Albert, Albert Einstein

A. “Albert Einstein spoke of change when he said, ‘world as we have created is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking’.” – Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Justice T.S. Thakur, Board of Control for Cricket v. Cricket Association of Bihar, (2016) 8 SCC 535. B. “We would like […]

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Sports and Astrology

Greenstone Lobo, Howzzat?, (Readomania, 2019) is an interesting read. It is not enough to state, Mr. Lobo, over time, has predicted several times correctly. He has been writing a regular column on sports astrology, ‘Octozone’, in a popular Indian daily, DNA, since 2008. He has also been a columnist for Anandabazar Patrika, Times of India, Mumbai Mirror, Telegraph, Life Positive […]

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The Case of Mr. Prithvi Shaw

Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] has adopted Anti-Doping Rules [BCCI ADR] that implement mandatory requirements of World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] Code in Indian Cricket. BCCI ADR, 2019 applies to present case. Mr. Shaw consumed a cough syrup for a couple of days before he played  Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Mumbai v. Sikkim, […]

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Operation Batla House

13.09.2008, New Delhi [Connaught Place; Karol Bagh; Greater Kailash I; India Gate;] Bomb Explosions. Delhi Police claimed, occupants of Flat No. 108 of L-18, Batla House, all students of Delhi Universities/Institutes, and all hailing from Azamgarh [UP], were conspirators/executors of Delhi Bomb Blasts.19.09.2008, Batla House Encounter Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma – Injured, Dead; Head Constable […]

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Gambling in Cricket III : Dream 11

“Fantasy games are nothing but means to lure people to spend their money for quick earning by taking a chance, whereby most end up losing their money in the process, which is gambling/betting/wagering? The main issue raised is substantially decided by Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court [18.04.2017]. After detailed consideration of the facts as […]

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Gun Island

Amitav Ghosh, Gun Island, (Penguin, 2019) is a remarkable read. It travels through time, space and thoughts. If you do not let yourself completely in, the best bits shall go unnoticed. Like there are dreams within dreams, at Gun Island, there are stories within stories. Written simply, detailed subtly, this one is a must read. […]

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Gambling in Cricket I

Games played just for fun can also be played for money. Lawyers and Non-Lawyers paid ample respect and just respect to a Game developed on Indian Premier League [IPL]. An esteemed Eashan Ghosh calculated accuracy of probabilistic predictions. Mr. Ghosh, phenomenal in his Intellectual Property Law expertise, is a fair man. ‘Ramiz Baba Challenge’ Rules ‘Ramiz […]

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Mental Toughness in Sports and Life

Patrick Anthony Howard ‘Paddy’ Upton is famous for his powers of mental conditioning and coaching. An excerpt from Paddy Upton, The Barefoot Coach, (Westland Sport, 2019). “It is worth having a conversation about the concept of ‘mental toughness’, which is currently the most overused and least understood concept in sports psychology. I neither agree with […]

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Sacred Games

Sacred Games, Season 1 (2018, dir. Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane) was showcased by Netflix in June, 2018. Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7123 of 2018 was filed before Delhi High Court against Sacred Games soon after. One word used in Episode 4 [‘Brahmahatya‘] deserved correction. It remains unchanged. 09.04.2019  – Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7123 of […]

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Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes

My Lord, Supreme Court Quotations of Sherlock Holmes? One. “After all, an ordinary purchaser is not gifted with the powers of observation of a Sherlock Holmes.” [Parle Products, (1972) 1 SCC 618] My Lord, High Court Quotations of Sherlock Holmes? Some. “It would not require the penetrating intelligence of a Sherlock Holmes to realize in […]

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Then Mark, Denmark

“Something is rotten in the State of Denmark“, sensed Marcellus, said Shakespeare in Hamlet, and it can similarly be said, something is rotten in Allahabad High Court, said Hon’ble Judges Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra in Raja Khan v. U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board, (2011) 1 SCC (LS) 359. The rot was, of course, […]

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Disappearance of Anik’s Ghost

FILM IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF COMMERCIAL ART: SATYAJIT RAY Despite CBFC approval, State of West Bengal & Kolkata Police obstructed Director, Anik Datta’s ‘Future Ghosts’, from being exhibited. It had been duly released in Kolkata on 15.02.2019. By evening of 16.02.2019, without any communication from exhibitors, the film was abruptly and suddenly taken off […]

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Fredda Brilliant Marshall

Fredda Brilliant was brilliant, indeed. Thus, her art adorns Supreme Court of India. Freda or Fredda? “One afternoon the sculptress, Freda Brilliant, and her husband, Herbert Marshall, dropped in to see me. She came in with open arms, pouring out a stream of endearments. ‘Darling, darling Khushy! How are you?’ They had been to an […]

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Morality of Gambling

“It needs to be borne in mind, there may be certain activities which society perceives as immoral per se. It may include gambling (though that is also becoming a debatable issue now), prostitution et cetera. It is also to be noted, standards of morality in a society change with passage of time. A particular activity, […]

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Murder of Mahatma

My Lord, Who Killed Mahatma? Mahatma Gandhi: Dead. Accused: Dead. Unseen Hand? Issue: Gross. Truth: Well Known. Hearsay. New Fires of Controversy: No. – Hon’ble Justice S.A. Bobde – Hon’ble Justice L. Nageswara Rao, Dr. Pankaj Kumudchandra Phadnis v. Union of India Ministry of Law and Justice, [SLP (Civil) 8293 of 2018].

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The Case of the Honest Prostitute

Books on Constitutional Law are on Judges, Lawyers, occasionally on Politicians. Judges are central actors. The central actor in Rohit De, A People’s Constitution, (Princeton University Press, 2018) is the citizen litigant; private interests assumes public significance. We rarely meet those who have, at least, one positive act to share on Former Hon’ble Chief Justice […]

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December 8, 1930

It was decided. 8 December, 1930 would be ‘Operation Simpson Day’. The journey began at 12:00 in the afternoon. Three Men sat in a taxi and headed for the Writers Building. One of them had his Birthday < 50 hours ago. The last ride together. [File No. 59/19/30] 12:30. Cap, coat, tie, trousers, boots – […]

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