Constitution of India

The appellant, C.I.T., Mumbai, challenged the assessment that the twisting and texturising of partially oriented yarn (POY) did not constitute "manufacture" under Section 80IA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Court examined expert testimony that POY is a semi‑finished yarn which, after undergoing a thermo‑mechanical pr…

The case concerned the murder of Hira Singh during a Holi celebration in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, where five accused assaulted him and others. The trial court convicted all five under Sections 302 and 149 of the IPC, imposing life imprisonment, while the High Court affirmed the convictions. On special leave, the Supreme …

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of luxury‑tax statutes enacted by Uttar Pradesh (1995), Andhra Pradesh (1987) and West Bengal (1994) which imposed tax on the supply of tobacco and other goods described as "luxuries". The central issue was whether Entry 62 of List II of the Seventh Schedule permit…

The appellant, a husband, was convicted for dowry harassment and cruelty towards his wife, which culminated in her suicide. The trial court found him guilty under IPC Sections 498A and 306 read with Section 34, sentencing him to three years for cruelty and seven years for abetment of suicide, to run concurrently. The H…

The State seized a truck carrying forest produce without a transit permit and initiated confiscation proceedings under the West Bengal amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The District Judge set aside the confiscation order on the ground that the notice under Section 59‑B was invalid, directing the authorities to…

Justice S.K. Ray, a former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, was appointed Lokpal under the Orissa Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 1970 for a five‑year term. The Act was repealed by the Orissa Lokpal and Lokayukta (Repeal) Ordinance, 1992 (later replaced by the 1995 Act), causing him to cease office before the term exp…

The petitioner, an under‑trial prisoner for theft and robbery, was detained under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1982 on the ground that he had pelted stones at the public while committing a robbery, allegedly creating alarm and threatening public order. He challenged the detention …

The Apparel Export Promotion Council dismissed A.K. Chopra, a private secretary, for repeatedly attempting to molest a junior female employee, Miss X, by making unwelcome sexual advances and trying to touch her despite her objections. A departmental enquiry found the conduct amounted to sexual harassment and ordered hi…

The Secunderabad Hyderabad Hotel Owners Association challenged the increase in trade licence fees for lodging houses, hotels and related establishments imposed by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation under Section 622 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, through orders dated 6 April 1981 and 25 July 1992. T…

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed against orders that excluded about 900 acres of land, held under agreements to sell, from the ceiling provisions of the A.P. Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1975. The issue was whether such lands should be counted in the holdings of both the vendor and the vende…

The case concerned an election for Chairman of a Panchayat Union in Tamil Nadu where two candidates claimed to be the official Indian National Congress (I) nominee. The Returning Officer first allotted unreserved symbols, but after a letter from the party president clarified the appellant as the official candidate, an …

The appellant owned land on the banks of the Tapti River that the State of Gujarat sought to acquire under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for extending the village of Bhairav to house twelve families displaced by floods. After objections were filed, a preliminary notification under s.4 and a final acquisition order und…

The Rajasthan Public Works Department employed workers from a drought‑stricken area to construct the Madanganj Harmara Road as famine relief, paying wages based on a work‑norm such that workers whose gangs failed to meet the norm received less than the statutory minimum wage of Rs.7 per day. The petitioners challenged …

The petitioners, Kuljit Singh (Ranga) and his associate Billa, challenged the President's refusal to commute their death sentences, invoking Article 72 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court examined the scope of the President's clemency power, emphasizing that it is limited to reducing sentences and cannot be used to …

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) conducted recruitment for Junior Health Inspector Grade‑II positions and published rank lists, but several vacancies remained unfilled due to overlapping candidates and non‑joining. The State Government, after a Tribunal order, recommended that KPSC expand the rank lists to f…

The Supreme Court examined a consumer complaint filed by two trusts on behalf of credit‑card users alleging that banks were charging exorbitant interest rates of 36%‑49% p.a., which the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had deemed an unfair trade practice and capped at 30% p.a. The Court held that…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by NOIDA Toll Bridge Company Ltd. (NTBCL) against a High Court order that halted toll collection on the Delhi‑NOIDA Direct Flyway (DND Flyway). The dispute arose from a 1997 Concession Agreement granting NTBCL the right to build, operate and collect tolls, which a residents' welfare…

The appellant filed a civil suit for specific performance which was referred to mediation under Section 89 of the CPC and settled amicably; he sought a full refund of the court fees paid, but the trial court allowed only a 50% refund. He challenged this in a writ petition, arguing that Section 16 of the Court Fees Act,…

The State of Punjab filed Special Leave Petitions (C) Nos. 29728‑29731 of 2008 challenging a High Court order concerning a 1963 auction of surplus evacuee lands. The Supreme Court found that the petitions contained factual inconsistencies between the case narrative and the synopsis/list of dates filed, the latter havin…

The appellants, Ganga Retreat and Towers Ltd., bought a prime property at a public auction on the basis that it was free‑hold, ceiling‑free and had a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 2.0. After paying the full consideration, they obtained possession and applied for building‑plan approval, but the municipal bye‑laws were amend…

The case concerns the murder of Jaba Dhibar on 16 September 1985, for which five accused were convicted by the trial court under Sections 148 and 304 Part I read with Section 149 of the IPC. The Calcutta High Court acquitted the accused, disbelieving the testimony of two eye‑witnesses (PW‑3 and PW‑5) and labeling them …

A student discovered that his date of birth was incorrectly recorded on the Board of Secondary Education, Assam certificate and applied for correction eight years after the certificate was issued. The Board, relying on Regulation 8, rejected the application because it was filed beyond the three‑year period prescribed f…

The appellants, who were Supervisors in the Accounts & Entitlement wing of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, claimed promotion to Assistant Accounts Officer on the basis that their pay scale and duties were identical to Section Officers and that they were entitled to equal pay for equal work. The Department arg…

The appellants, a group of landlords, challenged Sections 5(10)(B), 11(1) and 12(3) of the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act, 1947, which fixed "standard rent" at the level prevailing on 1 September 1940 or at the first letting, thereby preventing rent increases. They argued that the provisions ha…

Lily Kurian, the founding principal of St. Joseph's Training College for Women, was dismissed after an ex‑parte disciplinary enquiry and later reinstated by the Vice‑Chancellor, but the reinstatement was set aside by the Kerala High Court. The Kerala University Act, 1974 introduced Sections 60(7) and 61, allowing an ex…

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD) levied property tax on immovable properties owned by several State governments within the Union Territory of Delhi. The States challenged the levy, arguing that Article 289(1) of the Constitution exempts State property and income from Unio…

The case concerns refunds of excise and customs duties collected contrary to law. The Supreme Court examined the validity of Section 11-B of the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944, as amended in 1991, which restricts refunds to claimants who have not passed on the burden of duty to others. The Court overruled its earli…

The appellant Jagannath challenged a sale of property made by the insolvent Bhadarmal to the respondent Yugal Narain Purohit on May 17, 1958, seeking a declaration under Section 53 of the Provincial Insolvency Act that the transfer was fraudulent. The trial court, a single judge and a division bench of the Rajasthan Hi…

The Peoples' Union for Democratic Rights filed a writ under Article 32 of the Constitution alleging that on 19 April 1986 the police opened fire on a peaceful gathering of poor peasants in Arwal, Bihar, killing at least 21 persons and injuring many others. The petition sought full compensation for the victims, withdraw…

The Uttar Pradesh Government issued an order on 15 December 1982 requiring candidates for postgraduate medical degree courses to have at least 55% marks in MBBS and for diploma courses at least 52% before they could be considered for merit‑based admission. Several candidates denied admission challenged the order before…

The case involved a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) that received Rs.2,49,874 as insurance proceeds after the death of the Karta's father. The income from this amount was initially taxed in the Karta's personal assessment, but the Income Tax Officer later treated it as HUF income, leading to assessments for assessment yea…

Manmohan Singh Jaitla, a confirmed headmaster of an aided school in Chandigarh, and Amir Singh, a drawing teacher, were terminated by the school's Managing Committee invoking clauses of their employment agreements, without a disciplinary inquiry. Both appealed to the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner under Section 3…

The Supreme Court examined the plight of blind prisoners in Bihar who alleged police‑inflicted blinding and the State's failure to provide free legal aid. It reaffirmed that the right to free legal services for an indigent accused is an essential component of the fair procedure guaranteed by Article 21 and that the Sta…

The State of Uttar Pradesh levied a vend fee on the wholesale sale of denatured spirit and sought to validate the levy through the Uttar Pradesh Excise (Amendment) Act, 1972 and its 1976 re‑enactment. Licensees challenged the fee, arguing that the State lacked legislative competence, that the fee was an excise duty pro…

The State of Punjab appealed a High Court order that directed the original sale certificate of auction‑purchased property to be handed over to the purchaser and that the stamp duty deposited by the purchaser be refunded. The dispute arose from the liquidation of M/s Punjab United Forge Ltd., where M/s Ferrous Alloy For…

The husband and wife were married in 1989; the wife later filed a criminal complaint against the husband and his family under several IPC provisions and the Dowry Prohibition Act, which led to their arrest. The husband filed for divorce on the grounds of cruelty and alleged irretrievable breakdown, and the wife was lat…

P. Gunasekaran, a Deputy Office Superintendent in Central Excise, was dismissed after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of falsifying attendance records and impersonating an executive officer. Although he was later acquitted of related criminal charges, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) upheld the dismiss…

The Rajkot District Cooperative Bank Ltd. and other specified cooperative societies challenged the delimitation of constituencies for elections to their managing committees under Gujarat Specified Co‑operative Societies Election to Committee Rules, 1982, specifically Rule 3‑A sub‑rules (8) and (9). They argued that the…

The petitioner, Remdeo Chauhan, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Governor of Assam after a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Relatives of the victims challenged the commutation, arguing that the NHRC lacked jurisdiction a…

The plaintiff, a lease‑holder of land and superstructure since 1951, entered into a sale agreement with a charitable trust on 26 February 1980, subject to permission from the Charity Commissioner under Section 36 of the Bombay Public Trust Act. The Commissioner initially ordered the property to be sold by public auctio…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Companies (Accounting Standards) Rules, 2006 – which made Accounting Standard 22 (deferred tax) mandatory – exceeded the Central Government’s rule‑making power under s. 642 of the Companies Act, 1956 and conflicted with the Act’s provisions on true‑and‑fair accounts, Schedule VI a…

The Supreme Court examined a petition challenging the allotment of a plot of government land in Salt Lake City to retired Calcutta High Court Judge B.P. Banerjee, who had been hearing a writ petition concerning the same area. The petition alleged that the judge used his judicial position to secure the allotment, creati…

Harina​gar Sugar Mills Ltd, a sugar manufacturer licensed under the Bihar Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1960, was levied a market fee on its purchase of sugarcane and sale of sugar and molasses. The mill challenged the fee in a suit, obtained a decree in its favour, but later faced assessments and penalties for the…

Three SC clerks of the Madhya Pradesh Transport Department were appointed as Transport Sub‑Inspectors through a limited direct recruitment exam that gave a 10% relaxation in the required 50% passing marks, allowing them to pass with 40%. The exam was conducted only among SC/ST candidates for reserved posts, and another…

The State of Maharashtra issued a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to acquire two plots (CTS No. 211 and CTS No. 218) for a bus stand. The Land Acquisition Officer passed an award only for CTS No. 211, excluding CTS No. 218 on the basis of a private settlement between BEST and other partie…

The Bihar Legal Support Society filed a writ petition seeking that special leave petitions (SLPs) against orders refusing bail or anticipatory bail be listed immediately, arguing that "small men" should receive the same urgency as industrialists. The Supreme Court held that the decision to list such SLPs urgently lies …

The petitioners, holders of contract carriage permits, challenged a 1975 Rajasthan Government notification that authorised officers of the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (Deputy General Manager (Traffic), Assistant Depot Managers and Traffic Inspectors) to exercise the powers under Section 129A of the Motor…

Harsharan Verma filed a writ petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging the continuance of Charan Singh as Prime Minister and S.N. Kacker as minister, alleging that Charan Singh failed to obtain a Lok Sabha mandate within three weeks as directed by the President, resigned on 20 August 1979, and thereafter continu…

Gujarat Steel Tubes Ltd. and its workers' union, Gujarat Steel Tubes Mazdoor Sabha, clashed after the company terminated 853 employees during an illegal strike. The dispute was referred to arbitration under Section 10A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and the arbitrator upheld the dismissals. The union challenged …

The petitioners, a civil society organization, filed a writ under Article 32 seeking mandatory implementation of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and its Rules across the Union and all States/UTs. The Court examined the statutory scheme, particularly the duties of the…

The case concerns three bighas of land in Bikaner purchased by Gordhan Dass and co‑owners in 1970, which the Urban Improvement Trust later claimed to have acquired under the Rajasthan Urban Improvement Act, 1959. The Trust issued acquisition notices to the original khatedars recorded in the revenue records but not to t…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals concerning the Most‑Favoured‑Nation (MFN) clause in India’s DTAA’s with the Netherlands, France and Switzerland. The assessees argued that the MFN benefit should apply automatically when India later entered into a DTAA with another OECD member, even if that third country w…

The appellant, Hemant Narayan Rasne, who was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) just before the corporation's five‑year term expired on 14 March 2022, filed a writ petition seeking to continue the Standing Committee’s existence despite the appointment of an Administrator afte…

The appellant, Rajesh Awasthi, was appointed Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission after a Selection Committee forwarded his name with a note that the government must first ensure compliance with Section 85(5) of the Electricity Act, 2003. The petitioner challenged the appointment, ar…

The appellant filed an FIR under dowry and related offences against the respondent. The respondent's family filed a criminal miscellaneous writ petition seeking to quash the FIR; the High Court stayed the arrest of the respondent and ordered a monthly deposit of Rs 2,000. After the investigation closed and the magistra…

The case concerned Civil Assistant Surgeons (CAS) in the Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Services who, after obtaining a post‑graduate degree, were transferred laterally to the teaching cadre as Assistant Professors. The transferred officers claimed that their prior service as CAS should be counted for seniority in t…

The petitioners challenged the Constitution (Seventy‑Seventh), (Eighty‑First), (Eighty‑Second) and (Eighty‑Fifth) Amendment Acts, which inserted Article 16(4A) (reservation in promotion for SC/STs with consequential seniority), Article 16(48) (exclusion of carry‑forward vacancies from the 50% ceiling) and a proviso to …

Prabhat Kumar Sharma, a member of the Lohar community in Bihar, claimed Scheduled Tribe status to obtain reservation benefits in the Civil Services examinations. The UPSC initially allowed him to appear as a Scheduled Tribe candidate based on a High Court direction, but later treated him as an Other Backward Class afte…

The State of Rajasthan and a Gram Panchayat jointly implemented the "Jal Pradyot Vojna" water‑supply scheme, under which the Gram Panchayat hired Sarjeet Singh as a pump driver on a fixed‑term contract that was extended until the scheme’s completion on 7 Nov 1997. When the scheme ended, his services were terminated. He…

Ku Rashmi Mishra, a qualified candidate for the post of Assistant Registrar in a Madhya Pradesh State University, was not selected among 17 candidates chosen by the State Public Service Commission. She filed a writ petition under Article 226 challenging the selection, alleging favoritism and that the interview‑only met…

Hardey Motor Transport, a holder of contract‑carriage permits, was alleged to be using its buses as stage‑carriage vehicles. The vehicles were detained and the State demanded duty as if the buses were being plied without any permit, even though the appellants had already paid tax at the higher rate applicable to contra…

Sub‑Inspector Prithipal Singh was dismissed on a charge of grave misconduct for allegedly letting a smuggler off after taking money. The appellate authority set aside the dismissal, reinstated him and a departmental inquiry was held, which found the charges unproved and the disciplinary proceeding was dropped. Later, u…

The plaintiff, Phagua, executed a sale deed in favour of Mst. Hasrat Bi after obtaining a Rs.400 loan, simultaneously agreeing that the property would be reconveyed if the loan was repaid within three years. The loan was not repaid, Hasrat Bi's name was mutated in revenue records and she sold the land to the appellants…

The Supreme Court examined appeals against the Delhi High Court’s cancellation of petrol pump, LPG and SKO dealership allotments made by the Minister of Petroleum under a discretionary quota. The Court held that the 1995 Supreme Court guidelines did not tacitly approve prior allotments, and that the principle of constr…

Gulam Hussain Shaikh Chougule was convicted under Section 135 of the Customs Act for allegedly smuggling 207 silver ingots aboard a trawler intercepted by customs officers. During the investigation, his statement was recorded by a gazetted customs officer under Section 108 of the Customs Act, without the safeguards of …

The State of Punjab issued two separate advertisements for 700 Panchayat Secretary posts, one for male candidates (18‑Sept‑1997) and another for female candidates (19‑Sept‑1998), both fixing 1‑Sept‑1997 as the cut‑off date for satisfying the age eligibility of 18 to 35 years as prescribed by Rule 5 of the Punjab Pancha…

Sukhdev Singh Gill, a former Superintendent in the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), sought to have his service counted as "military service" for seniority purposes under the Punjab Government National Emergency (Concession) Rules, 1965. The High Court rejected his claim and dismissed his writ petition, leading to…

The Supreme Court examined whether a corporation for whose benefit land was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 qualifies as a "person interested" under Section 3(b) and as a proper party under Order I Rule 10 of the CPC. A notification acquiring 5,200 acres for the appellant corporation led to compensation a…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Haryana General Sales Tax Act, 1973 (as amended) and the Bombay Sales Tax Act, 1959 (section 13‑AA) could levy a tax on the despatch of manufactured goods to a dealer’s own branches outside the State. It held that the taxable event under both statutes is the consignment/despatch o…

The petitioners challenged the appointment of Shri B.P. Adhikari as Director of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) on the grounds that the ISI, being a body controlled by the Union Government, is a "state" or "other authority" under Article 12 and therefore subject to judicial review under Article 32. They also con…

The Supreme Court examined a series of challenges to the draft Constitution of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) raised by Rahul Mehra and other stakeholders, focusing on issues such as the inclusion and eligibility of eminent players, the definition of office‑bearers, the number of vice‑presidents, disqualifica…

In 2013 a car collided with a 14‑wheeler that had been abandoned in the middle of a highway without any warning lights or markers, killing the car's driver and three passengers while one passenger, Smt. Sushma, survived with injuries. The claimants filed compensation claims under the Motor Vehicles Act against the owne…

O.P. Gupta was appointed in 1967 as Assistant Charge Man in the Rajasthan Agriculture Engineering Board, later transferred to the Rajasthan State Agro Industry Corporation, and resigned in 1977 to take up a post of Assistant Director (Agro‑Industries) in the Department of Industries after selection by the RPSC. Upon re…

The Supreme Court examined whether Section 3J of the National Highways Act, 1956, which excludes the Land Acquisition Act's provisions on solatium and interest, violates Article 14 of the Constitution. The Court held that solatium is an integral part of compensation for compulsory acquisition and that the 1997 amendmen…

Syscon Consultants entered into a 1985 agreement to purchase a coastal island in Goa from defendants 1‑6, who misrepresented themselves as sole owners and concealed a mortgage and a sister's pre‑emptive rights. The plaintiff paid an advance and later discharged the mortgage by paying Rs 17 lakh, but the defendants fail…

The appellants Jagat Rai, Deepak Rai and Bachcha Babu Rai were convicted for the pre‑meditated murder of an informant, his wife and five children by locking them in a house and setting it ablaze, motivated by the informant's refusal to withdraw an FIR. The trial court sentenced all three to death, a decision affirmed b…

The Jharkhand High Court had appointed 17 Additional District Judges (ADJs) to the regular cadre under a 2001 advertisement, but later appointed another 25 ADJs as Fast Track Court (FTC) judges using the same merit list. The petitioners, sub‑judges, challenged these later appointments as illegal, arguing that FTC posts…

The appellant, D.M. Nagajara, a habitual offender involved in multiple serious crimes, was detained under Section 3 of the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug-Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum-Grabbers Act, 1985. He challenged the detention order, arguing tha…

The respondent, a Sheristadar in the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Ministerial Service, was transferred from Thoothukudi to Ramanathapuram on administrative grounds following a vigilance report and a district judge’s opinion that his retention was undesirable. He later claimed the transfer was punitive because it barred hi…

The appellant, Banatwala & Co., a tenant of premises owned by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), sought fixation of standard rent and restoration of essential services under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 after the landlord raised rent and failed to repair a lift. The respondents argued that the premise…

Pramod Kumar Saxena, an under‑trial prisoner detained since August 1998 for alleged fraud and other offences in 48 cases across six states, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking release on bail, arguing that his prolonged detention violated his fundamental rights. The State argued that the offences were non‑ba…

The appellant, Dhirendra Pandua, was elected as a municipal councillor and chairperson in Orissa, but a fellow councillor filed an election petition under section 38 of the Orissa Municipality Act, 1950 alleging that Pandua was a leprosy patient and therefore disqualified under sections 16(1)(iv) and 17(1)(b). The peti…

The Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board (UPSEB), a public sector undertaking, entered into supply agreements with several cooperative societies registered under the Uttar Pradesh Co-operative Societies Act, 1965. Disputes arose over the rates charged and alleged failure to provide uninterrupted power, leading the All…

The appellant, a senior officer of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), was dismissed by the General Manager under clause (vi) of Standing Order 20 after an incident at the refinery hospital where he was alleged to have led a mob and assaulted the Chief Medical Officer. The dismissal was effected without a disciplinary enquir…

The petitioners, job‑workers manufacturing cigarettes under exemption notifications issued in 1999, were ordered by the High Court to receive refunds of excise duty. After the High Court upheld the refunds, Parliament enacted Section 154 of the Finance Act, 2003, retrospectively withdrawing the exemption and authorisin…

The plaintiff filed a suit for permanent injunction and simultaneously obtained an ex parte temporary injunction under Order 39 Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The trial court’s order required the plaintiff to give notice and deliver documents to the opposite party as mandated by the proviso to Rule 3, bu…

The respondent, originally appointed as Assistant Engineer on an ad hoc basis in 1980, was later regularised in 1982 after selection by the Haryana Public Service Commission. He sought selection‑grade pay under Government of Haryana circulars dated 2 June 1989 and 16 May 1990, claiming that his continuous service from …

The respondent, an employee of Western India Plywood Ltd., suffered a hand amputation while at work and received disability benefits under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948. He later sought permission to file a suit for additional compensation against his employer under tort law, but the trial court dismis…

The Supreme Court examined the absorption of staff from the H.I.M. Ayurvedic Degree College, which had been taken over by the Himachal Pradesh government. The college employees were to be regularised only if they satisfied qualifications, age, and were appointed before the takeover, as per the agreement and a screening…

The Meerut Development Authority sought to acquire land for a housing scheme and had issued a notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 on 11 June 1985 and a declaration under Section 6 on 13 June 1985, i.e., simultaneously. The respondents challenged the validity of the simultaneous publication…

The SC/ST Officers Welfare Council filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging a July 28, 1986 memorandum that raised the minimum length of service required for promotion in the Provincial Medical Health Services of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly to deny promotion to three SC/ST officers. The petition sought quashing …

The Union of India filed a writ petition under Article 226 challenging demand notices issued by the Purna Municipal Council for service charges of Rs.28,400 on railway property for the years 1954‑1960. The Union relied on Article 285 of the Constitution read with Section 135 of the Indian Railways Act, 1890, which perm…

The State of Madhya Pradesh issued a 1981 notification exempting certain classes of dealers from sales tax, but the Director of Industries denied certificates to flour and dal mill units on the ground that they were "traditional industries" excluded by earlier subsidy schemes. The assessees argued that the notification…

The Assam Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, a registered society promoting Hindi, was managed by elected bodies until a 1983 amendment removed the Chief Minister as ex‑officio president. In 1984 the Chief Minister invoked emergency powers, dissolved the elected committees and formed an ad‑hoc board, after which the Governo…

The appellant, Bindeshwari Ram, an Assistant Conservator of Forest, challenged a seniority list that placed several promoted colleagues (respondents 7‑12) above him, relying on a cabinet memorandum that purportedly granted him higher seniority. The matter hinged on Rule 35 of the Bihar Forest Service Rules, 1953, which…

The petitioners, KANTHIMATHY PLANTATIONS, challenged the acquisition of their land in Kerala that had been initiated under the Kerala Land Acquisition Act, 1961. The acquisition proceeded to a declaration under section 6 before the Central Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (as amended by Act 68 of 1984) was extended to the St…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute over the revival of Kamani Tubes Ltd., where the workers, through their union, proposed a scheme for revival that was examined and sanctioned by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985. The Court…

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission advertised for the post of Food & Drug Controller, requiring a medical degree and five years of experience in drug standardisation or testing. Dr. M.C. Bindal applied, claiming seven years of experience, and was provisionally recommended pending verification of the experience…

Esso Eastern Inc., later Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., occupied a flat in Shyam Co‑operative Housing Society on a leave‑and‑licence basis from 1968, with the licence renewed yearly. By 1 February 1973 a subsisting licence existed, rendering the occupier a "deemed tenant" under section 15A of the Bombay Rent Act…

The Fairfield Co‑operative Housing Society, a tenant‑partnership society, discovered that its member Smt. Vishni J. Kalwani had let flat No. 7 to A.V.R. & Co. and J.R. Enterprises as licencees without the society’s consent, violating its bye‑laws. The society filed a dispute under Section 91 of the Maharashtra Cooperat…

The State of Kerala issued a Gazette order (Ex. P‑4) sanctioning 91 private agencies to open or upgrade unaided recognised schools under the Kerala Education Act, 1957. After a change of government, a subsequent order (Ex. P‑7) cancelled the earlier sanction without hearing the applicants. The applicants challenged the…

The petitioners, five accused including Simranjit Singh Mann, were arrested near the Indo‑Nepal border and charged with offences under the Indian Penal Code, while being detained under the National Security Act. They were granted bail under the proviso to Section 167(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, but could not be …

The Supreme Court examined a scheme whereby several states reserved a percentage of seats in medical colleges for candidates from other states to promote national integration. The Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh governments nominated candidates to these seats without any objective criteria, prompting the petitioners…

The Supreme Court examined the compulsory retirement of M.E. Reddy, a senior IPS officer, ordered under Rule 16(3) of the All India Services (Death‑cum‑Retirement) Rules, 1958. Reddy challenged the order, alleging it violated Article 311(2) of the Constitution, was arbitrary, mala fide and denied natural‑justice safegu…

The appellants, six former daily‑wage employees (Class‑IV peons/attendants and a Class‑III driver) were engaged by the U.P. Higher Education Services Commission between 1989 and 1992 and continued to work for decades. The Commission repeatedly sought sanction of fourteen permanent posts for such workers, but the State …

The appellants were appointed to Class III posts in the Jharkhand State Electricity Board through an internal advertisement in 2009, but their appointments were later cancelled en masse on the ground that they were beyond the sanctioned strength. The High Court Division Bench held the appointments illegal and set aside…

K. Prabhakar Hegde, a former officer of Vijaya Bank (later merged with Bank of Baroda), was dismissed after disciplinary proceedings for alleged irregularities in approving temporary overdrafts. He challenged the denial of the preliminary inquiry report, the failure of the Inquiry Officer to generally question him as r…

Ghanshyam Upadhyay, a lawyer, filed a criminal miscellaneous petition seeking the dissolution of a Commission of Inquiry that was set up to investigate the alleged encounter killing of Vikas Dubey. He alleged bias and conflict of interest against the Commission's Chairman, Justice B.S. Chauhan, and its member, K.L. Gup…

The appellant was originally granted a quarry lease in 1978, which was renewed in 1983 and later, after a lapse, a fresh lease was issued on 26 June 1991 under Rule 3 of the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules. That 1991 lease, along with the Government Order of 18 June 1991, was subsequently quashed by the High C…

The Governor‑cum‑Chancellor of Bihar appointed several Vice‑Chancellors and Pro‑Vice‑Chancellors without adhering to the statutory requirement of meaningful consultation with the State Government under the Bihar State Universities Act and the Patna University Act. Dr. Ram Tawakya Singh, a professor, challenged these ap…

The appellant, Ram Kumar, applied for the post of police constable in Uttar Pradesh and affirmed in his recruitment affidavit that no criminal case was pending against him. A criminal case (Cr. No. 275/2001) had earlier been registered against him but he was acquitted by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on 18 J…

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued a 1990 order granting time‑bound promotional scales only to directly recruited Assistant Engineers or those deemed directly recruited by meeting prescribed qualifications. Respondent Krishan Kumar Vij, a promotee who had completed 16 years of service but lacked the requisi…

The petitioner challenged the election of Dinesh Chaudhary to a Bihar Assembly seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, alleging that Chaudhary was a Kurmi (OBC) and not a Pasi (SC). The Returning Officer, despite lodging an FIR and having grave doubts about Chaudhary's caste certificate, accepted his nomination paper. The …

Punjab National Bank (PNB) initiated disciplinary proceedings against two assistant managers, Misra and Goel, after a Rs 1 lakh shortage was discovered in a currency chest. An inquiry officer found Misra guilty of only one charge and exonerated Goel of all charges, but the bank's disciplinary authority disagreed, held …

The dispute involved a house in Delhi where the owner, Usha Rani Rajgaria, claimed that the appellants, Mohan Pandey and another, had illegally taken possession of part of the property and were trespassing. While a civil suit for eviction was already pending, the owner filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Con…

Tej Singh Rao, a descendant of a Maratha general, held 294.61 acres in the former Nagpur State and claimed that the land was covered by a sovereign grant made by the ruler Raghoji II in 1793, which he argued was a legislative act protected by Article 372 of the Constitution and therefore exempt from the Maharashtra Agr…

The Tamil Nadu Government reserved three MBBS seats for "eminent sportsmen" and prescribed a preference order based on participation at international, national or state level, with a 50% academic eligibility threshold. The Selection Committee applied the national‑level criterion and chose three candidates based on thei…

The Deputy Commissioner of Agricultural Income Tax & Sales Tax, Ernakulam appealed against Indian Explosives Ltd., which had imported chemicals, dyes, etc., using its customers' Actual Users' Import Licences and then supplied the goods to those customers. The sales were assessed for sales tax under the Kerala General S…

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission conducted a competitive examination for recruitment of Munsifs, comprising written papers and a viva voce worth 25% of the total marks. The petitioner, who scored 189 overall (159 written, 30 viva), was not selected, while the last selected candidate scored 190 (135 written, 55 v…

The case concerned three categories of Assistant Engineers in the Uttar Pradesh Service of Engineers (Irrigation Branch) – direct recruits, promoted subordinate engineers and temporary engineers – and their claim to seniority. The petitioners argued that temporary engineers, having fulfilled qualifications, passed prob…

Teesta Atul Setalvad was arrested in June 2022 for alleged offences under Sections 468, 469, 471, 194, 211, 218 and 120B of the IPC, relating to alleged influence over false affidavits concerning documents from 2002‑2012. After being denied bail by the trial court and the High Court, the Supreme Court granted her inter…

The State of Tripura, following a High Court directive, reconstituted a society to manage the Tripura Medical College, giving the society its own recruitment rules and a mixed composition of government and non‑government members. Dr. Ashok Sinha filed a public‑interest litigation challenging the college’s admission pro…

The Supreme Court examined a challenge to the recruitment of Assistant Inspectors of Motor Vehicles (Group‑C) in Maharashtra, where a petitioner who had never applied for the post sought to quash the 2016 recruitment Rules, the advertisements of 2017 and the select list of 832 candidates. The High Court had allowed the…

The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and its successor GMADA were found to have charged excess rates for plot allotments, which the High Court reduced. The allottee, Jagtar Singh, sought interest on the refunded excess amount, but PUDA declined, citing no policy for interest. After PUDA failed to …

The Supreme Court was asked to decide whether it can transfer civil or criminal proceedings pending in any court of Jammu and Kashmir to a court outside the State and vice‑versa, despite the fact that Sections 25 of the CPC and 406 of the CrPC do not apply to Jammu and Kashmir and the State codes contain no such provis…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by land owners from the villages of Harthala and Mukkarrabpur who sought enhancement of compensation awarded under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Land Acquisition Officer had fixed modest rates, which were later enhanced by a reference court, but the High Court restored the origi…

The appellant, a general‑category candidate who secured the 95th rank in the 1998 Civil Services Examination, was allocated to the Manipur‑Tripura Joint IPS cadre, while an OBC candidate (respondent No.4) with the 133rd rank was allocated to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. The appellant claimed that the conversion of a gener…

The petitioner, Sushil Kumar Sharma, filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that it is misused to victimise innocent persons through false dowry‑related accusations. The Supreme Court examined whether the mere possibility of abus…

The Kerala State Electricity Board entered into a contract with contractor Kurien E. Kalathil for dam construction. After a 1983 government notification raised minimum wages, the Board paid labour‑escalation amounts to the contractor until December 1984, but stopped payments from January 1985, claiming the notification…

Lokmat Newspapers introduced photo‑type composing machines, rendering hand‑composing workers surplus. It issued a notice under Section 9‑A of the Industrial Disputes Act on 25 March 1982, after the machines were already in operation, and initiated conciliation proceedings which were closed at 4:35 pm on 22 June 1982. T…

Dr. D.C. Saxena filed a public‑interest writ petition seeking recovery of funds from the Prime Minister, which was dismissed by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India. He then filed a second writ petition directly against the Chief Justice, alleging bias, procedural improprieties, misuse of official facilities an…

Instructors employed on a part‑time basis in non‑formal education centres in West Bengal were paid a modest monthly honorarium and taught for two hours a day. They filed a writ petition seeking the same pay scales and allowances as regular primary school teachers, invoking the constitutional principle of "equal pay for…

The case concerned promotion eligibility in the Himachal Pradesh service where Head Clerks (appellants) and Accountants (respondents) had differing pay scales and seniority. Initially, Accountants drew a higher pay scale, but subsequent statutory rules under the proviso to Article 309 raised the Head Clerks' pay and cr…

The Panchayat Varga Sharmajivi Samudaik Sahakari Khedut Co‑op Society Ltd. (appellants) sought assignment of 300 acres of waste land vested in the Gram Panchayat for the economic empowerment of its labourer and Scheduled Caste members. The Gram Panchayat passed a unanimous resolution requesting the District Collector t…

Sunder, owner of joint family property, gifted part of his land to Brij Lal. Remote reversioners (the appellants) challenged the gift and a suit was compromised, granting them a one‑eighth share after Sunder's death. After Sunder died in 1964, the appellants sued to enforce the compromise decree, but Brij Lal contended…

Pyare Lal Sharma, a chemical engineer employed by Jammu & Kashmir Industries Ltd., was served a show‑cause notice on 21 April 1983 under the newly added grounds of unauthorised absence and participation in politics, and his services were terminated on 14 June 1983 by the Managing Director. Sharma challenged the termina…

Odyssey Communications, the producer of the TV serial 'Honi-Anhoni', appealed against a Bombay High Court interim injunction that barred telecasting episodes 12 and 13 on the ground that the serial spread superstitious beliefs. The Supreme Court held that the right to exhibit films on Doordarshan falls within the freed…

The appellant, a father, lost his five‑year‑old son when a tanker struck the boy as they walked to school on a road that had no footpath or pedestrian crossing. The father filed a claim for Rs 25,00,000 before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which awarded Rs 7,82,000 with interest; the High Court later reduced the …

S. Kasi was arrested on multiple IPC charges and remained in judicial custody for over 73 days without a charge sheet being filed. He applied for default bail under Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, arguing that the Supreme Court’s order dated 23 March 2020, which extended limitation periods for civil p…

The petitioners, members of the Sikh community, challenged their detention under the National Security Act, 1980, by filing writ petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution. Justice Venkataramiah observed that these matters were not ordinary criminal cases but involved serious questions of national security and the …

The appellant, Parvinder Singh, was subject to an ECIR and arrested, after which the Enforcement Directorate filed a prosecution complaint under the PMLA on 24 June 2024. The Special Court took cognizance of the offence on 2 July 2024, after the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) had come into force, without giv…

M/s Patanjali Foods Ltd. (formerly Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd.) challenged the customs department’s encashment of bank guarantees that were furnished as security under interim High Court orders. The company argued that such encashment could not be treated as "payment of duty" for purposes of a refund under Section 27 of…

The appellant, a casual worker appointed by a West Bengal municipality in 1991 and later placed on probation, sought regularisation of his service under government orders that mandated absorption of pre‑1991 casual employees. Despite several court orders directing his absorption and the regularisation of many similarly…

The Ministry of Home Affairs floated a tender for the supply of Glock pistols, which was awarded to Glock Asia‑Pacific Ltd. The tender’s conditions stipulated that any dispute be referred to a sole arbitrator appointed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, specifically an officer of the Ministry of Law. The…

The Supreme Court examined the recommendations of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC) concerning pay, pension, gratuity, retirement age and related service conditions for the district judiciary. The petitioners, All India Judges Association, sought uniform designations, a pay matrix with a 2.81 multipli…

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu writ concerning the massive pendency of cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, noted that over 33 lakh complaints were pending, a sharp rise from 26 lakh five months earlier. An expert committee had recommended the creation of de novo special NI courts, but amic…

The Supreme Court examined whether the GST Council’s recommendations are binding on Parliament and the States, and whether the import of goods on a CIF basis creates an inter‑state supply that makes the Indian importer the deemed recipient of shipping services. It held that the Council’s recommendations are merely pers…

The petitioners, a prominent journalist and media owner, challenged fourteen FIRs and complaints filed in various states arising from a single television broadcast on 21 April 2020, alleging that the FIRs violated their freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a). The Supreme Court examined whether multiple FIRs on the sa…

The appellant was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly setting a maid on fire by pouring kerosene on her, leading to her death. The prosecution's case relied on the victim's multiple dying declarations and circumstantial evidence, as there were no eye‑witnesses. The appellant contended that the Supreme Court, …

Narender Mala sent a letter to the Supreme Court highlighting poor working conditions of salt workers in Kachchh, Gujarat, which the Court treated as a writ petition under Article 32. The Court issued multiple directions to the Gujarat State and other agencies to investigate and improve the socio‑economic status of sal…

Pernod Ricard India, a sub‑licensee under the Madhya Pradesh Excise Act, was issued a demand notice in November 2011 for a penalty on excess loss of foreign liquor during the 2009‑10 license year. The notice sought a penalty calculated at four times the duty, as prescribed by the original Rule 19 of the 1996 Foreign Li…

The appellant, Vallampati Sathish Babu, participated in the 2012 direct recruitment for teachers in Andhra Pradesh and secured the 34th rank for 33 notified vacancies. One of the 33 selected candidates failed to appear for counselling, leaving a post vacant. The appellant sought appointment to the unfilled post, relyin…

The State of Uttarakhand challenged an order of the Uttarakhand Public Service Tribunal that directed the department to ignore certain uncommunicated entries in the service records while considering a promotion. The High Court disposed of the writ petition without addressing any of the grounds raised and merely directe…

The plaintiff, a pardahnashin lady, sued to declare two gift deeds as void, alleging she was misled into executing them under the impression of a power of attorney. The trial court, after reappreciating the evidence, declared the deeds void and decreed in favour of the plaintiff. The first appellate court dismissed the…

Mahaveer Kumar Jain, a resident of Rajasthan, won a Rs.20 lakh prize in the 1986 Sikkim State lottery. The prize was taxed at source under the Sikkim State Income Tax Rules, 1948, and Jain claimed a deduction under Section 80TT of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Assessing Officer and subsequent authorities held that the …

The case concerned an election to the Thiruvalla East Cooperative Bank Ltd., where the petitioners challenged the exclusion of a large number of members from the voters list and the conduct of the election. The High Court, invoking its power under Article 226, extended the one‑month period prescribed by Section 69(3) o…

The Supreme Court examined petitions filed under Article 32 seeking an inquiry into the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who died on 1 December 2014 while presiding over the Sohrabuddin case. The petitioners relied on media reports alleging foul play and questioned the conduct of the judges who accompanied the …

The husband Kalyan Dey Chowdhury and his wife Rita Dey Chowdhury (née Nandy) were married in 1995 and later divorced. The wife sought permanent alimony under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act, which was initially set at Rs.16,000 per month in 2015. The husband’s net salary rose from Rs.63,842 to Rs.95,000, prompting…

The case concerns the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the filing of a joint charge‑sheet by the CBI covering 49 FIRs alleging offences such as criminal conspiracy, hate offences and dacoity. The High Court held that a technical defect in the State notification preventing a joint trial was curable, but the Special Co…

Essar Steel Ltd. and other off‑takers had long‑term contracts to purchase regasified LNG (RLNG) at a fixed price. In 2007 the Union Government issued a policy directive to pool RLNG prices and apply a uniform, non‑discriminatory price to all long‑term contracts, which raised the price for the appellants. The appellants…

The Supreme Court examined multiple Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) arising from a protracted dispute over the acquisition and transfer of shares in Bombay Oxygen Corporation Ltd. The dispute involved Messer Holdings GmbH (MGG), Goyal Gases Ltd (GGL), the Ruia family (RUIAS) and a joint venture company Messer Holdings L…

The State prosecuted nine accused for the armed assault and murder of Manohar Lal and his wife Sushila, resulting in 30 and 33 injuries respectively. The trial court convicted all nine under Sections 148, 302/149 and 325/149 IPC. The High Court upheld convictions of six accused but acquitted Shakuntla, Premwati and Sar…

The Supreme Court examined the status of judges appointed on an ad‑hoc basis under the Fast Track Courts (FTC) Scheme and whether they were entitled to regularisation or absorption into the permanent judicial cadre. It held that the appointments were expressly temporary, terminable at will, and did not confer any indef…

The case concerned the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007 and whether members of the Empowered Standing Committee (ESC) nominated by a Mayor must vacate when a new Mayor is elected after a no‑confidence motion. The appellant, newly elected Mayor Afjal Imam, sought to nominate his own seven councillors to the ESC, but the Distri…

The appellants were convicted of murder (Section 302 IPC) based largely on the testimony of three eye‑witnesses (PWs 2‑4) who claimed to have seen the assailants stabbing the deceased. The defence challenged the conviction, arguing that the presence of these witnesses at the scene was doubtful and that the statements r…

The petitioners, parents of victims of alleged police encounters in Gujarat, filed writ petitions seeking a CBI investigation into the deaths, alleging the encounters were staged. The Gujarat High Court constituted an Investigation Team and, after a Metropolitan Magistrate’s inquiry under Section 176 CrPC found the enc…

The Supreme Court examined whether Rule 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Distillery Rules, 1946—requiring licensees to pay 50% of the salaries of excise officers posted at their distilleries—constituted a valid fee or an impermissible tax. Mis. Gupta Modern Breweries contended that the rule exceeded the rule‑making power un…

Pradeep Singh, an acting Naik in the Indian Army, was absent without leave for 21 months. Upon his return, his acting rank was withdrawn and he was tried by a Summary Court‑Martial under Sections 39A and 116 of the Army Act, which sentenced him to dismissal. He challenged the conviction on four grounds: the officiating…

The case concerned a government servant, T.V. Patel, who was penalised for alleged misconduct after a departmental inquiry. The disciplinary authority sought advice from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and, after receiving it, imposed a penalty, attaching a copy of the UPSC advice to the final order. The Cen…

The landlord sought eviction of the tenants under Section 21(1)(a) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, claiming a bona‑fide need for the shop to start his son’s business. The Prescribed Authority accepted the claim and ordered eviction with compensation. The Appell…

The All Manipur Government Colleges Teachers Association challenged a Government order that counted service in taken‑over private colleges towards promotion to Director, alleging discrimination against government lecturers and principals. The petitioners argued that principals of private colleges were promoted without …

The Supreme Court heard a suo moto contempt petition against Deputy Secretary Sanjiv Datta of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, who filed an affidavit in a writ petition concerning a cricket broadcasting dispute that alleged the Court had erred, mocked government policy, and undermined national sovereignty.…

The appellants, senior officers of the Intelligence Bureau, were dismissed under clause (c) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution on the President’s satisfaction that an inquiry was not expedient in the interest of State security. They challenged the dismissal, arguing that the President’s satisfa…

The appellants were appointed as Assistant Inspectors in 1963 despite lacking the then‑required degree qualification. After the 1966 rules relaxed the qualification to a diploma, the Labour Commissioner attempted to regularise their services on 15 December 1967 based on a 17 August 1966 notification that allowed regula…

The State of Sikkim terminated the services of several non‑local employees appointed under temporary posts, invoking Rule 4(4) of the Sikkim Government Establishment Rules, 1974, which gave preference to Sikkimese nationals. The employees challenged the terminations before the Sikkim High Court, which held that the rul…

The appellants, Othayath Lekshmy and others, were tenants who were dispossessed of their land after 1 April 1964 when the holding was sold at a court auction for arrears of rent. They filed an execution application under Section 13(B) of the Kerala Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 1969, seeking restoration of possession, …

The appellants challenged the declaration of surplus land under the Orissa Land Reforms Act, 1960, arguing that a 1965 partition in their families should prevent their share from being clubbed with their father's land. The High Court dismissed their writ petitions, relying on a Full Bench decision in Nityananda Guru v.…

The petitioners, members of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service, challenged the Delhi High Court's refusal to grant a selection grade promotion to an Additional District Judge who was directly recruited as a Scheduled Castes candidate. They claimed the High Court acted unreasonably and that merit‑based promotion should c…

The appellant, a movie producer, borrowed money from the complainant on the promise of a share in profits and later issued post‑dated cheques to repay the principal, which later bounced. The complainant filed a criminal complaint for cheating under Section 420 IPC and criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC. The…

The appellant, Tapas Kumar Das, applied for an LPG distributorship at Haripal block, was selected in a draw, and submitted land documents for a showroom. HPCL later cancelled his candidature, alleging the land was in mouza Gopinagar, not the advertised location, and invoked clause 8A(n) of the Unified Guidelines. The a…

The State of Kerala appealed against a Kerala High Court order that granted bail to Mahesh, who was accused of brutally murdering a young doctor in the presence of her father. The Sessions Court had denied bail, citing the seriousness of the offence, the risk of witness tampering, and the accused's prior absconding. Th…

The appellant, a Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) leader, petitioned the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to disqualify respondent Sharad Yadav under paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule, alleging that Yadav had voluntarily given up JD(U) membership by aligning with the RJD. The Chairman, after due process, disqualified Yadav on…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) occupied godowns and silos that were constructed by the Central Government on land acquired before 1964 and claimed exemption from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's property tax under Article 285(1) of the Constitution. The Municipal Corporation argued that, under Section 146 of t…

Akshay Kumar Singh, a convict in the Nirbhaya case, filed a mercy petition with the President of India, which was rejected on 19 March 2020. He subsequently filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the rejection, alleging miscarriage of justice, solitary confinement, torture, media influence, and a pending di…

Mukesh, a convicted participant in the Nirbhaya case, filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution challenging the merits of his conviction and a series of subsequent orders, including the High Court's upholding of the conviction, a review petition, a curative petition, a mercy petition rejected by the Pr…

The appellants challenged High Court orders that allowed elected councillors, whose caste validity certificates were rejected by the Caste Scrutiny Committee, to retain their seats pending judicial review. Section 5B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act provides that failure to submit a caste validity certificate wi…

The case involved a dispute between ITC Limited, the auction purchaser of a five‑star hotel, and Blue Coast Hotels Ltd., the original borrower, under the SARFAESI Act. The borrower argued that the creditor (IFCI) violated s.13(3A) by not replying to its representation for loan rescheduling and that the inclusion of agr…

The Supreme Court heard a writ petition filed by the National Campaign Committee for Central Legislation on Construction Labour (NCC‑CL) seeking effective implementation of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 (BOCW Act) and the Building and Other Co…

The appellant, Vipulbhai M. Chaudhary, was removed as Chairperson of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. through a motion of no confidence. He challenged the removal, arguing that neither the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1961 nor the Federation's bye‑laws contain a provision for such removal. T…

The petitioner, a defendant in a suit concerning the genuineness of a will, sought a second forensic opinion after being dissatisfied with the first report; the trial court rejected this request and the High Court dismissed his writ petition. He filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution…

The petitioner, G.S. Iqbal, challenged the election of K.M. Khader (the returned candidate) to the Lok Sabha on the grounds that the returned candidate was a member of two political parties at the time of filing his nomination, thereby violating Section 100(1)(d)(i) and (iv) of the Representation of the People Act, 195…

The State of Bihar had undertaken, in an affidavit, to recruit and fill vacant teacher posts in its schools, giving priority to trained teachers. The State later claimed that the number of trained teachers was insufficient and that no selection test would be required, leading the petitioner to file a contempt petition …

The petitioners filed writ petitions seeking a Supreme Court direction that all States appoint sufficient Special Judicial Magistrates (SJM) and Special Metropolitan Magistrates (SMM) under Sections 13(1) and 18(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, to clear the massive backlog of petty criminal cases and ensure spe…

The appellants, Jai Parkash and others, challenged the compensation awarded for land acquired by the Union of India in village Keshopur under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Land Acquisition Collector had divided the land into blocks with varying rates, which were later raised by the Additional District Judge. The …

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 39 and 144 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, which abolished hereditary rights of archakas, mirasidars, gamekars and other temple office‑holders. The petitioners, hereditary priests, co…

A massive fraud involving approximately Rs. 500 crore was uncovered in Bihar's Animal Husbandry, Education, Cooperation and Fisheries Departments, prompting the Patna High Court to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe under Article 226 of the Constitution, without the State government's consent. The Stat…

The Supreme Court examined the appointment of Dr. Shiva Jatan Thakur, a blind scholar, as the seventh non‑service member of the Bihar State Public Service Commission. The appellant challenged the appointment on two grounds: (i) that it violated the proviso to Article 316(1) of the Constitution, which requires that, as …

B. Krishna Bhat filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a direction to the State of Karnataka to enforce total prohibition and to declare a clause of the Karnataka Excise Rules, which grants a monopoly on liquor distribution to a state‑specified company, unconstitutional. He argued that Artic…

Indravadan, a Civil Judge (Senior Division) was eligible for promotion to Assistant Judge. His name appeared on the 1982‑83 select list but the list lapsed on 30 April 1983; having turned 48, he was struck off under Rule 6(4)(i) and 6(4)(iii)(a) of the Gujarat Judicial Service Recruitment (Amended) Rules 1979, which ba…

The Supreme Court examined two civil appeals filed by tenants (Ganpat Roy and others) who challenged orders notifying a "deemed vacancy" of their non‑residential premises under Section 12(2) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972. The tenants argued that the District M…