LawLoveLegal

Compensation for Prolonged Detention The Supreme Court of India has ordered the state of Madhya Pradesh to pay ₹25 lakh compensation to a man who remained in prison for over four years and seven months beyond his lawful sentence . The ruling was delivered by a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan .

The Supreme Court of India, in a significant ruling, has reiterated that the gravity of a crime alone is insufficient to impose the death penalty unless the judicial process leading to the sentencing is scrupulously fair, transparent, and in strict compliance with constitutional safeguards . This judgment, delivered in the case involving death row convict Vasant Sampat Dupare , is a reminder of India’s strong constitutional framework that upholds life, dignity, and justice , even for those convicted of heinous crimes. The Fragility of the Death Penalty System A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta emphasized the irreversible nature of capital punishment and the risk of wrongful convictions. The judgment pointed out that investigations in India often rely on confessions extracted under opacity, contested recoveries, and forensic material of doubtful rigor , which when coupled with an overburdened trial system, increases the risk of errors. “A Constituti...

Supreme Court Issues Notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in CBI’s Plea Against Acquittal in 2002 Murder Case Overview of the Case The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh , the self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief, along with four other individuals, in connection with the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh , the sect's former manager. This notice comes in response to a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging their acquittal by the Punjab and Haryana High Court . The High Court’s judgment had overturned the trial court’s conviction of the accused, leading the CBI to appeal the acquittal. Supreme Court Proceedings On January 5, 2025 , a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar sought responses from the accused, including Gurmeet Ram Rahim , and tagged the matter with another pending appeal filed by the complainant, the father of the deceased, Ranjit Singh. The case is scheduled to be he...

Supreme Court Grants Bail to Arvind Kejriwal in  Delhi Excise Policy Case, Upholds Legality of Arrest In a recent Supreme Court decision, the appeals in Criminal Appeal Nos. 3816 and 3817 of 2024 involving Arvind Kejriwal versus the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were addressed. These appeals arise from a Special Leave Petition challenging Kejriwal's arrest by the CBI in relation to alleged irregularities and conspiracy surrounding the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Background of the Case 1. FIR and Allegations: The CBI filed an FIR on 17 August 2022, accusing officials in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) of engaging in conspiracy and corruption while implementing the Excise Policy 2021-2022. This policy allegedly involved undue benefits to certain liquor wholesalers and retailers. Though Kejriwal’s name was not initially mentioned in the FIR, his arrest came after further investigation by the CBI and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED).   ...

Supreme Court Dismisses Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira Banerjee’s Appeals Against ED Summons Under PMLA In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of India dismissed the appeals filed by Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira Banerjee challenging the summons issued to them by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The appellants had sought relief from the ED's summons to appear in New Delhi, arguing for a venue closer to their hometown, Kolkata, and questioned the legal grounds for their summons under the PMLA. Background of the Case The case originated with an FIR registered by the CBI regarding illegal coal mining activities in the leasehold areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL). The investigation revealed significant instances of money laundering involving illegal coal extraction and transportation, amounting to approximately Rs. 1300 crore. This led to the ED's involvement, which resulted in the issuance of summons to...

Delhi HC Constitutes Medical Board to Evaluate Health of Businessman Amit Katyal in Land for Job Scam The Delhi High Court has taken a significant step in the case of Amit Katyal, a businessman implicated in the land for job scam, by constituting a medical board to assess his health. Katyal, considered a close aide of former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, had recently sought interim bail on medical grounds in connection with a money laundering case related to the scam. High Court's Decision On June 7, the bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan directed the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to form a Medical Board. This board, comprising doctors from at least three different specialties relevant to Katyal's health conditions, will evaluate his medical status. The court ordered the Jail Superintendent to provide all necessary medical records to the board by June 11. Justice Mahajan highlighted the necessity of expert medical opinion before making any de...

Delhi HC Refuses to Suspend Sentence of Former BJP MLA Senger in Unnao Rape Victim's Father's Custodial Death Case The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the plea of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, seeking suspension of his sentence during the appeal against his conviction. Sengar is currently serving a 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the father of a rape victim from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. He has been in custody since April 13, 2018. Background of the Case Kuldeep Singh Sengar, along with other accused, was convicted by the Tis Hazari Court in 2018. Sengar is also serving a life sentence for the rape of a minor, stemming from FIRs filed in 2018 at Police Station Makhi, Unnao. These cases were adjudicated by the District and Sessions Judge (West) at Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi. High Court's Ruling Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed Sengar’s plea for suspension of sentence during the pendency of the appeal. The High Court acknowledged that Se...