Delhi High Court Weekly Round Up [August 11- August 17, 2025]

1. [NIA Death Penalty Plea] The Delhi High Court on Monday, August 11, 2025, sought a reply from Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist Yasin Malik on a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking the death penalty for him. During the hearing, the court noted that Malik did not appear virtually nor file a reply, despite the court’s earlier order on August 9, 2024, directing his virtual appearance due to security concerns. The court accordingly directed him to file a reply and listed the matter for hearing on November 10. Notably, Malik was convicted on May 19, 2022, in connection with the terror‑funding and secessionist activities case and was thereafter sentenced on May 25, 2022, to life imprisonment.

Case Title: National Investigative Agency v. Yasin Malik

Bench: Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Shalinder Kaur

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2. [Custody Parole Costs] The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, asked the Delhi Police to explain the basis for the travel and security cost imposed on Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, as a condition for granting him custody parole to attend Parliament. The court was hearing Rashid’s plea challenging a trial court order requiring him to deposit ₹4 lakh with prison authorities to cover travel and security expenses. Appearing for Rashid, Senior Advocate N. Hariharan argued that the condition was disproportionate and undermined his ability to represent the people of his constituency. The bench then directed the State to clarify how the travel cost was calculated. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on August 18.

Case Title: Abdul Rashid Sheikh v National Investigative Agency

Bench: Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani

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3. [Cash-for-query Row] The Delhi High Court on Monday, August 11, 2025, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and all other parties to maintain strict confidentiality over the agency’s report submitted to the Lokpal in the alleged cash-for-query scandal involving Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra. The direction came from a bench led by Justice Sachin Datta, which was hearing Moitra’s petition alleging that the media was informed immediately after the CBI submitted its report to the Lokpal. The case arises from accusations by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that Moitra asked questions in the Lok Sabha targeting the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for gifts.

Case Title: Mahua Moitra v. Lokpal

Bench: Justice Sachin Datta

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4. [Liquor Policy Scam] The Delhi High Court on August 12, 2025, asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to place on record the mandatory sanction obtained by it to prosecute Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in connection with the liquor excise policy scam case. The AAP leaders approached the High Court, challenging the trial court’s decision to take cognisance of the ED chargesheet in the case, citing a lack of mandatory prosecution sanction. The court granted time to ED to place the document on record and listed the matter for hearing on November 12.

Case Title: Arvind Kejriwal vs Enforcement Directorate

Bench: Justice Ravinder Dudeja

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5. [1984 Anti-Sikh Riots] The Delhi High Court has directed the Trial Court to reconstruct records in three cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which concern the killings of three Sikh men in the aftermath of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. In a detailed 66-page judgment, the court flagged lapses in the conduct of the trial and noted that the material on record prima facie indicated a shoddy investigation It further noted that the Additional Sessions Judges had made hardly any effort to secure the presence of crucial witnesses, including those who had directly witnessed the incidents.

Case Title: Court on its Own Motion vs Dhanraj & Ors.

Bench: Justices Subramonium Prasad & Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar

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6. [Tahir Hussain Bail] The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, reserved its order on the bail plea of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, accused in the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. A bench led by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna heard the matter and reserved its decision. Notably, Hussain and ten others have been booked for “killing an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, namely Ankit Sharma,” during the 2020 riots.

Case Title: Mohd Tahir Hussain v/s State of NCT of Delhi

Bench: Justice Neena Bansal Krishna.

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7. [Tihar Jail Extortion Racket Case] The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, was informed that nine officials from Tihar Jail had been suspended and transferred over allegations of running an extortion racket in collusion with inmates. The court was hearing a plea highlighting instances of irregularities, unlawful conduct, malpractices, and misconduct by both prison staff and inmates. Earlier, the division bench had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR in the matter after reviewing the agency’s preliminary inquiry report. This was after the court’s earlier order for a preliminary inquiry upon being apprised that an extortion racket was operating inside Tihar Jail.

Case Title: Mohit Kumar Goyal v. State of NCT of Delhi And Ors

Bench: Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela

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8. [Sengar's Sentence Suspension Plea] The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, objected to Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s plea seeking suspension in the custodial death case of the Unnao rape victim's father, a relief he sought on medical grounds. Sengar was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison by a trial court in a custodial death case of the father of the Unnao rape case victim. The court granted time to Senior Advocate Manish Vashishta, appearing for Kuldeep Sengar, to place judgments supporting his contention and listed the matter for hearing on 21 August.

Case Title: Kuldeep Singh Sengar v. Central Bureau of Investigation

Bench: Justice Ravinder Dudeja

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9. [Sanitary Vending Machine PIL] The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, issued notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging the absence of sanitary pad vending machines in metro station toilets across the national capital. A division bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to all respondents, including the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the Delhi Government, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Delhi Commission for Women. The bench also directed the respondents to file their responses within two weeks. The PIL sought directions from the respondents to fulfil their constitutional obligation to install sanitary pad vending machines and disposal units in all women’s toilets at Delhi Metro stations.

Case title: Nikhil Goyal v. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and ors

Bench: Chief justice D.K. Upadhyaya and justice Tushar Rao Gedela

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10. [Juvenile Age Review] The Delhi High Court recently observed that criminals are increasingly using children to commit a wide range of offences, from liquor and drug peddling to trafficking arms and ammunition, and even acts of extreme violence. Court said it is leading society to consider re-fixing the age of juvenility.

Justice Girish Kathpalia made the remarks while rejecting the anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of using a minor to transport 450 quarters of illicit liquor. The accused was booked under Section 78 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in an FIR registered at PS Mayur Vihar-I.

Case Title: Narender versus the State of NCT of Delhi

Bench: Justice Girish Kathpalia

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