(841) KRISHAN Vs. STATE OF HARYANA[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Criminal Law — Circumstantial Evidence — Standard of Proof — ‘Panchsheel’ Principles — In cases resting entirely on circumstantial evidence, a conviction can be sustained only if the prosecution establishes a complete chain of circumstances that is consistent only with the hypothesis of the guilt of the accused and is wholly inconsistent with their innocence — These circumstances must be of a conclusive nature, excluding every possible hypothesis except the one pointing towards the accused’s gui India Law Library Docid # 2425078
(842) RAVINDER SINGH Vs. KULWINDERJIT KAUR[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 — Section 13(1)(ia) — Cruelty — Mental Cruelty — Irretrievable Breakdown and Long Separation — Where parties to a marriage have been living separately for an exceptionally prolonged period without any resumption of cohabitation or matrimonial ties, and the relationship is marked by bitterness, protracted litigation, and failed reconciliation attempts (including mediation), such circumstances collectively lead to an inference of profound mental cruelty inflicted by the pa India Law Library Docid # 2425079
(843) HARYANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND OTHERS Vs. PARMILA AND ANOTHER[PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Service Law — Reservation — Migration — Meritorious Reserved Category (MRC) Candidates — Applicability at Preliminary/Screening Stage — The principle established by the Supreme Court in Saurav Yadav vs State of U.P. (2021) 4 SCC 542 and subsequent judgments (Sadhana Singh Dangi, Ramnaresh @ Rinku Kushwah) mandates that the ‘Open Category’ is not a separate quota but is available to all candidates based purely on merit, irrespective of their social category (reserved or unreserved) India Law Library Docid # 2425080
(844) 3S AND OUR HEALTH SOCIETY Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 09-04-2025 Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — Section 16 — Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 — Front-of-Package Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) / Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) System — Public Interest Litigation — Judicial Directions — In a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions for implementation of Front-of-Package Warning Labels, where the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) apprised the Court of the ongoing process involving draft regulations for India Law Library Docid # 2425141
(845) JANARDAN RAY Vs. THE STATE OF BIHAR AND ANOTHER[SUPREME COURT OF INDIA] 09-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (CrPC) — Section 389 — Suspension of Sentence Pending Appeal — Conviction under Section 302 IPC — Principles for Exercise of Power — The power of an appellate court under Section 389 CrPC to suspend the execution of sentence pending appeal, especially in cases involving conviction for serious offences like murder under Section 302 IPC, must be exercised sparingly, with caution, and only in rare and exceptional circumstances after recording reasons in writing. India Law Library Docid # 2425140
(846) PUNJAB & SIND BANK Vs. M/S. CHAINRUP SAMPATRAM[CALCUTTA HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Banking Law — Banker-Customer Relationship — Duty of Care — Negligence & Fraud — A bank owes a duty of care to its customers Gross dereliction of this duty occurs when a bank permits the opening of a current account and the premature discharge/discounting of Fixed Deposits (FDs) in the name of a known partnership firm based on documents purportedly signed by a “proprietor,” without verifying credentials, obtaining proper written instructions, or comparing signatures/seals with available India Law Library Docid # 2425200
(847) RAJESH KUMAR Vs. CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION[UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 — Sections 7, 20 — Evidence Act, 1872 — Bail — Establishing Prima Facie Case for Demand and Acceptance — Bail rejected in a trap case under Section 7 of the PC Act where the Court found a strong prima facie case established based on: (i) pre-trap verification recording, corroborated by independent witnesses identifying the accused’s voice, evidencing demand for illegal gratification; (ii) undisputed acceptance of phenolphthalein-laced currency recovered from th India Law Library Docid # 2425229
(848) COMMANDANT 40TH BATTALION P.A.C. Vs. SITA RAM AND ANOTHER[UTTARAKHAND HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Civil Procedure Code, 1908 — Order 8 Rules 3, 4, 5 — Pleadings — Admissions — Estoppel — A defendant, particularly a State instrumentality, having unequivocally admitted in a written statement in a prior suit concerning the same property that it had “no concern of any kind in respect to the property in question,” and having admitted in the present proceedings (appeal grounds/affidavit) that the property was duly allotted by the government to the plaintiffs’ predecessors-in-interest, is bound by India Law Library Docid # 2425232
(849) SMT. REKHA Vs. STATE OF U.P.[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Constitution of India — Articles 21, 21A, 39(e), 39(f) — Rights of Children Residing in Jail with Incarcerated Parent — Bail Jurisdiction — The fundamental rights of a child, including the right to life, dignity, holistic development, and education (Articles 21, 21A), are not extinguished when the child resides in jail due to the incarceration of a parent — Courts exercising bail jurisdiction must consider the collateral impact of denial of bail to the parent on the child’s rights and ensure th India Law Library Docid # 2425335
(850) RAJEEV YADAV @ RINKU Vs. STATE OF U.P.[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT (LUCKNOW BENCH)] 09-04-2025 Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 32(1) — Dying Declaration — Weight and Admissibility — A statement regarding a past threat allegedly made by the deceased to a witness (his brother), without details of timing and not made under expectation or in close proximity of death, lacks significant weight as a dying declaration under Section 32(1) for the purpose of deciding a bail application — Its admissibility and ultimate weight are matters for trial. India Law Library Docid # 2425336
(851) ARUN KUMAR MISHRA Vs. STATE OF U.P.[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Penal Code, 1860 — Section 376 — Rape — False Promise to Marry — A distinction exists between a mere breach of promise to marry and a false promise made with mala fide intent from the inception solely to obtain consent for sexual intercourse — Only the latter falls within the ambit of rape — Subsequent refusal or inability to marry, especially when the relationship was consensual over time, does not automatically convert consensual sex into rape. India Law Library Docid # 2425337
(852) BANDU RAM Vs. STATE OF U.P.[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Evidence Act, 1872 — Section 8 — Conduct of Accused — Accused promptly going to the police station after the incident, handing over the blood-stained weapon (Gandasa) allegedly used in the crime along with other items (pistol, cartridges), and making a written application confessing guilt, constitutes relevant post-offence conduct admissible under Section 8. India Law Library Docid # 2425338
(853) MANJEET SINGH @ INDER @ MANJEET SINGH CHANA Vs. STATE OF U.P. AND OTHERS[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Constitution of India — Articles 21, 22(1) — Cr.P.C., Section 50 (BNSS, S. 47) — Right to be Informed of Grounds of Arrest — Communicating the grounds of arrest to the arrested person is a mandatory constitutional (Article 22(1)) and statutory (S.50 CrPC/S.47 BNSS) requirement — This information must be sufficient to allow the accused to understand the basis of the arrest and prepare a defence — Providing only a printed arrest memo without detailing the grounds violates this right. India Law Library Docid # 2425339
(854) UTTAR PRADESH STATE RD. TRANSPORT CORP. FAIZABAD AND OTHERS Vs. SMT. MEENA SRIVASTAVA AND OTHERS[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT (LUCKNOW BENCH)] 09-04-2025 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Claim Petition — Standard of Proof — In motor accident claims, the standard of proof required is preponderance of probability, not proof beyond reasonable doubt — Strict proof of an accident caused by a specific vehicle in a specific manner may not be possible, and the Tribunal should adopt a holistic view. India Law Library Docid # 2425340
(855) SUMER SINGH Vs. BOARD OF REVENUE AND OTHERS[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 198 — Limitation for Suo Motu Cancellation (Rule 338, Appendix III) — Suo motu proceedings for cancellation of a lease/allotment by the Collector/Sub-Divisional Officer under Section 198(4) (prior to later amendments establishing different procedures) are governed by the limitation period prescribed in Appendix III read with Rule 338, which is typically three years from the date the officer first knew of the irregular allotment. India Law Library Docid # 2425341
(856) RAJ KUMAR AND OTHERS Vs. BOARD OF REVENUE AND OTHERS[ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 — Section 229-B — Suit for Declaration — Limitation — While Appendix III under Rule 338 prescribes limitation for suits for ejectment (S. 209), it specifies ‘none’ for suits for declaration under Section 229-B — Therefore, a suit under S. 229-B by a person in possession is generally not barred by limitation, unless their rights have been extinguished under law India Law Library Docid # 2425342
(857) DR. SHANKAR LAL BAMANIA Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Service Law — Transfer vs. Deputation — Consent — Cadre Post — Transfer is limited to equivalent posts within the same cadre/department, whereas deputation involves service outside the cadre/parent department, is temporary, and requires the employee’s consent — Transferring an employee from a cadre post (CM&HO/equivalent) to a post that is no longer part of the service cadre due to rule India Law Library Docid # 2425378
(858) SUNDER LAL Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 439 — Bail — Right to Speedy Trial (Article 21) — Prolonged pre-trial incarceration violates the fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21 — When the trial progresses at a slow pace with no likelihood of conclusion in the near future (here, over 3 years in custody, 18 witnesses yet to be examined), the accused is entitled to be released on bail, balancing the presumption of innocence with the need for trial. India Law Library Docid # 2425379
(859) NENSI BHAI AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND OTHERS[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 — Section 482 (Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — Section 528) — Quashing of FIR — Civil Dispute vs. Criminal Offence — The High Court should exercise its inherent power under Section 482 CrPC to quash criminal proceedings where the allegations, taken at face value, primarily disclose a dispute of a civil nature and lack the essential ingredients of the criminal offences alleged — Continuing such criminal proceedings constitutes an abuse of process. India Law Library Docid # 2425380
(860) SH. RANU BHARGAV AND OTHERS Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN[RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT] 09-04-2025 A. Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 — Section 34 — Vicarious Liability — Directors — Criminal liability under Section 34 cannot be fastened upon Directors (especially Additional/Non-Executive Directors) merely by designation, without specific allegations and proof that they were in charge of and responsible for the conduct of the company’s business at the time of the alleged offence — Resignation prior to the relevant period (evidenced by Form-32) absolves liability. (Paras 2, 8, 9)B. Drugs and India Law Library Docid # 2425381
B. Drugs and