Today’s Legal Updates:

  1. Today The Orissa High Court directed Commissioner, GST to issue clear instructions to all officers in Odisha clarifying that no notice demanding the payment of service tax/GST should be issued to practising advocates.
  2. Today The Karnataka High Court issued a notice requesting all advocates to attend courts via video conference mode as much as possible owing to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the State.
  3. Given the shocking situation of COVID-19 in the national capital, the Delhi High Court has decided to resume the full hearing until April 23.
  4. As the country shakes through the second wave of COVID-19, a public interest case has been filed before the Delhi High Court for door-to-door vaccination in the national capital.
  5. In an effort to recover the remains of a Hindu immigrant who was accidentally buried in Saudi Arabia, the Indian Foreign Ministry (MEA) is scheduled to meet with the Saudi Foreign Ministry next week. A lawyer has also been summoned to begin legal proceedings in Saudi Arabia, the Delhi High Court was told today.
  6. Today Delhi Police opposed grant of bail to Pinjra Tod members, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal in the Delhi riots case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Delhi High Court.
  7. Former Zomato senior adviser GT Thomas Phillippe has joined ShareChat as a full-time General Adviser. He previously worked as ShareChat’s External General Advisor.
  8. Today The Madras High Court asked the State to furnish details indicating how secure the anti-corruption set up in Tamil Nadu.
  9. During the hearing on the COVID-19 door-to-door vaccination hearing, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday upheld a legal review limit.
  10. The Varanasi court has approved an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) study of the Gyanvapi Mosque near the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
  11. Today The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Maharashtra government and former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh challenging the Bombay High Court order allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
  12. The Supreme Court has heard an appeal by Maharashtra government and former Home Affairs Minister Anil Deshmukh against a Bombay High Court order allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary investigation into allegations made by former Mumbai Commissioner of Police, Param Bmmmukhir Burmukh Husmukh.
  13. Today The Supreme Court disposed of the plea seeking the release of over 150 Rohingya refugees in Jammu & Kashmir after the Union Territory’s administration said that it would initiate their deportation to Myanmar.
  14. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas Partner Harsh Kumar joins the P&A Legal Offices as a partner in the General Corporate Advisory practice.
  15. A special bench of the Supreme Court led by CJI SA Bobde listened to an application filed by NGO Lok Prahari seeking the appointment of Ad Hoc Judges in the high courts.
  16. Seeking bail in a case of violence at Red Fort on January 26 during a farmers’ tractor meeting, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu today told the Delhi Court he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
  17. Yesterday The Bombay High Court issued guidelines for effective compliance with the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) so as to ensure victim’s participation in various stages of judicial process.
  18. Yesterday The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Supreme Court that as per a confidential report of the Central Security Agency, there is no specific threat to the wife of the deceased lawyer of the 2017 Unnao rape victim and her brother-in-law.
  19. Yesterday The Delhi High Court refused to quash a criminal defamation complaint and summoning order against Aroon Purie in connection with an article published in India Today magazine in 2007.
  20. Yesterday The Bombay High Court pulled up municipal authorities for not imposing heftier fines against people spitting in public places despite the grim situation owing to COVID-19 pandemic.
  21. Contract appointments expire at the end of the contract period and the nominee does not have the right to continue in office unless the appointing authorities decide to extend or re-appoint him, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir recently held.
  22. Singh & Associates has promoted Manish Gopal Singh Lakhawat to be a Partner as part of its annual promotions.
  23. On Wednesday The Madras High Court asked the Tamil Nadu Government to recover from the election fatigue and take effective steps to control the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  24. The Karnataka High Court has ordered the State Government, on April 22, to come up with concrete steps that will be taken to ensure access to education through real classes until physical education classes for students in the government are reached.
  25. A separate bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Judge Jasmeet Singh of the Delhi High Court issued a notice and sought answers from institutions and the Electoral Commission regarding the recruitment of all eligible provinces – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal – and the Union Territory – Puducherry to ensure that masks are worn with authorization during all voting campaigns. A petition stating that while fines were being collected from the public, but no action was being taken against politicians, was lodged by the former Director-General of Uttar Pradesh Police, who is also the Chair of the Thinking and Transformation Center think tank.
  26. On Monday the Bombay High Court banned ‘film criticism’ of Kamal K Khan from making derogatory statements or videos on social media against Bollywood producer Vashu Bhagnani until the final decision of Rs was issued. 1 crore insulting suit.
  27. Recognizing that the State has a responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens, the Patna High Court on Wednesday issued Rs. 10 lakh as compensation to the father of an 18-year-old boy who died in October last year in the Munger Maa Durga Pooja shooting incident.
  28. A Delhi Court stayed the proceedings pending before a CMM Court wherein a man named Hashim Ali, who had complained to the police about loot, arson and damage to his house during the North East Delhi riots, was subsequently made an accused by the police after tagging his complaint with another FIR alleging theft, destruction of property and arson.
  29. The Allahabad High Court has refused to postpone the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Election, scheduled to be held from 15th April, 2021, in light of the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.
  30. The Special Court under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation’s application to question suspended API Sachin Waze in connection with the corruption allegations made against Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
  31. Amidst rising covid-19 cases in the State and especially in Bengaluru Urban district, the Karnataka High Court directed the State government and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to ensure that surprise visits are undertaken in various establishments, hotels, restaurants and apartment complexes to ensure that directions are followed.
  32. Hearing a plea by the Delhi Waqf Board challenging the demolition order of an ancient mosque alongside on Lodhi Road in New Delhi, for use of the land by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a single judge bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has directed the Delhi Government to expeditiously fill up vacancies in the Delhi Waqf Tribunal – which is supposed to adjudicate the land dispute in this regard.
  33. Dismissing petitions by 4 advocates challenging the Delhi government’s order to wear masks as part of Covid-19 protocol even while travelling alone in a personal vehicle, the Delhi High Court observed in a strongly worded order that, “Advocates as a class, owing to their legal training have a higher duty to show compliance especially in extenuating circumstances such as the pandemic. Wearing of masks cannot be made an ego issue.”
  34. The Kerala High Court directed the Election Commission to place on record its reasons for keeping in abeyance elections to fill vacancies of three Rajya Sabha seats. The incumbents of the three seats from Kerala are retiring on April 21.

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