Today’s Legal Updates:

Monday, 29th November 2021

  1. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) at Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir has tendered an apology to an accident victim’s family for the 11-year-long delay on its part to dispose of a claim petition filed by the family seeking compensation.  (Naseema Begum and others V/s Mohammad Ramzan Dar and others).
  2. On Sunday the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that a plea filed by Sanjeev Palande, personal secretary of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, challenging the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against him ought to be dismissed as they have material to believe he was guilty of offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).  (Sanjeev Palande v. State of Maharashtra)
  3. Today the Central government will introduce a new bill in the Lok Sabha to repeal the three contentious Farm Laws, the new bill is titled The Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021, with the objective to repeal, The Bill was passed via voice vote without any discussion.
    • The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
    • The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020
    • The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
  4. On Friday the Bombay High Court directed Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale to clear all maintenance arrear dues to his wife on or before December 6, 2021.
  5. Today A Delhi court while hearing an alleged encounter case, observed that dubious encounters cannot be used as a solution to control crime.  (State v. Rohit Gehlot)
  6. Today the Supreme Court said that it might have to set up an independent task force to ensure that directions issued by it and the Central government to curb air pollution are implemented by the concerned States on the ground. (Aditya Dubey v. Union of India)
  7. Today the Bombay High Court held that the weight of blotter paper forms an integral part and ought to be included while weighing Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) for prosecution under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.  (Narcotics Control Bureau v. Anuj Keshwani)
  8. Today All India Association of Jurists, the petitioner before the Supreme Court which has sought declaration of virtual hearing as fundamental right, has filed an application seeking impleadment of Supreme Court E-Committee as a respondent in the case. (All India Association of Jurists v High Court of Uttrakhand & Ors)
  9. Today Dhyandev Wankhede, father of NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede has told a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court that he has no objections to the plea by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Nawab Malik to quash the single-judge order refusing to grant interim relief to Wankhede in his defamation suit against Malik.
  10. Today Amazon has asked the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to recall its approval given to the Future-Reliance deal in light of orders passed by courts and tribunals on the same.
  11. Today the Supreme Court issued notice to the Central and Tripura governments on a plea for an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) into the incidents of violence in Tripura against the Muslim community. (Ehtesham Hashmi vs. Union of India)
  12. Today the Supreme Court sought the response of the Central government to a plea seeking to ensure food security for all refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (Faizal Abdali vs UOI)
  13. Today a significant order of the Allahabad High Court directed State authorities to take immediate steps to change the name and gender in the educational marksheets and certificates of a transwoman who underwent gender-reassignment surgery.
  14. Today the Bombay High Court has directed the Central government to present its update on cryptocurrency law, the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, which it claimed will be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament which commenced.
  15. Today A Mumbai court granted bail to Nawab Malik in a criminal defamation complaint filed by BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya.
  16. Today the Central government has told the Supreme Court that the plea alleging coercive vaccination of citizens and seeking disclosure of COVID-19 vaccine trial data goes against national interest and would violate the rights of citizens to get vaccinated against the virus. (Dr. Jacob Puliyel v. Union of India)
  17. Today the Delhi High Court observed while staying an order granting visitation rights to an estranged father of a 2-year-old child, Claims of the parents must be treated as subservient to the interest of the child.  (Kinri Dhir v. Veer Singh)
  18. Today the Supreme Court directed each state government to create a portal to facilitate compensation for COVID-19 deaths. (Gaurav Kumar Bansal v Union of India & Ors)
  19. Today the Kerala High Court called for an overhaul of the victim protection system for sexual-assault survivors especially in light of the fact that several survivors are forced to approach the court seeking police protection, when the same should be afforded to them at the first instance.
  20. Today Bhojpuri film industry actress Neha Shree has moved the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Delhi government and Facebook to restore access to her page and account on the social media platform which were hacked and are being used to post explicit and illegal content.  (Neha Shree v GNCTD and Anr)
  21. Today the Delhi High Court directed the Animal Welfare Board Secretary to be personally present in the court and explain the delay in providing information about the status of animals belonging to circuses which have closed down.  (People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) v UOI and Ors)
  22. Today the Kerala High Court pulled up police officers for their cold approach and attitude towards citizens while hearing a plea filed by an 8-year-old Dalit girl who had approached the Court after she was publicly humiliated by a police officer who falsely accused the minor girl of stealing a mobile phone.
  23. Today the Bombay High Court directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take Bhima Koregaon accused Varavara Rao to a private hospital for medical examination at the expense of the agency.
  24. The 2021 Winter Session of Parliament began today and is scheduled to continue till December 23, with a total of 19 sittings scheduled.
  25. Today the Central government vehemently argued against the observations made by Calcutta High Court about the manner in which the principal Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had favoured the Central government in its attempt to transfer a case filed by former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay from Kolkata Bench of CAT to New Delhi.
  26. Today the Director General of Police (DGP) of Bihar has submitted a report in sealed cover before the Patna High Court in relation to an incident where two police officers allegedly assaulted an Additional District & Sessions Judge. (Court on its own motion vs.The State of Bihar)

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