Tag: right to life

Supreme Court Takes Charge: Major Order to Save Rajasthan’s Polluted Rivers
10Feb By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Takes Charge: Major Order to Save Rajasthan’s Polluted Rivers

The Supreme Court affirmed that the right to life under Article 21 encompasses a pollution-free environment. Criticizing prolonged state inaction, the Court modified an interim stay on NGT orders to allow enforcement of remedial measures. It constituted a High-Level Oversight Committee to ensure time-bound implementation, underscoring the constitutional duty to protect public health and ecology. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from severe and long-standing industrial and sewage pollution in the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni river system in Rajasthan, endangering the health and livelihoods of nearly two million people. The Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance in September 2025 based on a documentary highlighting the crisis. This matter was clubbed with several pending civil appeals aga...
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A Landmark Ruling: Supreme Court Directs States to Transform Beggars’ Homes from Prisons to Places of Care
1Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

A Landmark Ruling: Supreme Court Directs States to Transform Beggars’ Homes from Prisons to Places of Care

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court issued comprehensive directives for all Beggars' Homes across India, mandating minimum standards for healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, and infrastructure. The judgment affirms that such institutions are a constitutional trust and that inhumane conditions violate the fundamental right to life with dignity under Article 21, requiring a shift from a punitive to a rehabilitative model. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from a Public Interest Litigation filed after news reports in May 2000 exposed a cholera and gastroenteritis outbreak at the Beggars’ Home in Lampur, Delhi, leading to multiple inmate deaths. The reports alleged that contaminated drinking water was the cause, a fact later confirmed by a magisterial inquiry which found faecal con...
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Accessibility is a Right, Not a Charity: Supreme Court’s Powerful Ruling on Disability
1Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Accessibility is a Right, Not a Charity: Supreme Court’s Powerful Ruling on Disability

This Supreme Court judgment establishes a comprehensive monitoring framework, "Project Ability Empowerment," to audit state-run disability care institutions nationwide. It directs compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, emphasizing substantive equality, accessibility, and community living. The Court also mandates a review of reservation policies to include "upward movement" for meritorious disabled candidates. Facts Of The Case: The litigation originates from two consolidated petitions. The first, a 1998 Writ Petition by the Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation, sought the enforcement of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, specifically demanding the implementation of reservation for persons with visual disabilities in teaching posts. The second case began a...
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A New Lease on Life: Supreme Court Allows Death Penalty Review Based on New Mitigation Guidelines
29Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

A New Lease on Life: Supreme Court Allows Death Penalty Review Based on New Mitigation Guidelines

This Supreme Court judgment holds that its extraordinary power under Article 32 of the Constitution can be invoked to reopen the sentencing stage in death penalty cases that have attained finality. This is permissible to remedy a clear breach of the procedural safeguards for individualized sentencing mandated in Manoj v. State of M.P., which are integral to the fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21. The Court clarified that such judicial declarations operate retrospectively. Facts Of The Case: The case concerns the petitioner, Vasanta Sampat Dupare, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2008 kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nagpur. His conviction and death sentence were confirmed by the High Court in 2012 and ultimately upheld by the Supr...
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Supreme Court’s New Rule: Stray Dogs Can Be Returned to Streets After Sterilization
26Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court’s New Rule: Stray Dogs Can Be Returned to Streets After Sterilization

This Supreme Court order modifies its earlier directions on stray dog management, balancing fundamental rights under Article 21 (Right to Life) with the statutory Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. The Court clarified that sterilized and immunized dogs must be released back to their localities as per Rule 11(19) of the ABC Rules, while allowing permanent impounding only for rabid or aggressively dangerous dogs. It issued supplementary directives, including creating designated feeding zones, and expanded the case's scope to all states and union territories for a uniform national policy. Facts Of The Case: The Supreme Court's intervention was triggered by a suo motu cognizance of a news report titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price,” detailing the death of a six-year-o...
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Supreme Court’s 15-Point Plan to Prevent Student Suicides in Coaching Hubs Like Kota
22Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court’s 15-Point Plan to Prevent Student Suicides in Coaching Hubs Like Kota

The Supreme Court, citing investigative bias and procedural lapses by local police, exercised its extraordinary power to transfer the probe to the CBI to ensure a fair and impartial investigation. The Court emphasized that such transfers are exceptional and warranted only in rare circumstances to uphold the rule of law. Facts Of The Case: A 17-year-old student, Ms. X, from West Bengal, was preparing for the NEET examination at the Aakash Byju’s Institute in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and staying at the affiliated Sadhana Ladies Hostel. On the night of July 14, 2023, her father, the appellant, was informed she had fallen from the hostel's third floor and was taken to Venkataramana Hospital. Despite initially being conscious, her condition deteriorated and she passed away on July 16. ...
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Supreme Court Exposes Cover-Up, Mandates CBI Investigation for Custodial Violence
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Exposes Cover-Up, Mandates CBI Investigation for Custodial Violence

The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in not mandating the registration of anCfor custodial torture, as per Lalita Kumari v. State of U.P., which mandates immediate FIR registration for cognizable offences. The Court directed a CBI investigation to ensure impartiality, citing institutional bias and conflict of interest. It quashed the counter FIR under Section 309 IPC as mala fide and awarded ₹50 lakhs compensation for the egregious violation of Article 21. The judgment reaffirmed the constitutional duty to protect citizens from state excesses and uphold human dignity. Facts Of The Case: The appellant, Khursheed Ahmad Chohan, a police constable in Jammu & Kashmir, was summoned for an inquiry related to a narcotics case on February 17, 2023. He reported to the Joint Interro...
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Supreme Court Slams Assam Police Over Encounters, Calls for Independent Inquiry
13Jun By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Slams Assam Police Over Encounters, Calls for Independent Inquiry

The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's judgment and directed the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to conduct an independent inquiry into alleged police encounters, emphasizing adherence to PUCL guidelines. The Court mandated public notice for victims, confidentiality of identities, and the provision of legal aid, reinforcing the AHRC's role in upholding human rights and ensuring accountability. Facts Of The Case: Arif Md. Yeasin Jwadder, the appellant, brought an appeal against the Gauhati High Court's judgment dated January 27, 2023, which dismissed PIL No. 86/2021. The PIL sought records of alleged fake encounters in Assam, registration of FIRs against police officials, and independent investigations in compliance with the guidelines laid down in People's Union for Civil Li...
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Supreme Court Orders Digital Portal & Patrol Teams to Curb Illegal Occupations on National Highways
5Jun By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Orders Digital Portal & Patrol Teams to Curb Illegal Occupations on National Highways

The Supreme Court issued directives under Article 32 to strengthen implementation of the Control of National Highways Act, 2002, emphasizing statutory obligations to prevent highway encroachments. It mandated grievance redressal mechanisms (portal/toll-free number), regular inspections, and surveillance teams while underscoring the Highway Administration's duty to enforce Section 26 (removal of unauthorized occupation). The judgment established procedural safeguards for encroachment removal and ordered Standard Operating Procedures for transparency, affirming judicial oversight through continuing mandamus to ensure compliance with road safety norms. Facts Of The Case: The writ petition was filed by Gyan Prakash under Article 32 of the Constitution, highlighting alarming road fatalities (...
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