Orissa High Court Judgments & Updates

Orissa High Court

Orissa High Court Seeks Clarity on Legal Status of Cryptocurrency, Summons Balangir SP

The Orissa High Court has sought a clear legal position on the status of cryptocurrency in India while hearing multiple petitions connected to the freezing of bank accounts over alleged crypto-related transactions.

The Court noted the absence of definitive regulatory guidance on digital currencies and their treatment under Indian law.

As part of the proceedings, it summoned the Superintendent of Police from Balangir district for clarification on enforcement actions taken in the matter.

The interim directions highlight the judiciary’s concern over legal uncertainty around cryptocurrency dealings pending a cohesive legislative or policy framework.

Read Details / 2 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Orissa High Court Grants Interim Bail to Life-Convict to Support Daughter in Matric Exam

The Orissa High Court granted interim bail to a life-convict so he could support his daughter appearing for her matriculation examination.

The Court noted the humanitarian aspect of the petition and balanced it against the seriousness of the crime. It observed that the temporary release would not impede the progress of justice or prejudice the prosecution.

The bench directed the petitioner to surrender before the trial court after the specified interim bail period, stressing that the relief is limited and subject to conditions.

The order reflects the Court’s sensitivity to family obligations in appropriate cases.

Read Details / 2 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Orissa High Court Acquits Man Convicted for House Trespass in Consensual Relationship Case

The Orissa High Court acquitted a man convicted of criminal trespass for entering a married woman's house to pursue a consensual sexual relationship, overturning a five-year sentence under Section 332 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Justice Sanjeeb K Panigrahi noted the trial court had already dismissed rape charges due to consent, questioning if entry alone constitutes trespass without intent for a life-imprisonable offence.

The Court set aside the conviction on February 13, finding no evidence of force or criminal intent, as the woman opened the door herself.

The court stressed that her marital status does not make consensual entry criminal post the Supreme Court's decriminalization of adultery.

[Ajit Kishan v. State of Odisha]

Read Judgment / 5 days ago

VishwaBookmark

Orissa High Court Flags Arrest Norm Violations, Asks Home Secretary and DGP to Train Police

The Orissa High Court, while granting bail in a bank robbery case, observed repeated violations of mandatory arrest procedures under Article 22(1) of the Constitution and Section 47 and of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

It noted that arrest memos merely stated that the accused were apprehended without recording the grounds of arrest in writing or in a language understood by them.

The Court asked the Principal Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police to personally ensure police officers are trained on mandatory arrest norms.

It directed them to issue instructions to avoid future non-compliance and communicated a copy of the order to senior police and home department officials.

Read Details / 7 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Supreme Court Dismisses Appeals in Actress Prathyusha Death Case, Upholds Abetment Conviction

The Supreme Court of India has dismissed appeals in the 23-year-old death case of Telugu/Tamil actress Prathyusha, ruling out allegations of murder and rape.

A Bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan held that consistent eyewitness accounts and medical evidence established death by poisoning. The Court noted that Prathyusha and her boyfriend, Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy, had consumed poison amid opposition to their relationship, though Reddy survived.

Rejecting the defence of accidental intake, the Court found Reddy guilty of abetment to suicide for procuring the poison and directed him to surrender within four weeks.

It also termed the postmortem conducted by Dr. Muni Swamy unprofessional.

[Gudipalli Siddharta Reddy v. State (C.B.I.)]

Read Details / 9 days ago

VishwaBookmark

Orissa High Court Says Daughter’s Marriage Not a Bar to Compassionate Appointment

The Orissa High Court held that a daughter’s marital status cannot disqualify her from compassionate appointment following the death of a government employee.

The Court set aside orders that had denied the woman’s claim solely because she married while her application was pending. It said that excluding married daughters while allowing married sons to seek such jobs creates an artificial classification violating the doctrine of equality.

The bench directed the state government to grant her compassionate appointment within eight weeks and imposed a daily penalty on officials for delay.

The Court stressed that compassionate appointment is meant to support the deceased’s family without discrimination.

Read Details / 10 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Marriage Cannot Disqualify Daughters from Compassionate Appointment: Orissa High Court

The Orissa High Court directed the State to grant compassionate appointment to a woman whose claim was rejected solely because she married during the pendency of her application, holding that such exclusion violates the constitutional guarantee of equality.

The case arose from a plea filed by the daughter of a deceased government employee whose request, made in 2000 and approved in principle, was later denied on the grounds of her marriage in 2006.

The Court held that the Odisha Civil Service (Rehabilitation Assistance) Rules, 1990, do not disqualify a claimant on marriage, observing that sons are not subjected to such exclusion.

It ruled that denying married daughters compassionate appointment creates an impermissible and artificial classification under Articles 14, 15 and 16.

Read Details / 17 days ago

Thanush SBookmark

Odisha High Court Slams Delay in ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Project, Seeks Status Report

The Orissa High Court pulled up the Odisha government over delays in implementing the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ drinking water scheme in 135 villages of Cuttack district.

The Court noted that although the project was sanctioned in 2017 and scheduled for completion within two years, residents still lack a doorstep water supply.

It observed that authorities acted only after a representation was made in 2025 and expressed concern over the absence of a decision even after issuing a show-cause notice to the contractor.

The Court directed the Engineer-in-Chief to submit a detailed progress report within two weeks.

[Ramesh Chandra Das v. State of Odisha]

Read Details / 19 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Orissa High Court Awards ₹5 Lakh Compensation for 20-Year Delay in Job Appointment

The Orissa High Court directed the State to pay ₹5 lakh compensation to a job-seeker who was denied appointment for over two decades despite a favourable tribunal order.

The Court partly allowed a writ petition challenging the State Administrative Tribunal’s decision to drop contempt proceedings against non-compliance of its 2002 order.

It held that the petitioner’s right to appointment had crystallised and prolonged inaction caused clear prejudice.

Observing that courts cannot leave successful litigants remediless, the Court granted compensation in lieu of appointment and warned of daily penalties for delay in payment.

Read Details / 21 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Odisha High Court Grants Bail in POCSO Case Over Violation of Arrest Procedure

The Odisha High Court granted bail to an accused in a POCSO case after finding violations of mandatory arrest procedures under Article 22(1) of the Constitution.

The Court examined records from a case pending before the Special POCSO Court in Bhawanipatna and noted discrepancies in arrest documentation, including mismatched signatures and the absence of the arresting officer’s signature on the grounds of arrest.

The Court held that the constitutional requirement of informing the arrestee of the grounds of arrest in writing was not complied with.

In view of this lapse, the Court ordered the accused’s release on bail subject to strict conditions.

Read Details / 21 days ago

MahiraBookmark

‘Series of Criminal Antecedents’: Orissa High Court Denies Bail to D-Brothers

The Orissa High Court refused bail to notorious gangsters Susanta and Susil Dhalasamanta (D-Brothers) in an extortion and Arms Act case, citing their extensive criminal antecedents.

Justice Gourishankar Satapathy held that past convictions have a definite societal impact and cannot be ignored in bail consideration.

The Court rejected pleas of long incarceration and held that issues relating to applicability of Arms Act provisions must be decided at trial, not at the bail stage.

[Susanta Kumar Dhalasamanta & Anr. v. State of Odisha]

Read Details / 23 days ago

MananBookmark

Orissa High Court: Contractual Appointments Outside Recruitment Rules have No Legal Sanctity

The Orissa High Court dismissed a writ appeal challenging a contractual appointment to the post of Assistant Professor at MKCG Medical College, holding that appointments made outside the regular recruitment framework lack legal sanctity.

The Court observed that existing recruitment rules do not permit contractual engagement and criticised the State for bypassing lawful procedures through walk-in interviews.

It held that such processes do not confer any enforceable right to appointment and undermine public confidence in recruitment.

Deprecating the growing practice of irregular contractual hiring in public employment, the Court directed that copies of the judgment be forwarded to the Chief Secretary and the Odisha Public Service Commission for necessary action.

Read Details / 23 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Orissa High Court Upholds Disqualification Under Two-Child Norm, Flags Overpopulation Concerns

The Orissa High Court dismissed a plea challenging the disqualification of a gram panchayat member for violating the statutory two-child norm.

The Court upheld the validity of population control measures and stressed the serious consequences of unchecked population growth in India. It observed that overpopulation places immense pressure on public resources and infrastructure, recalling the difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to space and capacity constraints.

Referring to historical and philosophical warnings on population growth, the Court said constitutional institutions and civil society must act responsibly to address the issue.

The ruling reaffirmed that statutory conditions attached to elected posts must be strictly followed.

Read Details / 26 days ago

MahiraBookmark

Orissa High Court Quashes OSSC’s Six-Year Ban on 58 Candidates from Appearing in Hiring Exams

The Orissa High Court set aside the Odisha Staff Selection Commission’s order debarring 58 candidates from appearing in any OSSC recruitment examinations for six years, holding the punishment to be unjust and disproportionate.

The candidates had been penalised in connection with an alleged question paper leak during the junior engineer (civil) recruitment process.

The Court noted that no charge-sheets had been filed against the individuals in the related criminal case and observed that the OSSC did not demonstrate sufficient evidence or due process in imposing the ban.

The judgment allows the aspirants to appear in future OSSC exams unless they are formally charged.

Read Details / a month ago

MahiraBookmark

Wife’s Right as Class-I Heir Prevails Over Nomination: Orissa High Court

Reaffirming the primacy of succession laws, the Orissa High Court has held that a wife, being a Class-I heir under Section 8 of the Hindu Succession Act, has the first right over her deceased husband’s estate, overriding any banking or insurance nomination in favour of other family members.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Shakti Yezdani v. Jayanand Jayant Salgaonkar (2023), the Court clarified that a nomination only authorises receipt of money and does not confer ownership or override statutory succession.

Accordingly, the Court directed Canara Bank to release the remaining terminal benefits to the widow, holding that lawful heirs cannot be deprived of their rights through nominations.

Read Details / a month ago

MahiraBookmark

Enroll Now!