Odisha Gram Panchayat Act | Sarpanch Candidate Shouldn’t Have More Than Two Children Alive On Date Of Filing Nomination: High Court

The Orissa High Court has clarified that a candidate should not be having more than two children alive on the date of filing the nomination for the post of ‘Sarpanch’ under the Odisha Grama Panchayat Act, 1964.Referring to Section 25(1)(v) of the Act, the Single Bench of Justice Bibhu Prasad Routray observed,“From bare reading of the aforesaid clause, it is clear that the person...

‘Lacked Qualities Of Uncle, Tortured & Committed Gruesome Murder’: Orissa High Court Confirms Life Term Of Man Convicted For Killing Niece

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday confirmed the term of life imprisonment imposed upon a man for taking multiple nude photos of his niece, subsequently killing her and burning her face to conceal identity.Denying any relief to the accused-appellant for the ghastly crime, the Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra observed,“Who can forget the beautiful...

Orissa High Court Slaps ₹20K Cost On Organisation For Filing PIL Without Approaching Concerned Authority Seeking Remedial Action

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday imposed ₹20,000 costs on an organisation for filing a writ petition in the nature of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before approaching the concerned authorities seeking remedial action.The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Dr. Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and Justice Murahari Sri Raman was hearing a PIL filed by an organisation named ‘Disha’, which...

‘Temper Runs High Among Village Labourers, Respond Aggressively For Silly Reasons’: Orissa HC Alters Labour's Murder Conviction To Culpable Homicide

The Orissa High Court has altered the murder conviction of a labourer, accused of killing a person by thrashing a laterite stone on his head, to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.While giving partial relief to the accused-appellant, the Division Bench of Justice Debabrata Dash and Justice Ananda Chandra Behera observed,“The parties hail from the rural background and earned...

‘Police Immediate Protector Of Citizens’: Orissa High Court Pulls-Up Police Officer For Misbehaving With Parents Of Kidnapped Minor Girl

The Orissa High Court recently reprimanded a police officer for allegedly misbehaving with the parents of a kidnapped minor girl. While passing order to the said officer to behave in a ‘dignified manner’, the Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash observed,“Insensitive behaviour on the part of police personnel is not at all acceptable, especially when...

Orissa High Court Orders Regular Training Of Notaries, Inspection Of ‘Notary Registers’ By District Judges Twice A Year

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday ordered the State Government to organize training programmes for all the Notaries on a regular basis, either through physical or virtual mode to apprise them of their statutory duties and functions, also what they can do and what they must avoid doing.While taking judicial notice of extra-legal practices adopted by Notaries, the Division Bench of Justice...

‘Not Unusual For Tribal Man To Lose Temper On Trivial Issues’: Orissa High Court Alters Murder Conviction Of Tribal Man To Culpable Homicide

The Orissa High Court has altered conviction of a tribal man, accused of killing a man by shooting arrow shots, from murder to one for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. While giving partial relief to the accused-appellant, the Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra held,“In fact, there is no material on record that there was any kind of...

‘Judges Must Inculcate Democratic Processes & Should Not Behave Like A King’: Chief Justice Talapatra Bids Adieu To Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court yesterday bid farewell to its 33rd Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra upon his superannuation. He took over the charge on August 8, 2023 consequent upon the retirement of the then Chief Justice Dr. S. Muralidhar. He had one of the shortest tenures as the Chief Justice which spanned for merely 56 days.A Full Court Reference was called by the High Court in respect of...

‘Even Death Would Appear As An Alluring Option’: Orissa HC Upholds Conviction Of 6 Contractors For Abducting Labourers, Chopping Their Hands

The Orissa High Court has upheld the order of conviction handed down to six contractors for abducting two workers, forcing them to work for a number of days as bonded labourers and finally chopping their palms from the wrists.While denying relief to the accused-appellants, the Division Bench of Justices Bibhu Prasad Routray and Chittaranjan Dash held,“In the present, we are in seisin over...

Orissa HC Asks State Govt To Constitute High Level Committee For Preparing Inventory Of Puri Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar’s Jewelleries

The Orissa High Court has drawn curtains on the issues and controversies regarding the opening and repair work of ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (Treasury) of Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri. It has directed the State to constitute a High-Level Committee to supervise the preparation of inventory of the Ratna Bhandar, if so required by the Shri Jagannath Temple Management Committee (SJTMC).While disposing of...

Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi To Serve As Acting Chief Justice Of Orissa High Court From October 4

The Centre has notified the appointment of Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, the senior-most puisne Judge of Orissa High Court as its Acting Chief Justice with effect from October 4, 2023. The move comes as the incumbent Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra is set to retire on October 3, 2023.Justice Sarangi has done his LL.B. and LL.M. from Madhusudan Law College, Cuttack and Ph.D. in Law from...

"Very Easy To Blame Lawyer": Orissa HC Refuses To Condone Delay In Case First Launched In 2006, Says Litigant Did Not Keep Touch With Advocate

The Orissa High Court has held that an advocate cannot be blamed for sheer negligence of a party resulting in considerable delay in compliance of Court’s order. While denying condonation of delay to the petitioner, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra and Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo observed,“It is very easy to change lawyer and to put blame on the earlier lawyer for...