SoOLEGAL
Transaction Services Agreement :
By
registering yourself with SoOLEGAL, it is understood and agreed by
you that the Terms and Conditions under the Transaction Services
Terms shall be binding on you at all times during the period of
registration and notwithstanding cessation of your registration with
SoOLEGAL certain Terms and Conditions shall survive.
"Your
Transaction" means any Transaction of Documents/
Advices(s), advice and/ or solution in the form of any written
communication to your Client made by you arising out of any advice/
solution sought from you through the SoOLEGAL Site.
Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Service Terms:
The
SoOLEGAL Payment
System Service
("Transacting on SoOLEGAL") is a Service that allows you to
list Documents/ Advices which comprise of advice/ solution in the
form of written communication to your Client who seeks your advice/
solution via SoOLEGAL Site and such Documents/ Advices being for
Transaction directly via the SoOLEGAL Site. SoOLEGAL
Payment Service
is operated by Sun Integrated Technologies and Applications .
TheSoOLEGAL
Payment System
Service Terms are part of the Terms & Conditions
of SoOLEGAL Services Transaction Terms and Conditionsbut unless
specifically provided otherwise, concern and apply only to your
participation in Transacting on SoOLEGAL. BY REGISTERING FOR OR USING
SoOLEGAL
PAYMENT SYSTEM ,
YOU (ON BEHALF OF YOURSELF OR THE FIRM YOU REPRESENT) AGREE TO BE
BOUND BY THE TRANSACTIONS TRANSACTION TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
Unless
otherwise defined in this Documents/ Advice or Terms & Conditions
which being the guiding Documents/ Advice to this Documents/ Advice,
all capitalized terms have the meanings given them in the
Transactions Transaction Terms and Conditions.
S-1.
Your Documents/ Advice Listings and Orders
S-1.1
Documents/ Advices
Information. You
will, in accordance with applicable Program Policies, provide in the
format we require. Documents/ Advices intended to be sold should be
accurate and complete and thereafter posted through the SoOLEGAL
Site and promptly update such information as necessary to ensure it
at all times that such Documents/ Advices remain accurate and
complete. You will also ensure that Your Materials, Your Documents/
Advices (including comments) and your offer and subsequent
Transaction of any ancillary Documents/ Advice pertaining to the
previous Documents/ Advices on the SoOLEGAL Site comply with all
applicable Laws (including all marking and labeling
requirements) and do not contain any sexually explicit, defamatory or
obscene materials or any unlawful materials. You may not provide any
information for, or otherwise seek to list for Transaction on the
SoOLEGAL Site, any Excluded Documents/ Advices; or provide any URL
Marks for use, or request that any URL Marks be used, on the SoOLEGAL
Site. In any event of unlawful Documents/ Advices made available for
Transaction by you on SoOLEGAL site, it is understood that
liabilities limited or unlimited shall be yours exclusively to which
SoOLEGAL officers, administrators, Affiliates among other authorized
personnel shall not be held responsible and you shall be liable to
appropriate action under applicable laws.
S-1.2
Documents/ Advices Listing; Merchandising; Order Processing. We
will list Your Documents/ Advices for Transaction on the SoOLEGAL
Site in the applicable Documents/ Advices categories which are
supported for third party REGISTERED USERs generally on the SoOLEGAL
Site on the applicable Transacting Associated Properties or any other
functions, features, advertising, or programs on or in connection
with the SoOLEGAL Site). SoOLEGAL reserves its right to restrict at
any time in its sole discretion the access to list in any or all
categories on the SoOLEGAL Site. We may use mechanisms that rate, or
allow users to rate, Your Documents/ Advices and/or your performance
as a REGISTERED USER on the SoOLEGAL Site and SoOLEGAL may make these
ratings and feedback publicly available. We will provide Order
Information to you for each of Your Transactions. Transactions
Proceeds will be paid to you only in accordance with Section S-6.
S-1.3
a. It is mandatory to secure an advance amount from Client where
SoOLEGAL Registered Consultant will raise an invoice asking for a 25%
advance payment for the work that is committed to be performed for
the Client of such SoOLEGAL Registered Consultant. The amount will be
refunded to the client if the work is not done and uploaded to
SoOLEGAL Repository within the stipulated timeline stated by SoOLEGAL
Registered Consultant.
b.
SoOLEGAL Consultant will be informed immediately on receipt of
advance payment from Client which will be held by SoOLegal and will
not be released to either Party and an email requesting the
Registered Consultant will be sent to initiate the assignment.
c.
The Registered Consultant will be asked on the timeline for
completion of the assignment which will be intimated to Client.
d.
Once the work is completed by the consultant the document/ advice
note will be in SoOLEGAL
repository and once Client makes rest of the payment, the full amount
will be remitted to the consultant in the next payment cycle and the
document access will be given to the client.
e.
In the event where the Client fails to make payment of the balance
amount
within 30 days from the date of upload ,
the Registered Consultant shall receive
the advance amount paid by the Client without any interest in the
next time cycle
after the lapse of 30 days.
S-1.4
Credit Card Fraud.
We
will not bear the risk of credit card fraud (i.e. a fraudulent
purchase arising from the theft and unauthorised
use of a third party's credit card information) occurring in
connection with Your Transactions. We may in our sole discretion
withhold for investigation, refuse to process, restrict download for,
stop and/or cancel any of Your Transactions. You will stop and/or
cancel orders of Your Documents/ Advices if we ask you to do so. You
will refund any customer (in accordance with Section
S-2.2)
that has been charged for an order that we stop or cancel.
S-2.
Transaction and Fulfilment, Refunds and Returns
S-2.1
Transaction and Fulfilment:
Fulfilment
– Fulfilment is categorised under the following heads:
1.
Fulfilment by Registered User/ Consultant - In the event of Client
seeking consultation, Registered User/ Consultant
has
to ensure the quality of the product and as per the requirement of
the Client and if its not as per client, it will not be SoOLEGAL’s
responsibility and it will be assumed
that the Registered User/ Consultant and the Client have had
correspondence before assigning the work to the Registered User/
Consultant.
2.
Fulfilment by SoOLEGAL - If the Registered User/ Consultant has
uploaded the Documents/ Advice in SoOLEGAL Site, SoOLEGAL Authorised
personnel does not access such Documents/ Advice and privacy of the
Client’s Documents/ Advice and information is confidential and will
be encrypted and upon payment by Client, the Documents/ Advice is
emailed by SoOLEGAL to them. Client’s information including email
id will be furnished to SoOLEGAL by Registered User/ Consultant.
If
Documents/ Advice is not sent to Client, SoOLEGAL will refund any
amount paid to such Client’s account without interest within 60
days.
3.
SoOLEGAL will charge 5% of the transaction value which is subject to
change with time due to various economic and financial factors
including inflation among other things, which will be as per
SoOLEGAL’s discretion
and will be informed to Registered Users about the same from time to
time. Any tax applicable on Registered User/ Consultant is payable by
such Registered User/ Consultant and not by SoOLEGAL.
4.
SoOLEGAL will remit the fees (without any interest) to its Registered
User/ Consultant every 15 (fifteen) days. If there is any discrepancy
in such payment, it should be reported to Accounts Head of SoOLEGAL
(accounts@soolegal.com) with all relevant account statement within
fifteen days from receipt of that last cycle payment. Any discrepancy
will be addressed in the next fifteen days cycle. If any discrepancy
is not reported within 15 days of receipt of payment, such payment
shall be deemed accepted and SoOLEGAL shall not entertain any such
reports thereafter.
5.
Any Registered User/ Consultant wishes to discontinue with this, such
Registered User/ Consultant shall send email to SoOLEGAL and such
account will be closed and all credits will be refunded to such
Registered User/ Consultant after deducation of all taxes and
applicable fees within 30 days. Other than as described in the
Fulfilment by SoOLEGAL Terms & Conditions (if applicable to you),
for the SoOLEGAL Site for which you register or use the Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Service, you will: (a) source, fulfil and transact with
your Documents/ Advices, in each case in accordance with the terms of
the applicable Order Information, these Transaction Terms &
Conditions, and all terms provided by you and displayed on the
SoOLEGAL Site at the time of the order and be solely responsible for
and bear all risk for such activities; (a) not cancel any of Your
Transactions except as may be permitted pursuant to your Terms &
Conditions appearing on the SoOLEGAL Site at the time of the
applicable order (which Terms & Conditions will be in accordance
with Transaction Terms & Conditions) or as may be required
Transaction Terms & Conditions
per
the terms laid in this Documents/ Advice; in each case as requested
by us using the processes designated by us, and we may make any of
this information publicly available notwithstanding any other
provision of the Terms mentioned herein, ensure that you are the
REGISTERED USER of all Documents/ Advices made available for listing
for Transaction hereunder; identify yourself as the REGISTERED USER
of the Documents/ Advices on all downloads or other information
included with Your Documents/ Advices and as the Person to which a
customer may return the applicable Documents/ Advices; and
S-2.2
Returns and Refunds. For
all of Your Documents/ Advices that are not fulfilled using
Fulfilment by SoOLEGAL, you will accept and process returns, refunds
and adjustments in accordance with these Transaction Terms &
Conditions and the SoOLEGAL Refund Policies published at the time of
the applicable order, and we may inform customers that these policies
apply to Your Documents/ Advices. You will determine and calculate
the amount of all refunds and adjustments (including any taxes,
shipping of any hard copy and handling or other charges) or other
amounts to be paid by you to customers in connection with Your
Transactions, using a functionality we enable for Your Account. This
functionality may be modified or discontinued by us at any time
without notice and is subject to the Program Policies and the terms
of thisTransaction Terms & Conditions Documents/ Advice. You will
route all such payments through SoOLEGAL We will provide any such
payments to the customer (which may be in the same payment form
originally used to purchase Your Documents/ Advices), and you will
reimburse us for all amounts so paid. For all of Your Documents/
Advices that are fulfilled using Fulfilment by SoOLEGAL, the SoOLEGAL
Refund Policies published at the time of the applicable order will
apply and you will comply with them. You will promptly provide
refunds and adjustments that you are obligated to provide under the
applicable SoOLEGAL Refund Policies and as required by Law, and in no
case later than thirty (30) calendar days following after the
obligation arises. For the purposes of making payments to the
customer (which may be in the same payment form originally used to
purchase Your Documents/ Advices), you authorize us to make such
payments or disbursements from your available balance in the Nodal
Account (as defined in Section S-6). In the event your balance in the
Nodal Account is insufficient to process the refund request, we will
process such amounts due to the customer on your behalf, and you will
reimburse us for all such amount so paid.
S-5.
Compensation
You
will pay us: (a) the applicable Referral Fee; (b) any applicable
Closing Fees; and (c) if applicable, the non-refundable Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Subscription Fee in advance for each month (or for each
transaction, if applicable) during the Term of this Transaction Terms
& Conditions. "Transacting on SoOLEGAL Subscription Fee"
means the fee specified as such on the Transacting
on SoOLEGALSoOLEGAL Fee Schedule for the SoOLEGAL Site at
the time such fee is payable. With respect to each of Your
Transactions: (x) "Transactions Proceeds" has the
meaning set out in the Transaction Terms & Conditions;
(y) "Closing Fees" means the applicable fee, if
any, as specified in the Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Fee Schedule for the SoOLEGAL Site; and
(z) "Referral
Fee" means
the applicable percentage of the Transactions Proceeds from Your
Transaction through the SoOLEGAL Site specified on the Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Fee Schedule for the SoOLEGAL Site at the time
of Your Transaction, based on the categorization by SoOLEGAL of the
type of Documents/ Advices that is the subject of Your Transaction;
provided, however, that Transactions Proceeds will not include any
shipping charge set by us in the case of Your Transactions that
consist solely of SoOLEGAL-Fulfilled Documents/ Advices. Except as
provided otherwise, all monetary amounts contemplated in these
Service Terms will be expressed and provided in the Local Currency,
and all payments contemplated by this Transaction Terms &
Conditions will be made in the Local Currency.
All
taxes or surcharges imposed on fees payable by you to SoOLEGAL will
be your responsibility.
S-6
Transactions Proceeds & Refunds.
S-6.1.Nodal
Account. Remittances
to you for Your Transactions will be made through a nodal account
(the "Nodal Account") in accordance with the directions
issued by Reserve Bank of India for the opening and operation of
accounts and settlement of payments for electronic payment
transactions involving intermediaries vide its notification
RBI/2009-10/231 DPSS.CO.PD.No.1102 / 02.14.08/ 2009-10 dated November
24, 2009. You hereby agree and authorize us to collect payments on
your behalf from customers for any Transactions. You authorize and
permit us to collect and disclose any information (which may include
personal or sensitive information such as Your Bank Account
information) made available to us in connection with the Transaction
Terms & Conditions mentioned hereunder to a bank, auditor,
processing agency, or third party contracted by us in connection with
this Transaction Terms & Conditions.
Subject
to and without limiting any of the rights described in Section 2 of
the General Terms, we may hold back a portion or your Transaction
Proceeds as a separate reserve ("Reserve").
The Reserve will be in an amount as determined by us and the Reserve
will be used only for the purpose of settling the future claims of
customers in the event of non-fulfillment of delivery to the
customers of your Documents/ Advices keeping in mind the period for
refunds and chargebacks.
S-6.2. Except
as otherwise stated in this Transaction Terms & Conditions
Documents/ Advice (including without limitation Section 2 of the
General Terms), you authorize us and we will remit the Settlement
Amount to Your Bank Account on the Payment Date in respect of an
Eligible Transaction. When you either initially provide or later
change Your Bank Account information, the Payment Date will be
deferred for a period of up to 14 calendar days. You will not have
the ability to initiate or cause payments to be made to you. If you
refund money to a customer in connection with one of Your
Transactions in accordance with Section S-2.2, on the next available
Designated Day for SoOLEGAL Site, we will credit you with the amount
to us attributable to the amount of the customer refund, less the
Refund Administration Fee for each refund, which amount we may retain
as an administrative fee.
"Eligible
Transaction"
means Your Transaction against which the actual shipment date has
been confirmed by you.
"Designated
Day" means any particular Day of the week designated by SoOLEGAL
on a weekly basis, in its sole discretion, for making remittances to
you.
"Payment
Date" means the Designated Day falling immediately after 14
calendar days (or less in our sole discretion) of the Eligible
Transaction.
"Settlement
Amount" means Invoices raised through SoOLEGAL Platform (which
you will accept as payment in full for the Transaction and shipping
and handling of Your Documents/ Advices), less: (a) the Referral Fees
due for such sums; (b) any Transacting on SoOLEGAL Subscription Fees
due; (c) taxes required to be charged by us on our fees; (d) any
refunds due to customers in connection with the SoOLEGAL Site; (e)
Reserves, as may be applicable, as per this Transaction Terms &
Conditions; (f) Closing Fees, if applicable; and (g) any other
applicable fee prescribed under the Program Policies. SoOLEGAL shall
not be responsible for
S-6.3. In
the event that we elect not to recover from you a customer's
chargeback, failed payment, or other payment reversal (a "Payment
Failure"), you irrevocably assign to us all your rights, title
and interest in and associated with that Payment Failure.
S-7.
Control of Site
Notwithstanding
any provision of this Transaction Terms & Conditions, we will
have the right in our sole discretion to determine the content,
appearance, design, functionality and all other aspects of the
SoOLEGAL Site and the Transacting on SoOLEGAL Service (including the
right to re-design, modify, remove and alter the content, appearance,
design, functionality, and other aspects of, and prevent or restrict
access to any of the SoOLEGAL Site and the Transacting on SoOLEGAL
Service and any element, aspect, portion or feature thereof
(including any listings), from time to time) and to delay or suspend
listing of, or to refuse to list, or to de-list, or require you not
to list any or all Documents/ Advices on the SoOLEGAL Site in our
sole discretion.
S-8.
Effect of Termination
Upon
termination of this Contract, the Transaction Terms & Conditions
automatiocally stands terminated and in connection with the SoOLEGAL
Site, all rights and obligations of the parties under these Service
Terms with regard to the SoOLEGAL Site will be extinguished, except
that the rights and obligations of the parties with respect to Your
Transactions occurring during the Term will survive the termination
or expiration of the Term.
"SoOLEGAL
Refund Policies" means
the return and refund policies published on the SoOLEGAL Site.
"Required
Documents/ Advices Information" means,
with respect to each of Your Documents/ Advices in connection with
the SoOLEGAL Site, the following (except to the extent expressly not
required under the applicable Policies) categorization within each
SoOLEGAL Documents/ Advices category and browse structure as
prescribed by SoOLEGAL from time to time, Purchase Price; Documents/
Advice Usage, any text, disclaimers, warnings, notices, labels or
other content required by applicable Law to be displayed in
connection with the offer, merchandising, advertising or Transaction
of Your Documents/ Advices, requirements, fees or other terms and
conditions applicable to such Documents/ Advices that a customer
should be aware of prior to purchasing the Documents/ Advices;
"Transacting
on SoOLEGAL Launch Date" means
the date on which we first list one of Your Documents/ Advices for
Transaction on the SoOLEGAL Site.
"URL
Marks" means
any Trademark, or any other logo, name, phrase, identifier or
character string, that contains or incorporates any top level domain
(e.g., .com, co.in, co.uk, .in, .de, .es, .edu, .fr, .jp) or any
variation thereof (e.g., dot com, dotcom, net, or com).
"Your
Transaction" is
defined in the Transaction Terms & Conditions; however, as used
in Terms & Conditions, it shall mean any and all such
transactions whereby you conduct Transacting of Documents/ Advices or
advice sought from you by clients/ customers in writing or by any
other mode which is in coherence with SoOLEGAL policy on SoOLEGAL
site only.
Taxes
on Fees Payable to SoOLEGAL. In
regard to these Service Terms you can provide a PAN registration
number or any other Registration/ Enrolment number that reflects your
Professional capacity by virtue of various enactments in place. If
you are PAN registered, or any professional Firm but not PAN
registered, you give the following warranties and representations:
(a)
all services provided by SoOLEGAL to you are being received by your
establishment under your designated PAN registration number; and
SoOLEGAL
reserves the right to request additional information and to confirm
the validity of any your account information (including without
limitation your PAN registration number) from you or government
authorities and agencies as permitted by Law and you hereby
irrevocably authorize SoOLEGAL to request and obtain such information
from such government authorities and agencies. Further, you agree to
provide any such information to SoOLEGAL upon request. SoOLEGAL
reserves the right to charge you any applicable unbilled PAN if you
provide a PAN registration number, or evidence of being in a
Professional Firm, that is determined to be invalid. PAN registered
REGISTERED USERs and REGISTERED USERs who provide evidence of being
in Law Firm agree to accept electronic PAN invoices in a format and
method of delivery as determined by SoOLEGAL.
All
payments by SoOLEGAL to you shall be made subject to any applicable
withholding taxes under the applicable Law. SoOLEGAL will retain, in
addition to its net Fees, an amount equal to the legally applicable
withholding taxes at the applicable rate. You are responsible for
deducting and depositing the legally applicable taxes and deliver to
SoOLEGAL sufficient Documents/ Advice evidencing the deposit of tax.
Upon receipt of the evidence of deduction of tax, SoOLEGAL will remit
the amount evidenced in the certificate to you. Upon your failure to
duly deposit these taxes and providing evidence to that effect within
5 days from the end of the relevant month, SoOLEGAL shall have the
right to utilize the retained amount for discharging its tax
liability.
Where
you have deposited the taxes, you will issue an appropriate tax
withholding certificate for such amount to SoOLEGAL and SoOLEGAL
shall provide necessary support and Documents/ Adviceation as may be
required by you for discharging your obligations.
SoOLEGAL
has the option to obtain an order for lower or NIL withholding tax
from the Indian Revenue authorities. In case SoOLEGAL successfully
procures such an order, it will communicate the same to you. In that
case, the amounts retained, shall be in accordance with the
directions contained in the order as in force at the point in time
when tax is required to be deducted at source.
Any
taxes applicable in addition to the fee payable to SoOLEGAL shall be
added to the invoiced amount as per applicable Law at the invoicing
date which shall be paid by you.F.11.
Indemnity
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Category
and Documents/ Advice Restrictions
Certain
Documents/ Advices cannot be listed or sold on SoOLEGAL site as a
matter of compliance with legal or regulatory restrictions (for
example, prescription drugs) or in accordance with SoOLEGAL
policy (for example, crime scene photos).
SoOLEGAL's
policies also prohibit specific types of Documents/ Advice
content. For guidelines on prohibited content and copyright
violations, see our Prohibited
Content list.
For
some Documents/ Advice categories, REGISTERED USERS may not create
Documents/ Advice listings without prior approval from SoOLEGAL.
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In
addition to your obligations under Section
6 of
the Transaction Terms & Conditions, you also agree to indemnify,
defend and hold harmless us, our Affiliates and their and our
respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents
against any Claim that arises out of or relates to: (a) the Units
(whether or not title has transferred to us, and including any Unit
that we identify as yours pursuant to Section
F-4 regardless
of whether such Unit is the actual item you originally sent to us),
including any personal injury, death or property damage; and b) any
of Your Taxes or the collection, payment or failure to collect or pay
Your Taxes.
Registered
Users must at all times adhere to the following rules for the
Documents/ Advices they intend to put on Transaction:
The
"Add a Documents/ Advice" feature allows REGISTERED USERS
to create Documents/ Advice details pages for Documents/ Advices.
The
following rules and restrictions apply to REGISTERED USERS who use
the SoOLEGAL.in "Add a Documents/ Advice" feature.
-
Using
this feature for any purpose other than creating Documents/ Advice
details pages is prohibited.
-
Any
Documents/ Advice already in the SoOLEGAL.in catalogue which is not
novel and/ or unique or has already been provided by any other
Registered User which may give rise to Intellectual Property
infringement of any other Registered User is prohibited.
-
Detail
pages may not feature or contain Prohibited
Content or .
-
The
inclusion of any of the following information in detail page titles,
descriptions, bullet points, or images is prohibited:
-
Information
which is grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous, defamatory,
pedophilic, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or
racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or
encouraging money laundering or gambling, pornographic, obscene or
offensive content or otherwise unlawful in any manner whatever.
-
Availability,
price, condition, alternative ordering information (such as links to
other websites for placing orders).
-
Reviews,
quotes or testimonials.
-
Solicitations
for positive customer reviews.
-
Advertisements,
promotional material, or watermarks on images, photos or videos.
-
Time-sensitive
information
-
Information
which belongs to another person and to which the REGISTERED USER
does not have any right to.
-
Information
which infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other
proprietary rights.
-
Information
which deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the
messages or communicates any information which is grossly offensive
or menacing in nature.
-
Information
which threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or
sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or
public order or causes incitement to the commission of any
cognizable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is
insulting any other nation.
-
Information
containing software viruses or any other computer code, files or
programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality
of any computer resource.
-
Information
violating any law for the time being in force.
-
All
Documents/ Advices should be appropriately and accurately classified
to the most specific location available. Incorrectly classifying
Documents/ Advices is prohibited.
-
Documents/
Advice titles, Documents/ Advice descriptions, and bullets must be
clearly written and should assist the customer in understanding the
Documents/ Advice. .
-
All
Documents/ Advice images must meet SoOLEGAL general standards as
well as any applicable category-specific image guidelines.
-
Using
bad data (HTML, special characters */? etc.) in titles,
descriptions, bullets and for any other attribute is prohibited.
-
Do
not include HTML, DHTML, Java, scripts or other types of executables
in your detail pages.
Prohibited
REGISTERED USER Activities and Actions
SoOLEGAL.com
REGISTERED USER Rules are established to maintain a transacting
platform that is safe for buyers and fair for REGISTERED USERS.
Failure to comply with the terms of the REGISTERED USER Rules can
result in cancellation of listings, suspension from use of
SoOLEGAL.in tools and reports, or the removal of transacting
privileges.
-
Attempts
to divert transactions or buyers: Any
attempt to circumvent the established SoOLEGAL Transactions process
or to divert SoOLEGAL users to another website or Transactions
process is
prohibited. Specifically, any advertisements, marketing messages
(special offers) or "calls to action" that lead, prompt,
or encourage SoOLEGALusers to leave the SoOLEGAL website are
prohibited.
Prohibited
activities include the following:
-
The
use of e-mail intended to divert customers away from the
SoOLEGAL.com Transactions process.
-
Unauthorised
& improper "Names": A
REGISTERED USER's Name (identifying the REGISTERED USER's entity on
SoOLEGAL.com) must be
a name that: accurately identifies the REGISTERED USER; is not
misleading: and the REGISTERED USER has the right to use (that is,
the name cannot include the trademark of, or otherwise infringe on,
any trademark or other intellectual property right of any person).
Furthermore, a REGISTERED USER cannot use
a name that contains an e-mail suffix such as .com, .net, .biz, and
so on.
-
Unauthorised
& improper invoicing: REGISTERED
USERS must ensure that the tax invoice is raised in the name of the
end customer who has placed an order with them through SoOLEGAL
Payment Systems platform . The tax invoice should not mention
SoOLEGAL as either a REGISTERED USER or a customer/buyer. Please
note that all Documents/ Advices listed on SoOLEGAL.com are sold by
the respective REGISTERED USERS to the end customers and SoOLEGAL is
neither a buyer nor a REGISTERED USER in the transaction. REGISTERED
USERS need to include the PAN/ Service Tax registration number in
the invoice.
-
Inappropriate
e-mail communications: All
REGISTERED USER e-mail communications with buyers must be courteous,
relevant and appropriate. Unsolicited e-mail communications with
SoOLEGAL , e-mail communications other than as necessary and related
customer service, and e-mails containing marketing communications of
any kind (including within otherwise permitted communications) are
prohibited.
-
Operating
multiple REGISTERED USER accounts: Operating
and maintaining multiple REGISTERED USER accounts is prohibited.
-
In
your request, please provide an explanation of the legitimate
business need for a second account.
-
Misuse
of Search and Browse: When
customers use SoOLEGAL's search engine and browse structure, they
expect to find relevant and accurate results. To protect the
customer experience, all Documents/ Advice-related information,
including keywords and search terms, must comply with the guidelines
provided under . Any attempt to manipulate the search and
browse experience is prohibited.
-
Misuse
of the ratings, feedback or Documents/ Advice reviews: REGISTERED
USERS cannot submit abusive or inappropriate feedback entries,
coerce or threaten buyers into submitting feedback, submit
transaction feedback regarding them, or include personal information
about a transaction partner within a feedback entry. Furthermore,
any attempt to manipulate ratings of any REGISTERED USER is
prohibited. Any attempt to manipulate ratings, feedback, or
Documents/ Advice reviews is prohibited.
-
Reviews: Reviews
are important to the SoOLEGAL Platform, providing a forum for
feedback about Documents/ Advice and service details and reviewers'
experiences with Documents/ Advices and services –
positive
or negative. You may not write reviews for Documents/ Advices or
services that you have a financial interest in, including reviews
for Documents/ Advices or services that you or your competitors deal
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The Karnataka High Court recently rejected a criminal case in which a Magistrate took cognizance of the offense of rape on a complaint submitted by the accused’s estranged wife, despite the fact that the accused was not accused of rape. The plaintiff submitted the complaint against multiple people, including the Pontiff of Ramachandrapura Mutt, alleging a variety of offences, including rape. The complainant’s spouse was also one of the accused. The offense of rape against the spouse was prosecuted by the Magistrate.
Manjunath Hebbar, the husband, was outraged and petitioned the High Court to have the proceedings halted. The High Court, in granting the petition, stated, “Neither the complaint, the investigation nor final report speaks of Section 376 of IPC or offense of rape against the petitioner. Therefore, in the light of the facts at hand as considered herein and the judgments of the Apex Court, the order taking cognizance on the face of it is reckless and suffers from non – application of mind.”
While granting Hebbar’s plea, a single judge bench led by Justice M Nagaprasanna stated, “All the points that have arisen for consideration are held against the prosecution viz., delay in lodging the FIR; final report being filed by an officer who was not in – charge of the Police Station; act of the learned Magistrate in taking cognizance of the offense which bears no application of mind and fact that the complaint itself not linking any event narrated to the offenses alleged.”
It also added, “In my considered view that such allegations cannot enmesh the petitioner for continuance of trial, as it would without doubt degenerate into harassment and be an abuse of the process of law, resulting in miscarriage of justice. Therefore, this is a fit case where this court has to exercise its jurisdiction under Section – 482 of the Cr.P.C. and obliterate entire proceedings against the petitioner.”
In its ruling, the Court stated that it had only dealt with the proceedings against the petitioner, Manjunath Hebbar, and had not dealt with the other defendants.
“The trial, if any, pending against any other accused shall be considered by the competent court without being influenced by the observations or the findings in the case at hand”, the Court said.
Case Background:
On May 27th, 2009, the accused and the victim married in Sirsi. The petitioner alleged that on March 18, 2012, the second respondent left the marital home and began living apart from him. Following that, in 2014, she filed a formal notice claiming maintenance. It received a response. Despite this, the complainant filed a petition under Section 125 of the Cr.P.C. claiming maintenance from the petitioner’s hands. Following the filing of objections to the petition, the petitioner filed a plea under Section – 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act seeking return of Conjugal rights. In response, the complainant filed M.C. No. 25 of 2016 requesting annulment of marriage with the petitioner.
Following the issuance of notice in the petition filed by the complainant seeking a divorce in M.C. No. 25 of 2016, the petitioner filed a civil petition in C.P. No. 141 of 2018 seeking transfer of the petition filed by the petitioner, and the complaint registers a complaint on 29.08.2015, during the pendency of consideration of the said petition.
Following the registration of the crime, the police conducted an investigation and issued a final report/charge sheet for offenses punishable under Sections 323, 376, 376 (2)(f)(i)(n), 498A, and 109 of the IPC. On September 27th, 2018, the magistrate took note of the matter and issued the procedure. Following that, the petitioner went to court. The court has stopped further proceedings with an interim order.
Petitioner Submissions:
Senior Advocate CV Nagesh and Advocate S. Rajashekar, who represented the petitioner, stated that the “entire procedures right from the word go is a severe shock to acknowledged canons of law since entry level of the processes is vitiated on account of it being patently opposed to law.”
Furthermore, it was argued that the delay in filing the complaint and registering the FIR tainted the entire procedure, as there is a 9 month wait in filing the complaint. The learned Magistrate’s cognizance of the alleged offences in based on a lack of application of mind.
It was also said, “the learned magistrate takes cognizance under Section – 190 of the Cr.P.C., for offenses punishable under Sections 323, 376, 498A and 109 of the IPC without there being any allegation of the said nature against the petitioner.”
It was further argued that the magistrate made a grave error in taking cognizance of the offense based on a final report filed by the CID, who is not an officer in charge of the Police Station. The issuing of process is a violation of Criminal Procedure Code, Section – 204.
Victims Submissions:
Advocate Arvind. M. Neglur stated that there was no delay, as the petitioner claimed, because the offense under Section 498A of the IPC is punishable by imprisonment for three years, and hence the complaint was filed within those three years.
Based on a standing order dated 7.11.1958, which depicts the officer of CID as the officer – in – command of a police station for the conduct of the investigation, he would argue that after the investigation is over, he is authorized to file the charge sheet. Furthermore, under section 36 of the Cr.P.C., a senior officer may exercise the jurisdiction of the officer in charge of a police station, and so the submission of the final report is not jeopardized.
Furthermore, taking cognizance of rape under Section – 376 of the IPC cannot be faulted since it also involves accused No. 1 and accused No. 2 in linked, cannot be held to be bad in law.
Prosecutions Submissions
Advocate Namitha Mahesh B.G, appearing for the prosecution, submitted that the officer in charge of a police station is empowered to file the final report/charge sheet and that the same view with regard to officer in charge of a police station taken by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in Criminal Revision No. 34 of 2018 disposed of on 18-01-2021 is stayed by the Apex Court in S.L.P. Nos. 2157 – 2158 of 2021 and, therefore the same should not be addressed by the court.
Court findings:
The court reviewed the victim’s allegation and stated, “the events narrated in the complaint are all of the year 2009, against the petitioner. The last of the event as narrated in the complaint is on March 18th, 2012 and the complaint is registered on August 29th, 2015. Therefore, on consideration of the complaint and the date of registration of FIR, the unmistakable conclusion that would emerge is that, it is hit by delay.”
Further it said that, “The delay in the case at hand even on perusal of the complaint is close to 3 years and 6 months as the date of desertion, even according to the complaint is on 18.03.2012, and complaint is registered on 29.08.2015. There is absolutely no explanation for such delay anywhere in the complaint or the statements. Therefore, the delay is lodging the complaint and registration of FIR, for the offenses alleged has undoubtedly vitiated the very initiation of proceedings against the petitioner.”
The court next addressed whether CID may file the final report with someone who was not an official in charge of the police station. According to the court, “Admittedly, there is no notification issued under Section 2(m) declaring the office of CID to be a police station. Therefore, the officer in – charge in the office of the CID cannot be an officer in – charge of a police station, without at the outset the office of the CID being declared as the police station.”
“Moreover, as per section 36 Cr.P.C., an officer of the CID, cannot mean to be a superior officer in – charge of a police station as the office of CID is not a police station,” the court said.
The court stated that the learned Magistrate’s cognizance on the final report and issuing of process suffers from lack of application of mind and would be contradictory to Section 204 of the Cr.P.C., “if order taking cognizance is considered on the touchstone of either Section – 204 or Section 190 of Cr.P.C. (supra), it would without a shadow of doubt fall foul of the said provisions of law, as there is absolutely no application of mind by the learned Magistrate in taking cognizance as to which offence he is taking cognizance of.”
It added, “Neither the complaint, the investigation nor final report speaks of Section 376 of IPC or offense of rape against the petitioner. Therefore, in the light of the facts at hand as considered herein and the judgments of the Apex Court, the order taking cognizance on the face of it is reckless and suffers from non – application of mind.”
The court then proceeded to examine each of the accusations leveled and, after analyzing the complaint and statements recorded, concluded that, “Nowhere make out any of the ingredients of the aforesaid offences.”
It also pointed that, “The learned Magistrate was required to apply his mind, record reasons for taking cognizance and issuance of process as it is mandatory that he should find sufficient ground for issuance of process and such application of mind or existence of sufficient ground, would become demonstrable only in the order taking cognizance. The order taking cognizance (supra) does not bear any semblance of application of mind. Issuance of process is a serious matter, since a criminal trial is set in motion, on such act of taking cognizance. Such a paramount process cannot casually be made by the learned Magistrate.”
However, the court also clarified that, “The observations made in the course of the order are restricted to the consideration of the case of the petitioner alone and cannot be paraphrased to any other accused. The trial, if any, pending against any other accused shall be considered by the competent court without being influenced by the observations or the finding in the case at hand.”
Tagged: Karnataka HC criminal case Section 376 IPC Justice M Nagaprasanna Hindu Marriage Act Advocate CV Nagesh Advocate S. Rajashekar Criminal Procedure CodeAdvocate Arvind. M. Neglur