Today’s Legal Updates:

  1. MJ Akbar v. Priya Ramani: Pronouncement of verdict deferred till February 17 after judge receives written submissions late, In October 2018, MJ Akbar had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after she took to Twitter to level allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Ramani claimed that in December 1993, MJ Akbar sexually harassed her when she was called to The Oberoi, Mumbai for a job interview.
  2. ARG Outlier Media Pvt., the parent company of news channel Republic TV, told the Bombay High Court that the chargesheets filed by Mumbai Police do not disclose a shred of evidence to support the charges levelled against Republic TV and its employees including the Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV channel, Arnab Goswami in relation to the alleged Television Rating Points scam (TRP scam)
  3. Acknowledging the right of an accused to get the copy of the First Information Report (FIR) at the earliest, a Delhi court on February 8 asked the Delhi Police to clarify whether or not an FIR registered in connection with the violence that took place during the farmers’ protests on January 26 has been uploaded online.
  4. A US-based forensic consulting firm has prepared a report in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, stating that the computer which was seized from one of the accused, Rona Wilson, was compromised due to an attack from a significant malware infrastructure deployed over a period of almost two years.
  5. The District and Sessions court, Indore, on February 9, rejected the bail application moved by Sadakat Khan, who was arrested along with the comedian Munawar Faruqui on January 1, 2020.
  6. A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions to be issued to the Patna High Court to designate eligible lawyers practicing before the High Court as Senior Advocates in terms of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the 2017 case of Indira Jaising v. Supreme Court.
  7. The Bombay High Court on Monday granted four weeks time to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut to apply for regularisation of portions on her residential property at Khar, Mumbai which was declared as unauthorised by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
  8. In the latest addition to the list of online courtroom mishaps, a Texas-based lawyer accidentally appeared for a virtual hearing on Zoom with a cat-filter on, leaving him in an odd position to clarify to the judge that he was “not a cat.”
  9. A Consortium of National Law Universities (NLU Consortium) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Bar Council of India (BCI) to scrap the one-year LL.M programme and derecognise foreign LL.M.
  10. The Supreme Court today stayed an order passed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court which questioned the wisdom of the legislature, the government, the Chief Minister and advocates representing the State.
  11. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered status quo on demolition of decommissioned aircraft carrier, INS Viraat.
  12. The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea by a former seaman who claimed disability compensation on account of a heart ailment .
  13. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently had occasion to emphasise on the secular and federal nature of India while dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition which sought a declaration that Lord Muruga is a “Tamil God”
  14. The High Court Bar Association of Allahabad (HCBA) on Tuesday wrote to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, informing that it has resolved to boycott the court of Justice Rajiv Gupta for allegedly ‘misbehaving’ and using ‘abusive language’ regularly with advocates and dismissing cases without hearing them.
  15. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has promoted 22 civil judges on the basis of their seniority.
  16. The Andhra Pradesh (AP) High Court has restrained the State Election Commission from using the mobile application e-Watch for the upcoming Gram Panchayat Elections in AP.
  17. The Supreme Court on Monday allowed private unaided schools in Rajasthan to collect 100 per cent school fees amid the COVID-19 pandemic, through six monthly instalments, from March 5, 2021 .
  18. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday questioned Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, an accused in the Malegaon Blast case of 2008, on why he had attended the alleged conspiracy meetings which discussed plans to conduct the blasts and what steps he took to prevent the blasts after he attended the alleged meetings.
  19. Delhi Riots- “An Innocent Person Was Brutally Murdered Just Because He Belonged To Other Community”: Court Denies Bail To Accused In Suleman Murder Case.
  20. High Court Cannot Initiate Contempt For Violation Of Orders Of Karnataka Appellate Tribunal : Karnataka High Court
  21. 17-Yr-Old Muslim Girl Marries 36-Yr-Old Muslim Man- “Both Are Of Marriageable Age Under Muslim Personal Law”: P&H High Court Grants Them Protection.
  22. Tandav Controversy: Madhya Pradesh High Court Refuses To Entertain Plea Seeking Stay On The Streaming Of Web Series.
  23. Parliament Clears Bill To Replace Existing Port Trusts & Provide Greater Autonomy To Major Ports In India.
  24. Notice Under Special Marriage Act Serves Purpose Of Verifying Credibility of Persons: Centre Informs Delhi High Court.
  25. Govt. Decides To Take No Action Against Mahua Moitra For Remarks Over Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi.
  26. The Karnataka High Court has directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to submit an action plan for removal of potholes on a priority basis in the city of Bengaluru and the time frame within which the said action plan shall be implemented.
  27. ‘Sudden Provocation Without Premeditation’: Supreme Court Orders Release Of Murder Accused Farmer Who Spent 18 Years In Jail.
  28. ‘Arbitrary & Illegal Submission Of Challan Reports Under Sections 107/116 CrPC’: Allahabad High Court Pulls Up UP Govt.
  29. With the aim of ending monopoly in Bar Association elections, the Madras High Court has ruled that elected office bearers should not be allowed to contest for the second time consecutively.
  30. While hearing a protection plea filed by a Muslim couple, the Punjab & Haryana High Court recently observed that “a Muslim man may get married more than once without divorcing his earlier wife but the same does not apply to a Muslim lady”.
  31. The Delhi government informed the Delhi High Court in a habeas corpus case filed in respect of a 27-year old boy missing since the Farmers’ Tractor rally on Republic Day, that 3 search teams have been constituted for locating him and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jhajjhar has also been directed to provide all assistance for the purpose.
  32. While declining the prayer of the petitioners to conduct their examination through on-line mode, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Monday (08th February) observed that “there cannot be any vested right for the students with regard to the mode in which the examination of students is to be conducted.”
  33. The Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Tuesday (09th February) dismissed a plea seeking establishment of a State Anti-Doping Agency on the guidelines of National Anti-Doping Agency.
  34. The Madras High Court recently pulled up the Central Government for filing a civil appeal with a delay of 264 days.
  35. The Uttar Pradesh Government has filed its counter affidavit before the Allahabad High Court in a Habeas Corpus petition filed by 3 alleged PFI Members, arrested alongside journalist Siddqui Kappan while they were going to Hathras.
  36. The Allahabad High Court while reinstating LGBT member in service, it opined that “display of affection between LGBT partners isn’t indecent.”
  37. Madras High Court : public projects cannot be stalled due to objections on communal lines.

Legal Prudent Fraternity