Weekly Newsletter | LegalWiki | 4th February - 9th February

Stay updated with the most recent and relevant developments in your practice area of law.

Constitutional Law

Statutory Appeal Must be Exhausted Before Invoking Article 226 Against Demolition Order: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court held that a demolition order issued by a municipal authority cannot be directly challenged under Article 226 when an effective statutory appellate remedy is available. Read more

Indiscriminate Freezing of Bank Accounts Violates Fundamental Rights: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court held that blanket and disproportionate freezing of bank accounts of non-accused persons is manifestly arbitrary and violates Articles 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution. Read more

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Rule Blocking Inter-College Migration of MBBS Students

The Delhi High Court struck down Regulation 18 of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, holding that a blanket restriction on inter-college migration of undergraduate medical students is manifestly arbitrary and ultra vires Article 14 of the Constitution. Read more

Won’t Allow Violation of Citizens’ Privacy Rights: Supreme Court Pulls Up WhatsApp, Meta Over Data Sharing

The Supreme Court strongly criticised WhatsApp and its parent company Meta over concerns relating to user data sharing, stating that citizens’ right to privacy cannot be compromised in the name of technology or business practices. Read more

Madras High Court Says Gold Medal Cannot be Claimed as Legal Right

The Madras High Court ruled that a student does not have a legal or statutory right to claim a gold medal through a writ petition under Article 226. Read more

Rape Constitutes "Brutal Invasion" of Woman’s Dignity under Article 21: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court refused to set aside a man’s rape conviction, holding that the offence represents a serious assault on a woman’s dignity and a brutal infringement of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Read more

Civil Law 

IndiGo Faces CCI Inquiry Over Flight Cancellations and Airfare Surge

The Competition Commission of India ordered a detailed investigation into InterGlobe Aviation Limited after forming a prima facie view that extensive flight cancellations followed by sharp fare increases in December 2025 may constitute abuse of dominance. Read more

Criminal Law

Accused Cannot Demand Hearing or Impleadment at Investigation Stage: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court held that an accused has no right to be heard on the mode, manner or agency of investigation and cannot seek impleadment in a writ petition seeking a probe into alleged police inaction. Read more

Public Prosecutor Can’t Independently Seek Police Remand: J&K High Court

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court held that a Public Prosecutor has no independent authority to seek police custody of an accused unless such a request originates from the investigating agency. Read more

Punjab Law College Shooting: First-Year Student Killed by Classmate Inside Classroom

A first-year law student was shot dead by her classmate inside a classroom at Mai Bhago Law College in Tarn Taran, Punjab. The incident occurred around 9:17 am. CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused firing at the student before turning the gun on himself. Read more

SC Refuses Bail to Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Custodial Death Case, Asks Delhi HC to Hear Appeals on Priority

The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s order denying bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape survivor’s father, noting that the offence involved moral turpitude. Read more

Meghalaya High Court Orders Arrests in Illegal Coal Mining Case After Jaintia Hills Blast

The Meghalaya High Court has directed the immediate arrest of those involved in alleged illegal coal mining following a mine blast in East Jaintia Hills that claimed at least 18 lives. Read more

Rajpal Yadav Surrenders After Delhi High Court Refuses Relief in Cheque Bounce Cases

Actor Rajpal Yadav surrendered before Tihar Jail authorities after the Delhi High Court declined to grant him further relief in multiple cheque-bounce cases. Read more

Delhi Court Summons Two Cops in Faizan Death Case During 2020 Delhi Riots

A Delhi court has summoned two Delhi Police personnel in connection with the custodial death of 23-year-old Faizan, who was brutally beaten during the 2020 Delhi riots and forced to sing the national anthem. Read more

Ghaziabad Police Probe Deaths of Three Minor Sisters, Online Gaming Addiction Suspected

Police are investigating the deaths of three minor sisters in Ghaziabad, with preliminary findings pointing towards severe online gaming and mobile phone addiction. Read more

Supreme Court Rules Armed Forces Tribunal Can Hear Appeal Against ICC Report Under POSH Act

The Supreme Court held that an army personnel aggrieved by the findings and recommendations of the ICC under the POSH Act has the right to approach the Armed Forces Tribunal by way of an appeal. Read more

Supreme Court Flags Sonam Wangchuk’s Health, Asks Centre to Reconsider NSA Detention

The Supreme Court requested the Central government to consider re-evaluating the preventive detention of Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act, noting that reports placed before it indicated that his health condition was not satisfactory after nearly five months in detention. Read more

Allahabad High Court Acquits 100-Year-Old Man in 1982 Murder Case

The Allahabad High Court acquitted a 100-year-old accused in a murder case dating back to 1982, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and that the accused was entitled to the benefit of doubt. Read more

X Faces UK Data Regulator Probe Over Sexualised AI-Generated Images

The UK’s data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, has begun an investigation into X to examine compliance with personal data law in relation to the generation of sexualised AI images using the Grok chatbot. Read more

Supreme Court Directs Telangana High Court to Reconsider Shaadi.com Founder’s Quashing Plea

The Supreme Court has asked the Telangana High Court to reconsider, on merits, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal’s plea seeking quashing of a cheating case linked to an alleged fraud by a platform user. Read more

Kerala High Court Orders State to Establish Exclusive NDPS Courts in Five Districts

The Kerala High Court ordered the State government to create separate courts dedicated to matters under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 in five districts, in view of the increasing pendency of narcotics cases. Read more

Delhi High Court Hears ₹100 Crore Claim Over Indian Woman’s Death in Nepal Unrest

A husband has moved the Delhi High Court seeking ₹100 crore compensation, a judicial investigation, and fixing of responsibility in connection with the death of his wife during violent disturbances in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2025. Read more

Deepak Death Case: Kerala High Court Moved Seeking Independent Probe, Action Over Viral Video

The President of the All Kerala Men’s Association has approached the Kerala High Court seeking an independent investigation into the suicide of Deepak, who was accused of sexual harassment in a viral bus video. Read more

Karnataka High Court Refuses to Quash FIR Over Offensive Images on WhatsApp

The Karnataka High Court declined to set aside an FIR against a man accused of sharing offensive images of Hindu deities and certain politicians in a WhatsApp group. Read more

Pune Porsche Crash: Supreme Court Grants Bail to Three Accused in Blood Sample Tampering Case

The Supreme Court granted bail to three accused named Aditya Sood, Ashish Mittal, and Santosh Gaikwad - allegedly involved in tampering with blood samples after the 2024 Pune Porsche crash that killed two software engineers. Read more

Arbitration

Delhi High Court Imposes ₹1 Lakh Costs for Repetitive Execution-Stage Objection to Arbitral Award

The Delhi High Court imposed costs of ₹1 lakh on a judgment debtor for raising a baseless and repeated objection during execution of an arbitral award, holding that the attempt amounted to an abuse of process and was hit by res judicata. Read more

Courts can Extend Arbitral Tribunal’s Mandate Even After Delayed Award: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that courts can extend the mandate of an arbitral tribunal under Section 29A of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, even after an arbitral award is passed beyond the statutory time limit. Read more

Less Than 2% Commercial Disputes Settled Through Pre-Institution Mediation: Law Ministry

The Union Law Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha that less than 2% of commercial disputes routed through mandatory pre-institution mediation have resulted in settlements. Read more

IPR

Madras High Court Seeks Confirmation on Existence of Any New Hera Pheri Sequel

The Madras High Court sought clarity from producer Firoz Nadiadwala on whether any additional film in the Hera Pheri franchise, including a third instalment, is currently being made. Read more

Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in Bristol Myers Patent Case Against Zydus

Bristol Myers Squibb approached the Supreme Court seeking to prevent Zydus Lifesciences from manufacturing and selling a biosimilar version of its cancer drug nivolumab. Read more

Delhi High Court Restrains Dabur from Selling “Cool King Thanda Tael” over Navratna-Like Trade Dress

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained Dabur India Limited from selling its cooling oil “Cool King Thanda Tael,” holding that its packaging is deceptively similar to Emami Limited’s “Navratna” trade dress. Read more

ITC Sues Britannia Over Alleged Imitation of ‘Sunfeast Wowzers’ Packaging

ITC Limited has approached the Calcutta High Court alleging that Britannia Industries infringed its copyright and passed off its products by launching cheese biscuits with packaging deceptively similar to Sunfeast Wowzers. Read more

Family Law

Wife Who Deserts Husband Not Entitled to Past Maintenance: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has held that a wife who deserts her husband without reasonable cause is not entitled to claim past maintenance for the period of separation. Read more

Women’s Rights 

Marriage Cannot Disqualify Daughters from Compassionate Appointment: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court directed the State to grant compassionate appointment to a woman whose claim was rejected solely because she married during the pendency of her application, holding that such exclusion violates the constitutional guarantee of equality. Read more

Marriage or Pregnancy Cannot Obstruct Education: MP High Court Directs College to Grant Attendance Relaxation

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that marriage and pregnancy cannot become barriers to a woman’s right to education. Read more

Maternity Leave is Linked to Reproductive Rights, Not Routine Leave: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court held that maternity leave is not a routine form of leave but is intrinsically linked to a woman’s reproductive rights, dignity, and health. Read more

Kerala High Court Says Bar Associations Cannot Hold POSH Act Inquiries

The Kerala High Court held that Bar Associations do not qualify as “employers” under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and therefore lack authority to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for examining sexual harassment complaints against advocates. Read more

Environmental Law

Patna High Court Directs Strict Enforcement of Night-Time Noise Pollution Rules

The Patna High Court directed the Bihar Police to strictly enforce the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, including a complete ban on loudspeakers, amplifiers, and firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am. Read more

Odisha High Court Slams Delay in ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Project, Seeks Status Report

The Orissa High Court pulled up the Odisha government over delays in implementing the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ drinking water scheme in 135 villages of Cuttack district. Read more

Bombay High Court Constitutes High Power Committee to Monitor Mumbai Air Pollution

The Bombay High Court set up a High Power Committee comprising retired Justices Amjad Sayed and Anuja Prabhudesai to oversee implementation of its directions for addressing air pollution in Mumbai. Read more

Punjab & Haryana High Court Flags Rampant Illegal Mining in Aravalli Region, Orders Site Sealing

The Punjab and Haryana High Court flagged large-scale illegal mining in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri district, calling it a case of rampant plunder of natural resources. Read more

“No Hope If Home Minister Also Helpless”: Karnataka HC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Illegal Sand Mining

The Karnataka High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of rampant illegal sand mining in the State, observing that the situation is grim if even the Home Minister feels helpless in curbing the activity. Read more

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