting here, he said the state government is committed to implement the reservation for BCs as promised by the Congress party earlier. "In order to implement the 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes in local body elections, an ordinance will be issued to amend an Act passed by the Assembly in 2018," Reddy said. On June 25, the Telangana High Court directed the state government to hold elections for local bodies within three months. The minister further said Telangana Advocate General was invited for the cabinet meeting and sought his legal opinion on the issue of ordinance. Reddy said the State Assembly had already passed a bill providing 42 per cent reservation to BCs, and it was sent to the Ce

Punjab HC defers hearing of Bikram Singh Majithia's plea until July 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday deferred till July 29 hearing on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia's plea against his arrest and subsequent remand in a disproportionate assets case. As the matter came up for hearing, Majithia's counsels sought three weeks to file an amended plea following which the court granted time and fixed the next date of hearing. Majithia had earlier filed a plea against his arrest and subsequent remand in the disproportionate assets case registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB). The state government's counsel Ferry Sofat said Majithia's advocates sought three weeks time to file an amended petition. The Punjab VB on June 25 arrested Majithia in the DA case allegedly involving laundering of Rs 540 crore of "drug money". Majithia on July 1 moved the HC against the DA case, calling it "political witch-hunting and vendetta" for being a vocal critic of the current dispensation. The former minister was sent to judicial custody by

Kerala HC orders conditional arrest of cargo ship in ₹9,531 cr damage case

The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered the conditional arrest of a cargo ship anchored at Vizhinjam Port in connection with a Rs 9,531 crore compensation case filed by the State of Kerala over a major shipwreck and environmental damage. The vessel, MSC AKITETA II (IMO 9220847), was ordered to be detained after the state accused the owners and managers of another ship which appears to be of the same company, MSC ELSA III (IMO 9123221), of causing severe pollution off the Kerala coast. The MSC ELSA III had capsized and sunk off Kerala coast on May 25, allegedly releasing oil and cargo that harmed the marine environment, damaged the coastline and affected the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. Kerala's Environment Department, which brought the case, said the sunken vessel had 643 cargo containers and that the damage caused was enormous. The state is seeking Rs 9,531 crore in total including compensation for environmental harm, clean-up efforts and economic losses to local fishing

SC Collegium steps up vetting of HC judges amid cash row; 371 vacant posts

The SC Collegium conducted detailed 30-minute interviews with candidates from the district judiciary and Bar over two days to assess suitability for 371 vacant High Court judge posts

Ministries using takedown orders to circumvent 69A: X to Karnataka HC

X moves amended plea in K'taka HC against Sahyog portal

SC denies plea challenging Bodh Gaya Temple Act; asks petitioner to move HC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging the vires of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, and asked the petitioner to approach the concerned high court. The Mahabodhi temple complex in Bihar's Bodh Gaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the four holy areas related to the life of Lord Gautam Buddha. Bodh Gaya is a place where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. A plea challenging the vires of the 1949 Act came up for hearing before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran. The bench asked the petitioner's counsel about the prayer sought in the plea. "I (petitioner) have prayed that the Bodh Gaya Temple Act should be annulled as ultra vires," the counsel said. The bench said the petitioner should approach the concerned high court. "Why don't you do it before the high court?" the bench asked. "We are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. However, liberty is given to the ..

Karnataka HC quashes case against Bommai for remarks against Waqf board

Basavaraj Bommai was accused of promoting enmity between religious groups after he accused Waqf authorities of land encroachment

Wife's WhatsApp chats can be used as evidence in divorce: MP High Court

Citing right to fair trial, Madhya Pradesh High Court allows husband's use of wife's WhatsApp chats in divorce, even though chats were accessed without her consent

Cash discovery row: Govt wants to control judges' appointments, says Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday alleged that the real motive of the government in moving towards bringing an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma for alleged corruption is to take control of appointment of judges by doing away with the Collegium system and bringing in the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). Sibal, who is also a senior advocate, also accused the government of having a selective approach in handling the cases of Justice Varma and Justice Shekhar Yadav, against whom Opposition MPs have submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha for moving an impeachment motion for making allegedly "communal" remarks last year. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has underlined the government's resolve to take all political parties on board in moving the impeachment motion against Justice Varma. A fire incident at Varma's residence in the national capital in March, when he was a judge at the Delhi High Court, had led to the discovery of several burnt sacks of cash at th

Bike taxi drivers in Bengaluru plead for relief as Karnataka ban begins

Workers urge lawmakers to regulate rather than shut down the sector as Karnataka's High Court decision enforces ban, hitting gig workers dependent on the service

Rapido halts bike taxi services in Karnataka after high court order

In place of a bike taxi, users now see a "bike parcel" service

K'taka HC refuses to stay order suspending bike, taxi services from June 16

The appeal filed challenging the order issued by the single-judge bench to cancel bike taxis was heard by a two-judge bench of Acting Chief Justice Kameswar Rao and Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar

Rajasthan HC refuses IHCL plea on land use dues to Jai Mahal Palace Hotel

The court had also ordered an annual increase in the amount to be paid to Jai Mahal Palace Hotel if arbitration is delayed beyond May 2029

Karnataka HC orders interim release of RCB marketing head, 3 others

Karnataka High Court on Thursday ordered interim release of RCB Marketing head Nikhil Sosale and there others arrested in connection with the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people. Others who got relief from the High Court are Sunil Mathew, Kiran Kumar S and Shamant N P Mavinakere of the event organising company DNA Entertainment Networks Pvt Ltd, who were also arrested on June 6. The Court asked the arrested persons to surrender their passport. The stampede that occurred outside the Chinnaswamy stadium claimed the lives of 11 people during an event organised to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL title win. The case came up for hearing before Justice S R Krishna Kumar, who had reserved the verdict on interim plea by Sosale after hearing arguments on June 11. Sosale and other petitioners are presently in judicial custody. On June 9, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) produced Sosale and other three arrested individuals before a local magistrate court,

BCCI, RCB 'invited whole world': Karnataka govt to HC on Bengaluru stampede

Karnataka government told the high court that RCB and BCCI invited massive crowds via social media without seeking permission, leading to the stampede that killed 11

'Daisy the cat drove everyone crazy': HC slams 'frivolous' kidnap case

Karnataka High Court quashes cat abduction case, slams police for chasing a 'whimsical pursuit' and warns against misusing criminal law to settle personal scores

Bombay HC orders BMC to pay ₹50 lakh each to 2015 fire victims' kin

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday ordered the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay Rs 50 lakh each as compensation to the kin of eight victims who died in a fire at a hotel in 2015, citing its gross failure in the discharge of its duties. A fire broke out inside Hotel City Kinara in Kurla, killing eight persons on October 16, 2015. Seven of them were students aged 18-20, and the eighth victim was a 31-year-old design engineer from Virar. The high court was hearing petitions filed by parents of the victims seeking to quash the Lokayukta's February 2017 order, which dismissed their complaint seeking a probe. The Lokayukta, while dismissing their pleas, noted that compensation of Rs 1 lakh each was disbursed. The families sought the enhancement of the compensation amount. The high court, in its judgment on Tuesday, ordered the BMC to pay Rs 50 lakh to the families of each of the victims within 12 weeks. "Due to the failure of the BMC in taking action, the illegality in Kin

SC protects MP scribes against coercive action, asks them to move HC

The Supreme Court on Monday protected in the interim two Madhya Pradesh-based journalists who were allegedly assaulted by the state police for reporting on illegal sand mining activities. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, however, refused to examine their plea and asked them to move the Madhya Pradesh High Court instead. A separate top court bench on June 4 sought the responses of Madhya Pradesh and Delhi governments on the plea of Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chouhan. The apex court while granting the interim relief posted the hearing on June 9. "We are not entertaining the plea. However, looking at the allegations, we permit the petitioners to move the concerned high court within two weeks from today. Till the time the petitioners move high court the petitioners shall not be arrested," Justice Mishra said. The journalists alleged that they were kidnapped, assaulted in custody and subjected to casteist slurs by a senior police officer and his ...

Cash discovery row: Justice Varma must quit to avoid removal by Parliament

Resignation is the only option before Justice Yashwant Varma to avoid impeachment by Parliament as the government pushes for bringing a motion to remove the Allahabad High Court judge over alleged corruption. Officials aware of the procedure to appoint and remove Supreme Court and high court judges pointed out that while defending his case before lawmakers in any of the House, Justice Varma can announce that he is quitting and his verbal statement will be considered as his resignation. Should he decide to resign, he will get pension and other benefits entitled to a retired HC judge. But if he is removed by Parliament, he will be deprived of pension and other benefits, they noted. According to Article 217 of the Constitution, a high court judge "may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office." A judge's resignation does not require any approval. A simple resignation letter is sufficient. A judge may give a prospective date to step down. In such cases,