High Court
Himachal Pradesh High Court
Shimla
The Himachal Pradesh High Court was established in 1971. It has jurisdiction over the state of Himachal Pradesh.
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News & Updates Published
Order
Birth of Daughter from Another Woman Establishes Husband’s Illicit Relationship; Wife Justified in Living Separately: Himachal Pradesh High Court
In a crucial judgment under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has held that a wife who is forced to live separately because of her husband’s extramarital relationship cannot be accused of desertion. The case involved an appeal filed under Section 28, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 by Desh Raj…
Order
Preparing Joint Consent Memo to Search Both Accused Violates Mandatory Requirement Under Section 50 NDPS Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court, in a significant ruling on procedural safeguards under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, has held that each accused person must be separately informed of their legal right under Section 50 of the NDPS Act. The Court stressed that issuing a joint memo of consent…
Order
Inimical Relationship Between Victim and Accused Requires Cautious Evaluation; Acquittal in Molestation Case Upheld: Himachal Pradesh High Court
In a judgment reaffirming the need for judicial caution in evaluating testimony where animosity exists, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld the acquittal of an accused, Rajesh Kumar, in a molestation case. The Court observed that when the victim admits to having non-cordial or inimical relations with the…
Order
Sub-Tenant Bound by Eviction Order If Failing to Prove Direct Tenancy Under Landlord's Predecessor-in-Interest: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently ruled on the issue of eviction involving a tenant and sub-tenant under the Himachal Urban Rent Control Act, 1987. The case arose when the landlord filed an eviction petition against the tenant on the ground of illegal subletting of the premises to the petitioner, who was the…
Order
Right to Appeal Cannot Be Made Conditional Upon Deposit of Decretal Sum: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that an appellate court cannot impose a condition to deposit a portion of the decretal amount while considering an application for delay condonation under Section 5, Limitation Act, 1963. The Court stated that such a condition is beyond the jurisdiction of the appellate court…
Order
Plea Allowed For Second Wife To Be Included In Govt Employee's Pension Record After First Wife's Death: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently ruled in favor of a retired government employee’s second wife, allowing her to claim the family pension despite the marriage being technically invalid under Section 5 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The petitioner’s first wife passed away in 2020, and the petitioner had sought…
Order
Accidental Firing Mistaken As Hunt: Negligence, Not Murder, Rules Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently ruled that accidentally shooting a person, believing him to be a wild animal, amounts to death caused by negligence under Section 106 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and not murder under Section 103 of the same Act. Justice Rakesh Kainthla clearly stated that the accused…
Order
Mere Foreign Nationality Of Accused Cannot Be Grounds To Deny Bail Under NDPS Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that a person’s foreign nationality cannot be the sole ground to deny bail under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Justice Ranjan Sharma, while deciding the Cr. MP(M) No. 254 of 2025, made it clear that all individuals, irrespective of…
Order
Minor Girl's Claim of Being 18+ or Aadhaar Showing Her as Major Doesn't Aid Accused Booked Under POCSO Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently refused to grant bail to an accused facing serious charges under Section 363 and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Protection Of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act). The accused, Rishi Kumar, had sought regular bail by claiming that the…
Order
Mere Usage Of Term “High Speed” By Witness Insufficient To Establish Rash Or Negligent Driving: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that a mere claim by a witness that the accused was driving at a high speed is not enough to prove negligence or rash driving under Section 279 of the Indian Penal Code. The judgment was delivered by Justice Rakesh Kainthla in Criminal Appeal No. 332 of 2012, titled State of…
Order
Mere Recovery Of Money From Accused Does Not Amount To Bribery In Absence Of Demand: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court, in a significant judgment, has upheld the acquittal of a Forest Officer accused of accepting a bribe of Rs. 3,000, reiterating that mere possession of tainted currency is not sufficient to secure conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, without proof of demand and…
Order
Married Daughter Can't Be Excluded from Family for Compassionate Appointment: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court in a significant decision reaffirmed the right of a married daughter to be considered under the compassionate appointment scheme in government service. The Court observed that mere marital status cannot be the basis to exclude a daughter from the definition of “family” for determining…
Judgment
No Prima Facie Offence of Deceitful Sexual Intercourse When Both Parties Were Married to Others: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court granted regular bail to Vinod Kumar, who had been in custody since 17.08.2026 in connection with FIR No. 12 of 2026 registered at Women Police Station, Bilaspur. The case involves allegations under Sections 64 and 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s)…
Judgment
Maintenance for Wife Under Section 125 Cr.P.C. Enhanced to Protect Women’s Rights: Himachal Pradesh High Court
In a significant judgment delivered by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla, Hon'ble Justice Vivek Singh Thakur has modified an order related to maintenance of a wife under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.). The case involved the wife, Kusum Thakur, who challenged a lower court’s decision to…
Judgment
Security Cheque Can Trigger Section 138 Depending on the Circumstances, High Court Explains: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by R.S. Shukla against the acquittal of Manjeet Singh and other accused in a cheque dishonour case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. Justice Rakesh Kainthla delivered the judgment on 21 August 2026, holding that although the accused…
Judgment
Cheque Dishonour Under Section 138 NI Act: Statutory Presumption Against Drawer Explained: Himachal Pradesh High
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a criminal revision filed by Dalel Singh and upheld the conviction arising from a cheque dishonour case involving Satish Kumar. Justice Rakesh Kainthla delivered the judgment on 19 August 2026 in Cr. Revision No. 451 of 2015. The Court examined important issues concerning…
Judgment
FIR Against Liquor Bottling Unit Quashed Over Failure to Affix Holograms; ₹1 Lakh Penalty Imposed Under Excise Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has declared that the failure to affix holograms on liquor bottles does not amount to a criminal offence under Sections 39(1) and 39(2) of the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act, 2011. The Court clarified that such an omission falls under Section 43 of the Act, which deals with penalties that…
Judgment
Prisoner's Parole Cannot Be Denied Solely Because Six Months Have Not Elapsed Since the Previous Release: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has delivered an important judgment emphasizing that a prisoner’s request for parole cannot be rejected just because six months have not passed since their last release. The Court clarified that the statutory provisions do not restrict prisoners from applying for parole before the…
Judgment
Kasol 'Rave Party' Row | Court Takes Suo Motu Note of News Report, Orders Spot Inspection: Himachal Pradesh High Court
In a significant order concerning alleged illegal rave parties and drug-related activities in Himachal Pradesh's tourism belt, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, Kullu, to conduct a spot inspection of the suspected event site in Kasol. The Court passed the…
Judgment
Defamation and Misconduct During Matrimonial Interaction Initiated Through a Matrimonial Website: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla decided a Criminal Revision Petition filed by Hritik Gupta challenging an order of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kangra at Dharamshala. The dispute arose from a private criminal complaint filed by the petitioner against Amritanshu Gupta alleging cheating, defamation,…
Judgment
State Cannot Escape Liability for Unsafe Road Repair Work, Compensation Upheld for Youth Killed in Accident: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld compensation awarded to the mother of a 25-year-old man who died in a motorcycle accident caused by unsafe road repair work on National Highway-20. The Court held that the State authorities and contractor were negligent because they failed to install proper warning signboards…
Judgment
Bail Granted in POCSO Case After Victim Expresses Desire to Marry Accused: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has granted regular bail to a man accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 after considering the statement of the victim that she was in a consensual relationship with him and intended to marry him. The Court observed that although consent of a minor has…
Judgment
Bail Granted in Alleged Stalking and Assault Case Under IPC and POCSO Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla decided a bail petition filed by the petitioner Rajesh Kumar in connection with Criminal Miscellaneous Petition (Main) No. 451 of 2026 arising out of FIR No. 47 of 2022 registered at Police Station Patlikuhal, District Kullu. The case involved allegations under Sections…
Judgment
Cheque Dishonour Conviction Upheld in Loan Default Case Under Section 138 NI Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court delivered an important judgment on 25.03.2026 in a cheque dishonour case under Section 138 Negotiable Instruments Act. The case involved Daulat Ram, who had taken a loan of ₹1,50,000 from H.P. State Co-Operative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank. Due to default in repayment, the…
Order
Civil Court Can Seek Police Aid to Enforce Injunction: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed police to enforce an injunction protecting Prem Lal, a senior citizen, from alleged interference with his house and land by his son Ravinder Kumar and daughter-in-law Sapna. The case concerns 8-12 bighas of land in Village Bhagwani, District Bilaspur. Prem Lal had filed a…
Order
Pre-Arrest Bail Granted in Case Concerning Proposed Road Through 0.50 Hectares of Forest Land: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on 28 September 2026 granted pre-arrest bail to Manish Aggarwal and Yashpal Aggarwal in a case arising from FIR No. 1 of 2026, registered on 3 March 2026 at Police Station SV and ACB, Nahan, District Sirmaur. The FIR concerns alleged offences under Sections 420, 447 and 120B of the…
Order
School With Just 12 Students Merged With Nearby Government School, Decision Upheld: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the merger of Government Middle School, Sandyar, in District Bilaspur, with Government Senior Secondary School, Chhat. The School Management Committee had challenged a government notification dated 10.06.2026, seeking restoration of Government Middle…
Order
Penetration to Any Extent Constitutes Penetrative Sexual Assault Under POCSO, Sentence Upheld: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Shyam Veer against his conviction in a sexual assault case involving a minor child. The judgment was delivered on 16 September 2026 in Criminal Appeal No. 347 of 2022. The case arose from an incident on 27 April 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The…
Order
Courts Cannot Reassess Interview Marks Without Evidence of Bias or Illegality, PGT Selection Upheld: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Manju Devi challenging the selection of Gitanjali as a Post-Graduate Teacher in Political Science at GSSS Gai Ghat in Solan district. The selection was conducted by the School Management Committee (SMC) after an advertisement for one vacant post. A…
Order
Nepalese Citizen Serving Life Sentence Granted Four-Week Parole, Citizenship Alone Cannot Bar Parole: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the release of Vicky Rana on parole for four weeks, setting aside the order that had rejected his request. The order was passed in CWP No. 11238 of 2026 by sentences for offences under Sections 120B and 396 Justice Rakesh Kainthla on 12.08.2026. Rana was convicted by the…
Order
‘A Mother Is a Mother’: Maternity Leave Rights of Commissioning Mothers Upheld: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled in favour of Dr. Juhi Manhas, a commissioning mother who had been denied maternity leave by the State authorities. The dispute concerned whether a female Government employee who becomes a mother through surrogacy can receive maternity leave under the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972.…
Order
Co-Employee Cannot Challenge Colleague’s ACR Grading Merely Because It Resulted in Supersession for Promotion: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed a petition filed by Dr. Mukesh Surya challenging the ACR gradings and promotion of Dr. Shikha Sood. Dr. Surya argued that several of Dr. Sood’s ACRs had been improperly upgraded to “Outstanding”, helping her supersede him for promotion as Assistant Professor in Radiology. The…
Order
State Rules on VC Appointments in Agricultural Universities Struck Down, UGC Regulations Held to Prevail: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has struck down provisions introduced by the State Government concerning the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in agricultural universities. A Division Bench of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Ranjan Sharma held that the State legislation could not subordinate the appointment of a…
Order
Accused Who Repeatedly Fails to Appear Before Court Cannot Claim Bail as an Automatic Right Under Negotiable Instruments Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has refused to interfere with the custody of Pradeep, who failed to appear before the Trial Court in a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The High Court held that an accused who repeatedly fails to appear before the Court cannot claim bail as a matter…
Order
Dishonoured Loan Cheque Attracts Section 138 Liability When Borrower Fails to Rebut Statutory Presumption Under Negotiable Instruments Act: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed a criminal revision petition filed by Deepna, holding that the conviction for dishonour of a cheque under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 was fully supported by the evidence on record. Justice Sandeep Sharma delivered the judgment on 10 August 2026. The…
Order
Cheque Issued Within Limitation Can Extend Limitation, But Accused Acquitted After Complainant Fails to Prove ₹50 Lakh Loan: Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Veena Devi against the acquittal of Prakash Vashisht in a cheque dishonour case involving a claimed loan of ₹1,50,000. Justice Rakesh Kainthla held that although the trial court was not correct in treating the complaint as time-barred, the acquittal was…
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About the Himachal Pradesh High Court
The Himachal Pradesh High Court was established in 1971. It has jurisdiction over the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Seat
Shimla
State / UT
Himachal Pradesh
Region
North India
