LawLoveLegal

Case Background — May 19, 2024 Crash at Kalyani Nagar The case arises from the May 19, 2024 incident in Pune, where a Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old under the influence of alcohol rammed into a motorcycle near Kalyani Nagar on Airport Road shortly after 2 a.m., resulting in the death of two bike riders — Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta. The accused juveniles were returning from a late-night party along with friends when the fatal crash occurred. The incident triggered widespread public outcry due to allegations of attempts to shield the juveniles and manipulate forensic evidence. Supreme Court Proceedings — Notice Issued on Bail Pleas The Supreme Court bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the State of Maharashtra on the bail petitions filed by two of the accused after the Bombay High Court rejected their bail pleas on December 16. The Court directed the matter to be listed for hearing on January 30, while calling for the State’s response. Th...

Case Background — UAPA Charges and Alleged Larger Conspiracy The case arises from the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 Delhi riots, investigated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The prosecution alleged that the riots were the outcome of a coordinated conspiracy involving planning, mobilisation, and execution through protest networks. Multiple FIRs, supplementary charge sheets, and protected witnesses formed part of the case record. The Delhi High Court earlier referred to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam as “intellectual architects” of the alleged conspiracy. Several accused challenged continued incarceration on grounds of prolonged custody and delay in trial. Supreme Court Grants Bail to Five Co-Accused — With Eleven Stringent Conditions The Supreme Court granted bail to five accused: • Gulfisha Fatima • Meeran Haider • Shifa-ur-Rehman • Mohd. Saleem Khan • Shadab Ahmed The Court imposed eleven strict bail conditions, including: • Personal bond of ₹2 lakh...

Case Background: Delay in Release Despite Supreme Court Bail Order The Supreme Court strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh prison authorities for delaying the release of an undertrial Muslim accused, who had been granted bail under an anti-conversion case, but continued to remain in custody for almost one month after the order. The bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan described the situation as “very sad” and “unfortunate”, observing that a citizen’s liberty was curtailed solely on account of a trivial technical objection raised by jail authorities. The Court held that even though all relevant details — identity of the accused, case number, offences, and police station — were clearly mentioned, the accused was not released merely because the order did not mention a sub-clause of Section 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Facts of the Case: Bail, Release Order, and Continued Detention The accused was facing trial ...

The Allahabad High Court has delivered an important order addressing the balance between the protection granted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) and the need to prevent its misuse. While granting bail to two accused in a rape case, the Court underscored that the Act’s victim-centric provisions must not be abused. CASE BACKGROUND: NINE-YEAR DELAY IN FIR In the case before the Allahabad High Court, Justice Anil Kumar heard the bail applications of two appellants, Aznan Khan and Furkan Ilahi, accused of rape and offences under the SC/ST Act. The victim lodged an FIR in 2025 alleging offences that occurred in 2016. According to her statement, Furkan met her in 2016, took her to a hotel and then to the residence of co-accused Aznan Khan, where the alleged assault occurred. She stated that she remained silent for nearly nine years based on Furkan’s assurance that he would marry her. She further alleged continued physical r...