Roadrollers Owners Welfare Association challenged the government’s decision to increase road tax on road rollers, as roadrollers are not motor vehicles. The Supreme Court dismissed the writ petition on the ground that the Motor Vehicles Act (Act) specifically includes roadrollers within the definition of light motor vehicles. If a roadroller is a light motor vehicle it is also a motor vehicle. Just because it is used to repair roads and does not carry goods, it does not mean it is not a motor vehicle (Government of A.P. vs Roadrollers Owners Welfare Association).

In a petition for divorce by mutual consent, the parties agreed not to proceed against each other and the wife undertook not to claim maintenance and alimony. The wife later claimed alimony. The family court, rejecting the husband’s contention of non-maintainability of the application, granted alimony of Rs 2,000 per month against the amount claimed of Rs 25,000 per month. Both the husband and wife preferred appeal on the point of maintainability and the quantum respectively. The wife can claim maintenance under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act which provides that the court can modify an earlier order of maintenance alimony if circumstances change. The amount was not interfered with for lack of evidence (Geeta Singh Gokarna vs Santosh Sankarrao Gokarna).

The accused charged under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code including murder and also the Arms Act was convicted by the trial court. The high court granted bail on the ground that after conviction the accused had been granted parole on three occasions and in that period there was no allegation of misuse of liberty. The sentence was also suspended. The Supreme Court set aside such order holding that merely not abusing liberty does not warrant suspension of sentence and grant of bail (State of Haryana vs Hasmat).

SOLON