Extra Judicial Confessions III

Umesh Chowdhary, on 01.10.2003, was allegedly murdered by Pradeep Kumar. Suspicion, howsoever grave or probable it may be, cannot substitute evidence. Normally, we do not interfere with concurrent findings of fact of Courts below. We step in only in exceptional cases or where gross errors are committed, overlooking crying circumstances and well established principles of […]

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SC Resolves Conflict Between NI Act & IBC

Rainbow Papers Limited sought loans from Tourism Finance Corporation of India Limited and issued post-dated cheques which stood dishonoured. Criminal Complaint was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Saket Courts, New Delhi. Neeraj Paper Agencies Limited requested initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process against Rainbow Papers Limited. The scope of nature of proceedings are quite different. […]

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Drugs & Cosmetics

It was permissible for Registered Medical Practitioner-S. Athilakshmi to practice medicine when not performing her duty as an Associate Professor and Head of Dermatology Department in Government Omandurar Medical College, Chennai. Drugs Inspector sought to prosecute S. Athilakshmi under Section 18(c) of The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. S. Athilakshmi had not ‘stocked’ medicines for […]

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Air Purifier

The question would arise, whether invention claimed in ‘Air Decontamination Assembly’ [Application No. 201741016833] is no more than a workshop improvement/mere application of an old contrivance? Can it be described as a lucky accident? In opinion of this Court, subject invention is not a mere addition to a well-known combination. It has some new features […]

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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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Run, D.K. Bose

‘College Romance’, Season 01, Episode 05 titled ‘Happily Fucked Up’ was published and broadcasted on YouTube on 06.09.2018. Court found excessive use of ‘swear words’, ‘profane language’ and ‘vulgar expletives’. The words used cannot even be reproduced here. Depiction does not connote filming alone but conveying by a medium, which in this case is spoken […]

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Compassionate Appointment VI

Lindsay Petroleum Co. v. Prosper Armstrong, (1874) 3 PC 221; Sushma Gosain v. Union of India, (1989) 4 SCC 468; Umesh Kumar Nagpal v. State of Haryana, (1994) 4 SCC 138; Jagdish Prasad v. State of Bihar, (1996) 1 SCC 301; Haryana State Electricity Board v. Hakim Singh, (1997) 8 SCC 85; State of Haryana […]

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Review of Death Penalty XXXIII

Division Bench of High Court of Madhya Pradesh affirmed Death Sentence awarded by Trial Court. We do not find any reason to doubt correctness of birth certificate. Appellant is held to be less than 16 years and, therefore, maximum punishment could be upto 3 years. His incarceration beyond 3 years would be illegal and, therefore, […]

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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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First Information Report V

One prominent hurdle is undoubtedly ‘corruption’; ‘greed’ has been overpowering in its impact. Little wonder, outbreak of scams is commonly noticed. Since there exists no magic wand, as in fairy tales, a swish of which could wipe out ‘greed’, Constitutional Courts owe a duty to people to show zero tolerance to ‘corruption’.    It would […]

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First Information Report IV

Victim-Appellant, perhaps mercilessly and ruthlessly beaten up by Police Personnel present at premises of Minister-Jitendra Awhad, seeks transfer of investigation to CBI to investigate/re-investigate FIR Nos. 119 of 2020 and 120 of 2020 registered at Vartak Nagar Police Station, Thane. High Court has not committed any error in refusing to transfer investigation to CBI. But, […]

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Science for Everyone: DNA VI

Ajinkya alleged, Aparna was in an adulterous relationship with Kshitij Bafna. He found certain intimate messages. Ajinkya caused a DNA test at DNA Labs India. DNA Test Report indicated, “probability of paternity is 0%.” _____ Section 112 of The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 is based on presumption of public morality and public policy [Sham Lal […]

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Pushtaini, Non-Pushtaini Landholders

While, prima facie, said classification seems reasonable, the devil lies in the details. Courts have now adopted proportionality test [Om Kumar v. Union Of India,(2001) 2 SCC 386]. A classification should come with safeguards against its potential abuse [Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha v. State of Gujarat, (2020) 10 SCC 459]. The said notification by way of […]

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Five Judges in February

Half-baked Lawyers serve no purpose. – Hon’ble Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Bar Council of India v. Bonnie Foi Law College, [Civil Appeal No. 969 of 2023]. _____ We may note, CJI B.P. Sinha’s Dissent in Sardar Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb v. State of Bombay, AIR 1962 SC 853: The right of ex­-communication vested is not […]

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Curse of Biscuit Cases

It is now settled, proprietor of one registered trade mark can sue proprietor of another registered trade mark [Raj Kumar Prasad v. Abbott Healthcare Pvt Ltd., (2014) 60 PTC 51, Corza International v. Future Bath Products Pvt Ltd., 2023 SCC OnLine Del 153]. It is trite, Court has to tread cautiously when it has to […]

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Sun Stroke in Election Duty

Deval Ravidas-Constable [Shivhar District Force]-Member [Static Armed Force], posted at Booth No. 67-Primary School, Mathura Sultanpur-Police Station: Bidupur-District: Vaishali, died due to a sun stroke/heat stroke while performing election duty for Bihar Legislative Assembly. A proximate causal relationship between an accident and a body injury is necessary [Alka Shukla v. Life Insurance Corporation of India, […]

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Rana Ayyub

The Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 provides for a two-pronged approach, one for dealing with ‘proceeds of crime’ and other for dealing with persons guilty of offence of money-laundering. As articulated in Kaushik Chatterjee v. State of Haryana, (2020) 10 SCC 92 jurisdiction of a Criminal Court is determined by (i) offence and/or (ii) offender. […]

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Toy Pistol

Appellant, through Application No. 3757855, sought registration of ‘COCK’ word mark for ‘water and colour pistols, water and colour guns, water and colour sprayers, being toys included in Class 28’. The objection of Learned Senior Examiner predicated on registration granted to Chinna Nadar. Chinna Nadar’s mark is a composite device mark which includes words: ‘COCK […]

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