It must be the season for news about CCTV and audio-video recordings. After I reported on two recent news about Supreme Court ordering CCTV in police lock-ups and prisons, and Supreme Court asking for CCTVs in all Delhi police stations; there is now news that the government is requesting Supreme Court to allow audio-video recording of court proceedings. You hit us, we hit you! It’s all good in the end, because the main beneficiary of all this tussle between executive and judiciary will be the common man. In any case, both the police and judiciary are considered practically inaccessible to public, so there is no excuse for not implementing these things. Better late than never. Govt to petition Supreme Court to allow audio-video recording of court proceedings … [Read more...] about Government asks Supreme Court to allow audio-video recording of court proceedings
MP HC denies maintenance to wife on her CrPC 125 appeal
Thanks to a reader, we have this very recent judgment of Madhya Pradesh High Court which denied maintenance to wife under CrPC 125 on her appeal to HC since the court agreed with trial court’s observations that according to evidence led by husband and also wife’s own admissions, it was the wife who was not staying with him out of her own freewill. The judgment is actually not very significant, since both evidence by way of letters of husband and wife’s own admissions proved that there was no maltreatment, and in practical cases such evidence, and wife’s own admissions are very rarely seen. Also the wife didn’t appear in HC at all for her own appeal. If any husband is lucky enough to have this kind of evidence (and a wife who admits in court to her faults ) , of course … [Read more...] about MP HC denies maintenance to wife on her CrPC 125 appeal
Delhi police stations (and CAW?) to be covered by CCTV as per Supreme Court order
Yesterday I had covered recent news about Supreme Court ordering all locks-ups in police stations (and prisons) to mandatorily have CCTVs installed. While searching for that news, I found that SC has already issued orders in April, 2015 that all Delhi police stations should be covered by CCTVs. And this order is not only for lock-ups inside police station, but basically seems to cover whole of PS, which should definitely cover the lobby/reception and other important areas where complainants and others meet the police officials. There are two news on the matter, and the earlier one is from Apr 23, which seems reliable enough. To keep eye on cops, SC wants CCTV cameras at police stations – Indian Express, Apr 23, 2015 Delhi government gets its way on CCTV in police stations – Times of … [Read more...] about Delhi police stations (and CAW?) to be covered by CCTV as per Supreme Court order
Supreme Court makes CCTV mandatory in all police stations
According to this latest news, Supreme court has made video capturing via CCTV mandatory in all police stations. Update Jul 27, 2015: This news has appeared only in few newspapers so far. According to this news reported by Economic Times, the SC has made CCTV to be mandatory in prisons, and in police lock-ups. Police lock-up does not necessarily imply all rooms of the police station are to be monitored under CCTV, but definitely CCTV should cover the lock-up rooms where arrested people are detained. Even that should be a good start, and within few months, people can start filing RTI on local PS to ask if they already have CCTV monitoring done or not, how many lock-up rooms, how many CCTV, by when it will be done etc. Also, there is good information given in this Delhi HC … [Read more...] about Supreme Court makes CCTV mandatory in all police stations
Mumbai HC asks divorced father to pay alimony even if by going to jail
A recent judgment by Mumbai HC should be a cautionary tale to those who take the issue of maintenance lightly, and believe that they can get an upper hand by simply not paying and then will see what happens. Note: this case is about permanent alimony to wife (not interim under DV Act, CrPC 125, or pendente lite under section 24 of Hindu Marriage Act). But the lessons may be applicable to other maintenance related litigations too. Lack of job no grounds to avoid paying alimony: Bombay HC A man, though jobless, must pay maintenance to his wife as ordered by courts in cases of divorce, the Bombay high court (HC) has ruled. A bench of justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai, in a recent order, held that a man cannot plead penury in order to evade his liability to pay alimony. HC … [Read more...] about Mumbai HC asks divorced father to pay alimony even if by going to jail
Chennai HC says DV Act (Domestic violence act) is prejudiced and recommends making it gender neutral
Usually my impression is that as far as judicial decisions are concerned, Chennai is a place filled with white knightery, where it is easy to get judgments in favour of women; even based on flimsy evidence but more based on emotions. I remember reading a judgment where a woman was granted maintenance under DV Act after a one-night stand with an office co-worker at his house. Some “beneficial legislation” interpretation it must be that one night spent with office co-worker in his house turns that into a live-in relationship! The problem with such benefit-and-relief-awarding interpretations is that interim maintenance gets awarded in DV cases routinely with no evidence of any violence whatsoever, because the DV Act is drafted in such a way that it talks only about what … [Read more...] about Chennai HC says DV Act (Domestic violence act) is prejudiced and recommends making it gender neutral