The Law Daily

16/04/2026

Justice must speak loudest when power is abused.

In a landmark ruling, a Madurai court has sentenced nine police personnel to death in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case, holding them guilty of the brutal torture and killing of a father-son duo, P. Jeyaraj and J. Beniks, in 2020. The Court treated the crime as among the “rarest of rare,” emphasising that custodial violence by those entrusted with law enforcement strikes at the very foundation of the rule of law and human rights. The verdict marks a significant moment in ensuring accountability within the police system and delivering long-awaited justice to the victims’ family. 

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/sathankulam-custodial-death-case-police-death-sentence/

16/04/2026

Judicial impartiality must not only exist, but also be seen to exist.

The Delhi High Court is hearing a plea by Arvind Kejriwal seeking the recusal of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma in the excise policy case, citing a “reasonable apprehension of bias.” The plea raises concerns over alleged judicial conduct, prior observations, and perceived conflicts of interest, including the professional engagement of the judge’s family members with the Central Government. The matter also intersects with a complaint regarding the circulation of unauthorised court hearing videos, prompting the Court to emphasise procedural integrity and restrictions on recording proceedings. 

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/kejriwal-recusal-plea-delhi-high-court-complaint/

16/04/2026

Devotion must be met with dignity and basic human facilities.

The Kerala High Court has held that the Cochin Devaswom Board is duty-bound to ensure essential amenities for devotees across the temples under its management. Pulling up the Board for neglecting basic needs, the Court directed it to provide facilities such as clean toilets, safe drinking water, proper sanitation, and adequate infrastructure, noting that repeated directions had been overlooked. It further called for a comprehensive scheme to assess and upgrade facilities, emphasising that the primary needs of pilgrims cannot be treated as secondary. 

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/cochin-devaswom-board-duty-bound-to-ensure-basic-facilities-to-devotees-kerala-high-court/

16/04/2026

Judicial fairness is not measured by outcomes, but by process.

The Delhi High Court has reaffirmed that an unfavourable order cannot, by itself, be a ground to allege bias or seek transfer of a case. Dismissing a plea for transfer, the Court emphasised that dissatisfaction with a judicial outcome does not imply prejudice, and litigants must substantiate claims of bias with credible material. It further clarified that the appropriate remedy against an adverse order lies in appeal or revision, not in attributing partiality to the judge. 

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/delhi-high-court-unfavourable-order-not-ground-for-bias-case-transfer/

16/04/2026

Ethical identity deserves protection in the age of artificial intelligence.

The Delhi High Court has safeguarded the personality rights of spiritual preacher Aniruddhacharya Maharaj, restraining the unauthorised use of his name, voice, image, and persona through AI-generated deepfakes, memes, and digital content. The Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction, directing platforms like Google, Meta, and X to take down infringing material and prevent further misuse, recognising that such exploitation can mislead the public and harm reputation in the digital era. 

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/aniruddhacharya-maharaj-ai-deepfake-personality-rights-delhi-high-court/

08/04/2026

Reforms alone cannot make India an arbitration hub.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said India must seriously reflect on why it still remains a less preferred seat for international arbitration despite multiple reforms. Speaking at the inauguration of the Gujarat High Court Arbitration Centre, he stressed that institutional trust, strong infrastructure, skilled arbitrators, and consistent performance are essential if India is to emerge as a credible global arbitration destination.

🔗 Read more:https://thelawdaily.com/cji-surya-kant-india-arbitration-hub-challenges/

08/04/2026

Ethical lawyering begins where rules meet judgment.

Lawyer’s Ethics by Michael G. Karnavas is presented as a practical guide to professional responsibility across legal systems. The review highlights the book’s comparative approach, its focus on duties to clients, courts, the profession, and society, and its value for lawyers, students, and cross-border practitioners navigating ethical challenges in modern legal practice.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/lawyers-ethics-book-review-michael-karnavas/

08/04/2026

False cases cannot survive clear CCTV evidence.

The Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings under Section 528 BNSS after finding that CCTV footage in the prosecution’s own charge sheet contradicted the complainant’s version and remained effectively unrebutted. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria held that courts may intervene where credible and unimpeachable material destroys the factual basis of the accusation.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/section-528-bnss-quashing-supreme-court/

08/04/2026

Pending appeals alone cannot restore deleted voters.

The Supreme Court refused interim inclusion of deleted names in the West Bengal voter rolls, holding that pending appeals by themselves cannot justify restoration. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi, said appellate tribunals must evolve a fair procedure while the supplementary roll includes only those who clear verification.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/west-bengal-voter-roll-revision-sc-deleted-voters/

08/04/2026

Reserved seat scrutiny cannot turn into a roving inquiry.

The Madras High Court sought the Election Commission’s response in a plea concerning who may contest from Scheduled Caste reserved constituencies. A Bench of Chief Justice SA Darmadhikari and Justice Arul Murugan questioned how Returning Officers could verify religion during nomination scrutiny, noted the limits imposed by Article 329(b), and declined interim relief for now.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/sc-seat-plea/

08/04/2026

Courts won’t act on mere apprehension.

The Madras High Court declined to entertain a PIL seeking postponement of IPL matches during the Tamil Nadu election period. A Bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice Arul Murugan said any breach of the Model Code of Conduct can be addressed by the Election Commission of India, and noted that the plea was based only on apprehension. The petitioner later withdrew the plea.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/ipl-election-pil-madras-high-court/

08/04/2026

Police accountability cannot wait when surveillance systems fail.

The Supreme Court has recorded Attorney General R. Venkataramani’s assurance that concrete steps will be taken within two weeks to address gaps in functional CCTV monitoring in police stations across States. A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta also questioned why more States could not adopt the Kerala model of live CCTV monitoring.

🔗 Read more: https://thelawdaily.com/cctv-cameras-police-stations-supreme-court-ag-two-weeks/

Supreme Court records AG R. Venkataramani’s assurance on CCTV cameras in police stations; issues to be addressed within two weeks.