Upon arrest, you have several rights: 1) The Right to be Informed of the Grounds of Arrest. 2) The Right to be Presented Before a Magistrate within 24 hours. 3) The Right to Consult a Lawyer of your choice. 4) A female can only be searched by another female officer. 5) The Right to remain silent.

Generally, no. The police require a search warrant issued by a magistrate to search your property. However, there are exceptions in certain emergency situations under laws like the NDPS Act, where they can conduct a search if they have credible information and reason to believe that evidence might be destroyed if they wait for a warrant.

A Zero FIR is an FIR that can be filed in any police station, irrespective of the location where the crime was committed. Its significance is to ensure that the victim of a serious crime can start the police process immediately without being turned away for jurisdictional reasons. The station that registers the Zero FIR will later transfer it to the appropriate police station.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, you have the right to a replacement, a full refund, or compensation for a defective product or deficient service. You can file a complaint in the District, State, or National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission depending on the value of the product/service.

Yes. As per recent guidelines, levying a service charge is an unfair trade practice. A consumer can object to paying it, and can file a complaint with the consumer commission if the restaurant forces them to pay.

Under the Factories Act, 1948, a worker cannot be made to work for more than 48 hours in a week and not more than 9 hours in a day. For overtime work, they must be paid at double the normal rate of wages.

This depends on your employment contract. If you are a permanent employee, the company usually has to follow a proper procedure, which includes giving a valid reason and a notice period (or salary in lieu of notice). Arbitrary termination can be challenged in a labour court.

Yes. The Supreme Court of India has declared the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution (Right to Life and Personal Liberty).

The RTI Act, 2005 empowers any citizen of India to request information from any public authority (government body). The authority is legally bound to provide the information within 30 days, promoting transparency and accountability.

Generally, no. A woman cannot be arrested between sunset and sunrise. In exceptional circumstances, if an arrest is necessary, it can only be done by a woman police officer after obtaining prior permission from a Judicial Magistrate.

As a tenant, you have the right to a written rent agreement, protection from arbitrary eviction (the landlord must have a valid reason and follow a legal process), and the right to basic amenities like water and electricity supply.

No, it is illegal for a traffic police officer to snatch your car or bike keys. They can ask for your license and vehicle documents, and issue a challan for any violation, but they cannot forcibly take your keys.

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a legal action initiated in a court of law for the protection of ‘public interest’. Any citizen can file a PIL on behalf of a group of people whose rights are being violated, even if they are not personally affected.

No. Consumer courts have repeatedly ruled that it is an unfair trade practice for stores to charge customers for carry bags that have their branding or logo on them, as it amounts to advertising at the customer’s expense.

The legal minimum age for marriage in India is 18 years for females and 21 years for males, under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.