Jawahar Singh Vs. Bala Jain & Ors. (Supreme Court – 09.05.2011) The Supreme Court has stated that it is the duty of the owner of a motor vehicle to ensure that it was not misused. Therefore, he would be liable to pay compensation for the accident if the vehicle is driven by a minor. The owner was asked to pay Rs 8 lakh to the family of a man who died in a road mishap in this case, Jawahar Singh vs Bala Jain. The court rejected the plea of the owner that the minor, who is his nephew, had taken away the key of the motorcycle without his knowledge and as such he cannot be held responsible. “We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that it was the minor, who came on the motorcycle and hit the scooter of the deceased from behind. The responsibility of causing the accident was, therefore, found to be solely that of the minor.
The Supreme Court last week set aside the judgment of the Gujarat high court and directed the sale of a wound-up company in Veraval at a higher price so that creditors will get their dues. The company judge had first ordered the sale at a one price, but recalled its order when a higher offer was made by another party. However, when one of the losing bidders moved the division bench of the high court, it confirmed the sale at the earlier price on the ground that a confirmed auction sale cannot be set aside merely because subsequently a higher price was offered by one of the bidders. Shradhha Aromatics Private Limited Vs. O.L. of Global Arya Industries Limited and others
State of Rajasthan Vs. Islam (Supreme Court 24.05.2011) An accused can escape conviction for murder if he proves that there was no premeditation for the act, occurred in a heat of passion, no cruelty involved and undue advantage taken, the Supreme Court has ruled. A bench of justices Asok Kumar Ganguly and Deepak Verma in a judgement said that the accused can seek immunity from murder only if all these four above circumstances are established in defence of the crime.
The Supreme Court ruled last week that a mortgagor can file suits for redemption so long as the mortgage subsists. Dismissal of an earlier suit for redemption would not bar the mortgagor from filing a second such suit, the court held in the case, L K Trust vs EDC Ltd. In this case, Falcon Retreat Ltd took a loan from the Goa Government-owned investment company, EDC Ltd by mortgaging its property for a hotel project.
The Supreme Court has upheld the Delhi high court ruling and dismissed the appeal of Larsen & Toubro in its lost bid for fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. The government sent request for proposal to several parties, and L & T claimed its bid was the lowest. However, in its commercial and technical bids, it declared its intention to claim the benefit of ‘foreign exchange rate variation benefit’, without specifying which currency was the basis of the foreign exchange component. Larsen and Toubro Ltd. & ANR. Vs. Union of India & Ors.
M/s Hans Steel Rolling Mill Versus Commnr. of Central Excise, Chandigarh – (SUPREME COURT OF INDIA ) – Recovery of amount due under compounded levy scheme – application of period of limitation – Section 11A of the Central Excise Act, 1944 – Held that: – In the case of Collector of Central Excise, Jaipur V. Raghuvar (India) Ltd as reported in (2000 -TMI – 45411 – SUPREME COURT OF INDIA), this court has categorically stated that Section 11A of the Act is not an omnibus provision which stipulates limitation for every kind of action to be taken under the Act or Rules. An example can be drawn with the Modvat Scheme, because even in that particular scheme, Section 11A of the Act had no application with regard to time limit in the administration of that scheme.
Pradeep Oil Corporation Vs. Municipal Corporation of Delhi and ANR (Supreme Court) Income Tax & Direct Taxes – Municipalities & Local Governments – Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, ss. 20(2) and 119 – Government Grant Act, 1895 – Property Tax – Lease or License – The President of India under the Government Grant Act, 1895, granted separate and distinct licenses to the appellant for maintaining depot for storage of petroleum products at a yearly license fee – Appellant had also given the right to erect/construct ‘petroleum installation buildings’ consisting of petroleum tanks, buildings and other conveniences for receiving and storing petroleum in bulk, and consequently possession of land had been given – Appellant raised various constructions comprising of an administration block etc.
This appeal by special leave has been filed by the appellant Tmt. Rangammal against the order dated 11.07.2002 passed by the learned single Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Madras in Second Appeal No. 703/1992 by which the appeal was dismissed by practically a summary order although the substantial question of law which was formulated at the time of admission of the appeal was as follows: “Whether the sale deed executed by the de facto guardian on behalf of the minor without the permission of the court could be held to be valid ?
On 6th October, 2010, all the above-mentioned 13 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, hereinafter referred to as the “MLAs”, wrote identical letters to the Governor of the State indicating that they had been elected as MLAs on Bharatiya Janata Party tickets, but had become disillusioned with the functioning […]
Videocon Industries Limited Vs- Union of India and Anr – Supreme Court of India rejects petition under Section 9 of Arbitration & Conciliation Act, 1996 holding that application of Part I of the Act has been excluded. The judgment is indeed another good sign in the line of progressive and positive decisions in cases of international commercial arbitration. It comes soon after the Dozco Case and holds that when the substantive law of the arbitration agreement is a foreign law as selected by the parties, it necessarily implies that the parties had agreed to exclude the provisions of Part I of the Act. This judgment too, like the Dosco Case comes as another positive decision portraying the changing outlook of Indian judiciary towards international arbitrations.
