The Class of 83 chronicles adventures of a Police Officer, Pradeep Sharma. S. Hussain Zaidi is an expert as regards investigative (crime) reporting. The present effort is excellent for it identifies innumerable characters, until now only enveloped in questionable memories. Excerpt follows. _____ In late 1980s, there was only one destination of choice for ambitious, […]
Read more "Luck or Fate, Pradeep Sharma"“The use of the term ‘assist’ in the proviso to Section 24(8) of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is crucial, and implies that the Victim’s Counsel is only intended to have a secondary role qua the Public Prosecutor. In our considered opinion, a mandate that allows the Victim’s Counsel to make oral arguments and […]
Read more "Section 24(8) of The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973"Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Kolkata Zonal Unit intercepted Anand on 09.06.2019 near Dankuni Toll Plaza, West Bengal, while he was travelling on a bus from Siliguri to Kolkata, carrying 8 kilograms of gold of foreign origin valued at Rs. 2.71 Crores. Anand stated he had been engaged by Ashok Kumar Jalan and Amit Jalan, who […]
Read more "Gold Smuggler, Ashok Kumar Jalan"There is an illustrious list of dissenting opinions that are still written on by academicians. They could be noted down for future perusal. However, all in all it’s just another brick in the wall. Learned Senior Counsel, Sidharth Luthra in Manoharan v. State, Inspector of Police, Coimbatore, [Review Petition (Criminal) Nos. 446-447 of 2019] submitted, Death Penalty […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XIV: Double View"Section 45 of The Evidence Act, 1872 allows for an opinion of an expert as a relevant fact when Court has to form an opinion upon a point of foreign law, science or art or as to identity of handwriting or finger impressions. In Murari Lal v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (1980) 1 SCC 704 […]
Read more "Experts V: Handwriting Experts"Khaki Files chronicles the adventures of Police Officer, Neeraj Kumar. He joined the IPS in 1976 and retired as Commissioner of Police, Delhi in 2013. Government of India recognized his good work by awarding him the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1993 and the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1999. Khaki Files comes after Dial […]
Read more "The Da Lakhvi Code"It should be interesting to note, crushed capsules of poppy, ‘poppy husk’, even though isn’t ‘poppy straw’, bears the same meaning as ‘poppy straw’ under The NDPS Act. Baljinder Singh was driving a Qualis, PB-13-D-7000. Khushi Khan was sitting with the driver. The vehicle was searched, during which 7 bags of poppy husk, each weighing […]
Read more "238 Kilograms of Poppy Husk"It was my request to Supreme Court that all while they let go of death in case after case, to not only explain always why those cases are not ‘rarest of rare’, but also explain whether death is a penalty or an award. In the last 11 months, I have briefly described 15 cases whereby […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XVI-XVII-XVIII"“It must be noted that though it may be a relevant consideration in sentencing that the evidence in a given case is circumstantial in nature, there is no bar on the award of the Death Sentence in cases based upon such evidence [Swamy Shraddananda v. State of Karnataka, (2007) 12 SCC 288; Ramesh v. State […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XV"The primary function of Courts is to interpret and apply laws according to will of those who made them and not to transgress into domain of policy-making. It is not for Court to pronounce policy. It cannot term a particular policy as fairer than the other. Courts must exercise restraint. “Untouchability though intended to be […]
Read more "Untouchability"Sahi Ram was driving a Tavera, RJ27-TC-0323. The vehicle was searched, during which 7 bags of poppy straw, the gross weight being 223 kilograms, were found behind the driver’s seat. Sahi Ram was convicted for offence punishable under Section 8 r/w Section 15 of The NDPS Act; sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 15 years […]
Read more "223 Kilograms of Poppy Straw"The incident occurred on 01.05.1997. Additional Sessions Judge, Ambala adjudicated with finality on 09.06.1998. High Court of Punjab and Haryana adjudicated with finality on 05.03.2008. It wasn’t ever final. Smt. Gargi [Wife] was charged with the imputation that she killed Tirloki Nath [Husband] by strangulation and hung the dead body, as if it were a […]
Read more "The Perfect Murder"King-Emperor v. Khwaja Nazir Ahmad, AIR 1945 PC 18 has been quoted with approval, several times. The functions of Judiciary and Police are ‘complementary’ and not ‘overlapping’. They must be left to exercise their own function, subject to exceptions. Investigation into crimes is the prerogative of Police and excepting in ‘rare cases’, Judiciary must keep […]
Read more "The Nature of Judicial Power: Hon’ble Justice R. Banumathi"A ‘consent’ based on misconception of facts is not a ‘consent’ in the eyes of the law. In the context of a promise to marry, there is a distinction between a false promise given on the understanding by the maker that it will be broken and breach of a promise which is made in good […]
Read more "Section 375, Indian Penal Code"Not all crimes are perfectly investigated. SC was recently evaluating the possibility of releasing Former Panachayat Chairman Balwan Singh, accused of murder [Balwan Singh v. State of Chattisgarh, Criminal Appeal No. 727 of 2015]. Learned Senior Counsel, Shri Sanjay Hegde successfully argued for Balwan. Delay in recording statements of eye-witnesses need not necessarily raise suspicion. […]
Read more "Blood of Human Origin I"“Justice Krishna Iyer delivered a concurring opinion in Sushil Kumar Sen v. State of Bihar, (1975) 1 SCC 774, expressing a thought process which would be of significant relevance to the issue in hand. “The humanist rule that procedure should be the handmaid, not the mistress, of legal justice compels consideration of vesting a residuary […]
Read more "The Revival of Ray XXIV"While evaluating mitigating circumstances, brutality of the crime should never be lost sight of. Perhaps, that is the lesson taught by Hon’ble Justice R.F. Nariman. _____ “The entire chain of events has been made out and despite this being a case of circumstantial evidence, the prosecution has clearly proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The […]
Read more "Review of Death Penalty XIV"“When the accusation in the present case has its genesis in certain acts and utterances attributed to the accused, the meaning and expanse of the expression ‘abetment’, particularly on its operation in relation to the offence of ‘abetment of suicide’, is required to be dilated upon. Abetment involves a mental process of instigating a person […]
Read more "Section 306, Indian Penal Code II"“Section 118 of The Evidence Act, 1872 deals with competence of a person to testify before Court. Section 4 of The Oaths Act, 1969 requires all witnesses to take oath or affirmation, with an exception for child witnesses under the age of 12 years. If Court is satisfied, the child witness below the age of […]
Read more "Child Witness I"“It is the experience of the Judge that comes to his aid and the said experience should be used with care, caution, circumspection and courageous prudence.” – Hon’ble Justice Dipak Misra, Vikram Anantrai Doshi, (2014) 15 SCC 29. _____ I) Shankar, (2019) 5 SCC 166. II) Manjit Singh v. State of Punjab, [Criminal Appeal No. […]
Read more "Compromising the Non-Compoundable"
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