Patna High Court Legal News & Judgments

Patna High Court

Patna High Court Acquits Teacher 14 Years After Conviction, Cites Failure to Prove Charges

The Patna High Court acquitted a schoolteacher in a 14-year-old rape case, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Allowing a criminal appeal filed in 2014, the Court set aside the 2013 trial court judgment that had sentenced the teacher to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment. The appellant had already completed his sentence during the pendency of the appeal.

The Court noted gaps in the prosecution’s case, including delay in lodging the FIR, and extended the benefit of doubt to the accused.

The appeal was accordingly allowed.

Read Details / 5 days ago

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Patna High Court Seeks Government Response on Deficiencies in Mental Health Facilities

The Patna High Court sought responses from senior State and Central government officials over alleged deficiencies in mental healthcare services in Bihar.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a report submitted by the Bihar Legal Services Authority, the Court expressed concern over the condition of the Bihar Institute of Mental Health and Allied Sciences and the absence of dedicated facilities for homeless persons with mental illnesses.

The Court observed that Bihar’s large population requires multiple regional mental health centres and proper shelter facilities as mandated under mental health law.

It directed key officials to appear through video conferencing on the next date of hearing.

Read Details / 7 days ago

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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

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Patna High Court Grants Bail to Man Accused of Abusive Remarks Against PM’s Mother

The Patna High Court granted regular bail to a man accused of making abusive and objectionable remarks against the Prime Minister and his deceased mother following a political rally in August last year.

The accused, Md Rizvi alias Raja, was arrested in August and has remained in judicial custody.

In granting bail, the Court noted the absence of any recovery of objectionable material from the accused’s mobile phone seized by police.

The order allows temporary relief while the trial continues.

[Patna High Court v. Md Rizvi alias Raja]

Read Details / 12 days ago

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Patna High Court Quashes Assault Case Against Bihar Minister Santosh Kumar Suman

The Patna High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Bihar Minister Santosh Kumar Suman in a 2017 case arising from a road blockade protest in Bodh Gaya.

The Court noted that the FIR did not attribute any act of assault, instigation, or violence to Suman, and merely alleged that he was addressing the gathering.

Justice Sandeep Kumar held that such an allegation, without any specific overt act, could not sustain serious criminal charges.

Finding that continuation of proceedings would amount to abuse of process of law, the Court quashed the case against Suman, while clarifying that proceedings against other accused would continue.

[Santosh Kumar Suman v. State of Bihar]

Read Details / 19 days ago

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Patna High Court Directs Strict Enforcement of Night-Time Noise Pollution Rules

The Patna High Court directed the Bihar Police to strictly enforce the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, including a complete ban on loudspeakers, amplifiers, and firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am.

The Court asked the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police to ensure compliance by all Station House Officers.

It noted that citizens can report violations via the 112 emergency helpline, which is integrated with noise-monitoring systems.

The Court also sought a detailed report from the Bihar State Pollution Control Board on steps taken to address air and dust pollution in the state capital.

[Surendra Prasad v. State of Bihar]

Read Details / 19 days ago

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Patna High Court Rejects Plea Seeking Judicial Probe into Medical Aspirant’s Death

The Patna High Court refused to order an independent judicial inquiry into the death of a medical aspirant found dead in Patna in January.

The Court held that no intervention was required at this stage as the Bihar government had already handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation. It observed that once the CBI is entrusted with the probe, parallel judicial oversight is unnecessary.

The Court also declined to issue directions regarding security for the victim’s family, noting that the petition was filed at a premature stage.

The plea was filed by the deceased student’s father alleging lapses by the state-constituted investigation team.

Read Details / 23 days ago

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“They Promise the Moon”: Patna High Court Slams Illegal Nursing Homes After Mother Dies During Childbirth

The Patna High Court strongly criticised the unchecked functioning of illegal nursing homes in Bihar while hearing an anticipatory bail plea of an unregistered nursing home owner where a woman died during childbirth.

The Court observed that such facilities routinely lure families with false assurances while lacking basic medical infrastructure, leading to repeated instances of maternal deaths.

It held that district administrations and civil surgeons often ignore these violations, allowing illegal establishments to flourish.

While granting anticipatory bail to the accused nurse, the Court imposed conditions including a ₹1 lakh deposit for the newborn’s welfare and issued directions to ensure the child receives free education and healthcare support.

Read Details / 23 days ago

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Patna High Court Asks NHAI to Devise Measures to Curb Overloading on National Highways

The Patna High Court has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to explore effective mechanisms to prevent the plying of overloaded vehicles, particularly sand-laden trucks, on national highways in Bihar.

Hearing a public interest litigation concerning the construction and widening of the Ara–Mohania stretch of NH-30, the Court noted submissions that rampant overloading is causing serious damage to highways and bridges.

The Advocate General, acting as amicus curiae, alleged the existence of a syndicate allowing such vehicles for monetary gain and suggested sensor-based automated weighing systems as a solution.

The Court asked NHAI to file its response by February 13.

Read Details / 26 days ago

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Patna High Court Cites Mahabharata in Upholding Death Sentence for Triple Murder Case

The Patna High Court upheld the death sentence awarded to two men for the murder of three members of a family in an agricultural land dispute in Rohtas district.

Dismissing the criminal appeal, the Court confirmed the trial court’s findings that the case fell within the “rarest of rare” category and referred to the Mahabharata to explain that aggressors who kill relatives for property face the gravest consequences.

The prosecution said Vijay Singh and his sons were attacked with swords after they objected to the accused ploughing the disputed land.

The case was based mainly on the testimony of Shakuntala Devi, an eyewitness and the wife of Vijay Singh.

Read Details / 30 days ago

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Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo Appointed as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court

The Central Government has formally notified the appointment of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, currently a judge of the Orissa High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

This follows a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium at its December 18, 2025, meeting.

The notification was issued on January 1, 2026, and the appointment will take effect from the date Justice Sahoo assumes charge of office.

Read Details / a month ago

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Section 389 CrPC Cannot Be Invoked Mechanically in Life Imprisonment Cases: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court set aside a Patna High Court order suspending the sentence and granting bail to a convict sentenced to life imprisonment for murder under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC.

The Court held that suspension of sentence under Section 389 CrPC cannot be granted mechanically and must be guided by the gravity of the offence and the role attributed to the accused.

The Supreme Court found that the accused had an active role in the crime and that the seriousness of the offence was wrongly discounted.

Holding that a clear error was committed, the Court allowed the appeal and directed the convict to surrender.

[Rajesh Upadhayay v. State of Bihar & Anr.]

Read Judgment / 2 months ago

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Specific Relief Act Has No Application To Family Court Proceedings: Patna High Court

The Patna High Court has held that the provisions of the Specific Relief Act, 1963, have no application to proceedings under the Family Courts Act, 1984, due to the overriding effect of Section 20 of the latter statute.

The Court dismissed an appeal filed under Section 19(1) of the Family Courts Act challenging a Family Court order declaring a marriage null and void.

It rejected the contention that the suit was barred under Section 34 of the Specific Relief Act, observing that objections based on that statute are unsustainable in family court proceedings.

The High Court upheld the Family Court’s order and dismissed the appeal.

[Anjani Kumar @ Pappu Kumar v. Mamta Bharti & Anr.]

Read Order / 2 months ago

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Supreme Court Stays Kerala HC Summons to EY Chief and Byju’s Resolution Professional in Contempt Case

The Supreme Court stayed a Kerala High Court order directing EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani and Byju’s Resolution Professional Shailendra Ajmera to appear in a contempt case linked to the attempted sale of Byju’s US subsidiaries.

The Bench asked how contempt could survive when the injunction allegedly violated was in force only between May 21 and May 27, before the Supreme Court varied it.

The Court noted that any breach had to fall within that limited period.

The High Court proceedings arose from a plea alleging violation of orders passed in an ongoing commercial dispute over the assets of Epic and Tangible Play.

[Sunil Thomas v. Voizzit Technology]

Read Details / 2 months ago

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Patna High Court Holds External Rubbing Does Not Amount to Penetrative Sexual Assault Under POCSO Act

The Patna High Court has ruled that external rubbing without penetration does not constitute "penetrative sexual assault" under the POCSO Act, though it may amount to "sexual harassment".

The Court held that when medical evidence rules out penetration, a conviction cannot rest solely on the uncorroborated testimony of a child witness.

It also noted material discrepancies between the statements of the victim and her parents, which cast doubt on the prosecution's version.

The court emphasized that different forms of physical contact carry distinct legal consequences under the POCSO, requiring precise judicial classification. The High Court eventually acquitted the Appellant ordered his release forthwith.

[Jai Krishna Yadav v. State of Bihar]

Read Order / 2 months ago

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