Results for: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea seeking the Election Commission of India (ECI) to develop a mechanism for arrested political leaders to campaign through virtual mode for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The plea was filed by Amarjeet Gupta, a final-year law student, following the arrests of several political leaders in connection with various cases. The High Court bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, rejected the plea, stating that it could set a dangerous precedent and allow dreaded criminals to contest elections and campaign through video conferencing. The bench also expressed concerns that even rapists and murderers could form political parties for such purposes. The court noted that it had recently dealt with several similar petitions and imposed costs on petitioners for filing frivolous pleas.

The Supreme Court has questioned the timing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in connection with the excise policy case, asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) why the arrest was made right before the Lok Sabha elections. The court raised the question while hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging a Delhi High Court order which dismissed his plea against arrest by the probe agency.

The Delhi High Court has emphasized the importance of the Chief Minister’s role and the need for their presence to address public needs. The court made these remarks while hearing a PIL regarding the non-supply of educational materials to students in MCD schools despite the new academic session. The court stressed that the rights of school-going children should not be compromised, even during times of political transitions or arrests.

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai withdrew his defamation case against former TMC MP Mahua Moitra in the Delhi High Court on Thursday. During the hearing, Dehadrai’s counsel stated that she will not make false statements against him. The court suggested exploring a private resolution to the dispute rather than making public allegations. Dehadrai’s withdrawal request was granted by the court.

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea challenging the ‘illegal posting’ of IAS officer Aunjaneya Kumar Singh in Uttar Pradesh. Singh, who served as the Rampur district magistrate from February 2019 to March 2021, has been on deputation since 2015. The petition alleged that Singh’s posting and extension violated the All India Services Rules and Indian Administrative Service Cadre Rule. However, the court held that public interest litigation is not maintainable in service matters and dismissed the plea as ‘not maintainable’.

The Delhi High Court has mandated the implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for universities and colleges to ensure the safety and security of students, particularly women students, during events and festivals. The court took note of the SOP framed by the city police and closed proceedings in a suo motu matter initiated last year based on a report highlighting lapses in security measures at college festivals.

In a landmark judgment, the Bombay High Court has ruled that the Centre’s power to issue lookout circulars (LOCs) against defaulting borrowers through public sector banks (PSBs) is unconstitutional. This decision aligns with a previous order passed by the Delhi High Court in September 2023. The Bombay HC bench, comprising Justices Gautam Patel and Madhav Jamdar, quashed all unauthorized LOCs issued by PSBs in a batch of petitions filed since 2020. The court held that such LOCs violate fundamental rights, including the right to travel abroad, which is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Bureau of Immigration has been directed to ignore and not act upon any LOCs issued by PSBs.

The Delhi High Court has restrained the Lokpal of India from taking further steps in an investigation related to two properties allegedly linked to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president Shibu Soren. The court’s decision came in response to a plea filed by the JMM, which challenged the Lokpal’s March 4 order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the properties. The JMM argued that the Lokpal’s order was beyond its jurisdiction as the inquiry could only be against an individual, not a political party.

The Delhi High Court has denied bail to Salim Malik alias Munna in the police’s ‘larger conspiracy case’ pertaining to the north east Delhi riots in 2020. The bench observed that witness statements make it apparent that Munna took an ‘active part’ in ‘hatching conspiracy’ to commit the riots. Munna and several others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the ‘masterminds’ of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The Delhi High Court has initiated a case regarding the low income threshold for availing financial assistance under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) scheme. The court observed that the threshold income of Rs. 1,571 for rural areas and Rs. 1,605 for urban areas is “extremely low” and has issued a notice to the Centre seeking clarification.