Granting interim bail to a Sub-Inspector accused in a Prevention of Corruption Act case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court flagged a ‘deeply concerning trend’ of public servants accused of corruption being reinstated, often to the very department or jurisdiction that is the subject of the prosecution, giving them access to sensitive records and witnesses. The Court directed the Chief Secretary, Haryana to file an affidavit on the rules governing such reinstatements, and whether they require consultation with the prosecuting agency or trial court before a suspension is revoked.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed an FIR against a woman accused of hurting religious sentiments after she dressed up her pet dog as Lord Krishna for Janmashtami and shared the photo on WhatsApp. The Court held that an act done out of genuine love and devotion does not constitute an offence under Section 298 of the BNS.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Today (Dec 13) permitted Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh to go ahead with his concert in Chandigarh on Saturday. A Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal, however, directed that the concert organizers to abide by the Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules. A PIL was moved before the High Court seeking directions to the Chandigarh Administration for a detailed report on traffic management, crowd control and security measures for Dosanjh’s concert on December 14.
The High Court mandated the adoption of biometric verification, utilizing Aadhaar card authentication, for witnesses across all courts within its jurisdiction, encompassing Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh. This directive seeks to curb the widespread misuse of bail procedures facilitated by counterfeit witnesses, an issue that has persisted in these regions.