Orissa High Court Denies Pre-Arrest Bail To Journalist Booked For Claiming Odisha Minister Offered Him Bribe

The Orissa High Court has recently denied anticipatory bail to the editor of a digital media platform for his alleged defamatory remarks against the State Education Minister Nityananda Gond over multiple errors found in school textbooks.The petitioner Sudhanshu Sekhar Rout, who is the Editor-in-Chief of an online news platform called 'Focus Plus', allegedly made certain comments claiming that...

Notice For Sarpanch's Removal Can't Be Served Through WhatsApp Or Wall Affixture: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has recently held that notice for convening a meeting of Grama Panchayat for taking up 'no-confidence motion' against an elected Sarpanch must be served upon him personally, and any service through WhatsApp or by affixture of a copy thereof on residence wall is not permissible. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 92]While finding fault with the aforesaid procedure and holding the same to...

Breach Of Promise To Marry Not Cheating Unless Proved To Be Dishonestly Made At Inception: Orissa High Court Reiterates

The Orissa High Court has held that a man cannot be convicted of the charge of cheating under Section 417 of the IPC in an alleged case of sex on false promise of marriage, if it is not proved by the prosecution that his initial promise of marriage was dishonest or fraudulent and the same induced the victim to submit herself to the intercourse. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 91]Clarifying the...

Trustee Can Face Cheque Bounce Case Even If Trust Isn't Made Accused: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has reiterated that arraigning and issuing demand notice to the concerned trustee, who issued a cheque on behalf of the trust, is sufficient and the trust need not be impleaded as an accused in a cheque dishonour case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (the 'NI Act'). [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 90]Negating a plea brought under Section 482 of the CrPC...

'Advocate General Is Not A Mere Messenger': Orissa High Court Says AG Office Shouldn't Advise Non-Implementation Of Orders Without Stay

The Orissa High Court has expressed disappointment over a letter issued by the office of the Advocate General asking officials to refrain from implementing an authority's order merely because a writ petition was filed and pending against such order. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 88]Clarifying the settled legal position that mere filing of a writ petition does not render the decision of lower...

'Judicial Harakiri': Orissa High Court Criticizes Magistrate For Ignoring Direction To Decide Maintainability Of Cheque Bounce Case

The Orissa High Court has criticized a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) for dismissing a petition seeking to decide the preliminary question of maintainability of a cheque bounce case brought under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (the 'NI Act'), despite a clear direction from the High Court to decide the same. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 89]A Bench of Justice V. Narasingh...

Orissa High Court Orders ₹30,000 Compensation For Man's Prima Facie Illegal Arrest Through Forged NBW

The Orissa High Court has ordered payment of ₹30,000 as compensation to a 63-year-old man after finding that he was prima facie illegally arrested and detained on the basis of a counterfeit non-bailable warrant (NBW). [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 87]The Court also directed separate enquiries by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar and the Deputy Commissioner of Police...

OTT Fame Shalini Passi Moves Orissa High Court To Quash Criminal Case For Posting Jagannath Temple's Inner Premise Photo

Reality television personality and art collector Shalini Passi has filed a petition before the Orissa High Court seeking to quash the cognizance order and the impending criminal proceeding registered against her for capturing photo of Lord Jagannath temple's inner premise and posting the same through her Instagram handle.As per the prosecution allegations, an FIR was registered under Section...

Maintenance Granted Under HAMA Can't Be Enhanced Under Section 127 CrPC: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has held that a Family Court cannot exercise its jurisdiction under Section 127 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to enhance maintenance amount when the original maintenance order was passed under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA). [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 86]While setting aside the impugned order which was passed on such jurisdictional error, the...

Giving Inadequate Grounds Doesn't Automatically Vitiate Arrest Unless Accused Is Prejudiced: Orissa High Court Cites 'Sonam Raghuvanshi' Case

The Orissa High Court has held that the police furnishing inadequate grounds of arrest to the arrestee may not always vitiate the arrest, and it is vitiated only when such communication of inadequate grounds causes prejudice to the arrestee. [2026 LiveLaw (Ori) 85]While explaining the difference between “non-communication of reasons of arrest” and “inadequate communication of reasons...

Orissa High Court Grants Bail To Woman Accused Of Torching Vehicles Near High Court Premises

The Orissa High Court has granted bail to a woman who, in March this year, threw a burnt bottle containing petrol towards the High Court premises as a result of which four vehicles parked nearby the boundary wall caught fire and were damaged.Considering the fact that the accused-petitioner is a lady who has a five-year-old son, the Bench of Justice Gourishankar Satapathy...

Degree From Unauthorized Institution Is Invalid But Not Fraud Unless Active Role Of Candidate Proved: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court has come to the rescue of a government employee who was demoted from his post allegedly for submitting fake/fictitious certificate to prove his qualification.Delineating the difference between a fictitious/fabricated degree and a degree conferred by an unauthorized institution, the Division Bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad (now retired) and Justice Chittaranjan...