Language of Courts II

“When you learn a language, you don’t just learn to speak and write a new language. You also learn to be open-minded, liberal, tolerant, kind and considerate towards all mankind.” Before language became a tool for learning, its earliest and primary purpose was, and will always remain to be, communication. Coming back to our case, […]

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Tareekh pe Tareekh

“We have received only adjournments from this Court, but we have never received justice.” Who are those in District Judiciary, especially responsible for delays? None of us would be able to answer comprehensively. Should we call it The Commodore Lokesh Batra Situation? Commodore Lokesh Batra had requested for information from Registry of Supreme Court in […]

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Whispers in the Shadows

MA Ganapathy retired as Director General of National Security Guard in 2024. He has written 112 pages, carrying 12 stories! As said, these stories are intended to convey some kind of wonderment and escape from vicissitudes of a humdrum existence, while hinting towards real possibility of life beyond life as we know it. An excerpt. […]

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R.P.G.

While RPG Industrial Products Pvt. Ltd. deals in polyester wool, RPG Enterprises Limited does cover clothing, footwear, and headgear too. Since ‘RPG‘ has already been declared as a well-known mark, it is entitled to protection not only against identical or similar goods, but also against dissimilar goods. Full Bench of Calcutta High Court in Sony […]

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Shama’s Escape

‘Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.’ – Samuel Butler, Erewhon (1872). In present case, Appellants cleverly concocted a story of Shama escaping from their custody and created a record to buttress it. Not content therewith, Appellants also cooked up what is clearly a fabricated saga of Shama surfacing in Raipur and being convicted by a Railway […]

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Caution for Lust in Hollywood

“Another study of 800 Movies showed, ‘nudity’ is a negative predictor of Box Office Revenue in U.S. (A. Cerridwen and D.K. Simonton, 2009).” – Smt. K.B. Valsalakumari, I.A.S. (Retd.)-Principal Secretary (Retd.), Government of Kerala in ‘Report of Expert Committee constituted by Government of Kerala‘. _____ U.S. Domestic Gross for Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007) was […]

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Able Disable All People Together II

Nachiketa Walhekar v. Central Board of Film Certification, (2018) 1 SCC 778 held, Court will be extremely slow to restrain creative works, once Board had approved exhibition. The context, intention and overall message must be considered before protection of free speech is lifted. We have heard Sanjoy Ghose, Senior Counsel and Jai Anant Dehadrai, Counsel […]

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Price is Right

Somendra was a cunning merchant. Nandish was a simple village boy. He was poor and had nothing in the world but one beautiful white horse. “What does a young boy like you need with a horse?” When the offer reached five hundred gold coins, Nandish paused and seemed to give it a thought. “You must […]

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Minakshi Bala, (1994) 4 SCC 142

A case for interference has been made out. The symbol for Indian National Rupee symbol [₹] was not in existence when purported ‘Memorandum of Agreement of Tenancy’ was signed. Minakshi Bala v Sudhir Kumar, (1994) 4 SCC 142: “Court cannot usurp functions of a Trial Court to delve into and decide upon respective merits.” Court […]

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Oye Lucky!

Laxman Bisht aka Lucky Bisht was born in 1985 in Boongli, located in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Father had worked with Ministry of Defence. Grandfather was a Subedar with Indian Army. 12th December, 2003 – Lucky was sent a call letter, asking him to report to Dimapur, Nagaland. 19th April, 2004 – Cadets were taken to Delhi International Airport. An IL-76, introduced in India by Indira Gandhi, […]

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Review of Death Penalty XXXIX

The trial was conducted in a hurried manner without providing ample and proper opportunity. Bashira v. State of U.P., AIR 1968 SC 1313 had a matter remitted back to Sessions Court because trial was conducted in 13 days. The issue concerning importance of a fair trial was considered by this Court in Zahira v. State […]

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Spare

Ask me about any space I’ve occupied – castle, cockpit, classroom, stateroom, bedroom, palace, garden, pub – and I’ll recreate it down to the carpet tacks. Is it genetics? Trauma? Whatever the cause, my memory is my memory, it does what it does, gathers and curates as it seems fit.  August 30, 1997. They tried, […]

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Rip Van Winkle Policy

Campus Activewear Limited’s press for relief can only be decided on claim of passing off. On a comparison, it is undeniable, there are structural and phonetic similarities between ‘CAMPUS’ and ‘CAMPS’.     Rama Shankar Garg, sole proprietor of M/s. Baba Footwear, is the registered owner of the mark ‘CAMPS’. ‘CAMPS’ was accorded registration as early as […]

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Magic Formula

My Lord, Political Question? No. Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, as Lordship then was, speaking in Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) Suppl. SCC 1 held, “principle of separation of powers is not a magic formula.” Irrespective of consequences, an honest person would, ordinarily, unrelentingly take on high and mighty and persevere in righteous path. Appointment […]

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The Nature of Judicial Power: Hon’ble Justice B.V. Nagarathna

Tirath Ram Rajindra Nath, Lucknow v. State of U.P., AIR 1973 SC 405 held, there is a distinction between encroachment on judicial power and nullification of effect of a judicial decision by changing law retrospectively. The former is outside competence of Legislature. The latter is within its permissible limits. It would be permissible for Legislature […]

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