Constitution of India

The appellants challenged the recruitment of 1,091 Assistant Professors and 67 Librarians in Punjab Government Degree Colleges, alleging that the State bypassed the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and ignored UGC regulations. The High Court Division Bench upheld the recruitment, reversing a Single Judge’s order…

The petitioners, led by Himanshu Kumar, alleged that police, Special Police Officers, Salwa Judum activists and paramilitary forces carried out brutal massacres of tribals in three Chhattisgarh villages in September and October 2009 and sought a mandamus directing the CBI to investigate and compensation for the victims…

The appellant, ShaHaja @ ShaHajan Ismail Mohd. Shaikh, was convicted of murdering Mahankal Jaiswal after two eye‑witnesses (PW‑1 and PW‑8) testified that he assaulted the victim with a hammer. The trial court also relied on a discovery panchnama under Section 27 of the Evidence Act, which recorded the appellant pointin…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by Victim Families Association on behalf of relatives of 1,528 alleged fake‑encounter victims in Manipur, holding that third‑party petitions are maintainable where access to justice is denied. It ruled that the State must investigate alleged extrajudicial killi…

The Supreme Court heard a civil appeal filed by the Union of India challenging a Central Administrative Tribunal order that directed the Railway Board to devise a scheme to induct employees of the Railway Employees Consumer Co‑operative Society Ltd. into regular Group ‘D’ posts, a direction that had been upheld by the …

An amicus curiae, senior advocate Harish N. Salve, brought to the Supreme Court's notice statements made by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan in a Tehelka interview alleging widespread corruption in the higher judiciary and specifically imputing misconduct against Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia. The Court, on 6 November 200…

Multiple appeals and writ petitions challenged various state levies imposed by Haryana, alleging that the taxes were compensatory in nature and violated Article 301 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court examined the judicially evolved concept of "compensatory tax" and overruled the earlier "some connection" test from …

The respondent, Rudhan Singh, was employed on a daily‑wage, class IV basis by Haryana Roadways from 16 March 1988 to 28 February 1989 with intermittent breaks. His services were terminated without notice or retrenchment compensation and he later demanded reinstatement. The State Government referred the dispute to the I…

Thirty‑five daily‑wage helpers employed by Haryana Roadways filed writ petitions seeking regularisation and the same salary as regular employees, invoking the principle of "equal pay for equal work". The State of Haryana contended that the respondents were not educationally qualified for regular posts and that the prin…

The Supreme Court examined an election petition that challenged Dr. Das Rao Deshmukh's 1990 election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the ground of corrupt practices under Sections 123(3) and 123(3A) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The petition alleged that the appellant, a Shiv Sena‑BJP candidate,…

The case concerned a house owned by Rajubai, who died in 1975. Her daughter Jaitunbi claimed she was the sole heir under Muslim law, while her grandson Shamsuddin asserted that Rajubai had given him the ground floor of the house during her lifetime. The lower courts had ruled in favour of Jaitunbi, but the Supreme Cour…

M/s Pankaj Jain Agencies, an importer of ball bearing components, challenged Notification No. 142/86-Cus., issued under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, which reduced an earlier exemption and raised customs duty on its imports. The petitioners argued that the notification was not in force at the time of import, …

The case involved four appellants (Arjun, Rampal, Bhagwan Singh and Mukhoram) convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for the killing of Jyoti Ram. The prosecution relied on five eye‑witnesses, who were relatives or associates of the deceased, to identify the appellants as the assailants. The four co‑accused were acq…

The petitioners, owners of coking coal mines, claimed that the Central Government, as custodian, had failed to credit them for the value of coke stock lying in the mines on the date immediately before the appointed day of nationalisation, and sought compensation under the Coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1972. …

The case concerned promotions in the Indian Statistical Service where senior general‑category officer Tushar Ranjan Mohanty (respondent 1) was superseded by eight Scheduled‑Caste/Tribe officers (respondents 2‑9). Mohanty challenged the promotions before the Central Administrative Tribunal, arguing that the service rule…

The appellants operated video parlours that exhibited pre‑recorded films using VCR/VCP and a TV projector onto a separate 100‑120 inch screen, with seating capacities exceeding fifty. The Punjab Exhibition of Films on Television Screen through Video Cassette Players (Regulation) Rules, 1989 limited licences to premises…

The petitioners, who held temporary licences as Customs House Agents, were denied regular licences after failing to pass the written and oral examinations prescribed under the Customs House Agents Licensing Regulations, 1984. They challenged (i) the interpretation of Regulations 8 and 9, arguing that candidates who cle…

The appellants, non‑tribal owners of immovable property in Andhra Pradesh's scheduled areas, challenged the 1970 Amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation which prohibited any transfer of such property by non‑tribals to non‑tribals and required all transfers to be in favour of tribals. Th…

The Supreme Court examined the fallout from the denial of renewal of recognition to Sardar Rajas Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre (SRMCH) due to serious deficiencies, which forced the transfer of 124 MBBS students to three private medical colleges in Odisha. Interim orders had required the students to pay …

The appellants, members of a political party, were arrested after a communal protest triggered by an incendiary social media post on 10 October 2022 and were later released on bail. Six months later, the police prepared a gang chart and lodged a fresh FIR on 30 April 2023 under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters & Anti-Social…

The appellants were convicted under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PoFA) for selling adulterated curd and various food items, receiving six months' imprisonment and fines. They sought release on probation under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, arguing that Section 20AA of PoFA, which excluded probation, …

The Supreme Court examined whether secured creditors could claim priority over assets attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Maharashtra Protection of Investors and Depositors Act (MPID Act) by invoking the SARFAESI Act and the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy (RDB) Act. It also considered…

The Supreme Court examined the status reports filed by several states on the implementation of its earlier prison‑reform directives, focusing on overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and the welfare of women prisoners and children. The Court noted persistent delays, lack of approvals, and insufficient action by the …

The Supreme Court examined an interlocutory application by Common Cause seeking to bar CBI Director Ranjit Sinha from interfering in coal‑block allocation investigations and to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged abuse of authority. The Director had retired, rendering the recusal request moot, but…

The Supreme Court considered two transfer petitions filed under Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking to move a corruption trial of former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, his relatives and associates out of Punjab. The petitioners alleged that the accused’s political power, hostile witnesses …

The Government of Pondicherry entered into a Build‑Operate‑Transfer concession with Subhash Projects & Marketing Ltd (SPML) for the development of the minor Pondicherry Port, issuing a Letter of Intent and a concession agreement without prior Central Government approval. The appellants challenged the award on grounds o…

The appellant, a widow, sought retirement benefits for her deceased husband who had been an Assistant with the Bihar School Examination Board. He was convicted in 1989 under several IPC sections for tampering with examination marks and was dismissed from service in 1992 on the basis of that conviction. While his crimin…

The respondent, N. Ramanaiah, an Assistant Engineer, was found to have misappropriated bitumen worth over Rs. 40 lakh. A departmental enquiry proved the charge, after which the Government of Andhra Pradesh, with the concurrence of the State Public Service Commission, dismissed him under the Andhra Pradesh Civil Service…

The Union of India challenged the validity of Rules 16(2) to 16(5) of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2002, which allowed candidates from reserved categories (OBC, SC, ST) who qualified on merit without availing any relaxation to be adjusted against reserved vacancies to obtain a higher‑preference service. The Hi…

The appellants, manufacturers of Zafrani Zarda, challenged the levy of market fee imposed by the State of Bihar under the Bihar Agricultural Produce Market Act, 1960. They argued that Zafrani Zarda, a manufactured form of tobacco, should not be subject to the fee or that the notifications authorising the levy were ultr…

The appellant, Rabindra Singh, who had been residing in the United States for over 25 years, was decreed ex‑parte in a partition suit filed by his brother without ever being served notice, despite the plaintiff’s knowledge of his correct address. He filed an application under Order IX Rule 13 read with Section 151 CPC …

The petitioners, accused in the 2001 Parliament attack, were originally convicted of several offences under POTA, the IPC and the Explosive Substances Act, with death sentences imposed. The Supreme Court partially set aside the convictions, substituting a conviction under IPC s.123 (concealment of design to wage war) w…

The dispute concerned the extent of land owned by the parties: 37 (actually 39.5) decimals, of which 33 decimals were sold to S.A. Hossain and 6.5 decimals remained with the heirs of Ujir Ali. The Supreme Court had earlier clarified that the heirs possessed 6.5 decimals and S.A. Hossain possessed 33 decimals, ordering …

The husband (Daya Singh) and wife (Suman Sood) were extradited from the United States and tried in Rajasthan for kidnapping a politician's son, conspiracy, and related offences. The trial court convicted both of several IPC offences, acquitting Suman Sood of kidnapping for ransom (Sec. 364A). The High Court reversed th…

The State of Uttar Pradesh had issued a notification on 2 November 1994 exempting the sale of the NPK 23:23:0 fertilizer from trade tax for the period 1 November 1994 to 31 March 1995. Two later notifications dated 10 April 1995 and 15 May 1995 withdrew that exemption retrospectively for NPK 23:23:0 while continuing to…

The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha and several ministers challenged a Tamil Nadu Government notification that created three additional Sessions Courts in Chennai and appointed their judges as special judges to try corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PCA). They argued that Sec…

N.S. Giri, an Assistant Health Officer of Mangalore City Municipality, was governed by Rule 48 of the Karnataka Municipalities (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1972 which fixed the superannuation age at 55 years. An industrial dispute concerning whether the retirement age should be raised to 58 years was referred to arbi…

The State of Andhra Pradesh enacted the Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 1982 which creates a Special Court consisting of a Chairman (a High Court judge) and four other members (two former District Judges and two former District Collectors). Section 7 of the Act allows the Government to appoint all members, requiring c…

V.K. Sood applied for the post of Examiner of Personnel in the Department of Civil Aviation but was not selected. He challenged the qualifications prescribed in the 1989 advertisement, alleging that the amendments to the 1969 rules were tailor‑made to exclude him. The issue was whether the President’s rule‑making power…

The petitioners, led by R.K. Jain, sought the immediate appointment of a senior High Court judge as President of the Customs, Excise and Gold Control Appellate Tribunal (CEGAT) and an enquiry into alleged mal‑functioning. The government appointed Harish Chander, a senior vice‑president of the Tribunal, as President, pr…

Dr. N. Singh, a biochemist attached to Rajendra Medical College, applied for registration as a teacher candidate for the M.D. (General Medicine) examination. The University and the High Court held that he was not a teacher and had not completed the requisite three years of training, including housemanship, and conseque…

The Supreme Court examined whether a person questioned under the Customs Act, 1962 or the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 is entitled to the assistance of a lawyer. The petitioners argued that denial of counsel violated Article 20(3) and Article 21 of the Constitution, while the Department contended that such per…

The Union of India issued notifications fixing tariff values for sulphuric acid and liquid chlorine under Section 3(2) of the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944, using a weighted‑average price methodology. Century Manufacturing Co. challenged these notifications, arguing that excise duty should be based only on manufac…

Syed Farooq Mohammad was detained under Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 after narcotics were seized from two cars on 19 July 1989. He challenged the detention on grounds of a five‑month delay in issuing the order, a further delay in arrest, non‑s…

The case concerned a former municipal council member who challenged the display of the name of the Municipal Council of Patur in Urdu alongside Marathi on the council’s building signboard, alleging that Marathi is the sole official language under the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 and that…

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by the victims of an interstate child‑trafficking racket challenging the High Court's grant of bail to thirteen accused persons charged under IPC sections 363, 311 and 370(5). The Court found that the High Court had ignored crucial factors such as the seriousness of the offence,…

Jasbir Singh was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 on 25 March 1994 and the grounds of detention were served on 30 March 1994. He filed representations to the Advisory Board and separately to the Central Government, the latter being disp…

Gurdayal Singh Fiji, a member of the Punjab Provincial Civil Service, filed a writ petition under Article 32 claiming that, despite a good service record, he was denied a certificate of integrity and inclusion in the IAS Select List due to two adverse remarks. The Supreme Court noted that the IAS Selection Committee is…

Dr. Md. S. Iskender Ali was appointed as a temporary medical officer in the Oil and Natural Gas Commission on a one‑year probation that could be extended at the authority's discretion. During his probation a departmental enquiry was initiated for alleged negligence, but it was not pursued and no punishment was imposed.…

The Supreme Court heard appeals challenging the Delhi High Court's age criteria for the Delhi Judicial Service (DJS) and Delhi Higher Judicial Service (DHJS) examinations. The petitioners argued that the upper age limit of 32 years for DJS and the minimum age of 35 years for DHJS were unconstitutional, especially after…

The case concerned two separate prosecutions arising from the July 2006 Mumbai suburban train bomb blasts. In Special Case No. 21 of 2006, the accused‑respondents sought to summon four Deputy Commissioners of Police (who had recorded confessional statements of three other accused in a later Special Case No. 4 of 2009) …

The petitioners, who had obtained large credit facilities from two banks by allegedly submitting forged lease documents as collateral, defaulted on payments and were prosecuted for fraud and related offences. The banks later settled the civil dues through a one‑time settlement, and the petitioners sought to have the cr…

The Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission conducted the 2005 Combined Competitive Examination, but numerous candidates complained of spelling mistakes, printing errors and doubtful answers in the preliminary papers. The Commission, after consulting experts, deleted the erroneous questions and added their marks pro‑…

M. Balakrishna Reddy, a Central Government employee, was charged by the CBI under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 for alleged cheating in a UPSC exam held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He challenged the CBI's jurisdiction, arguing that the State of Madhya Pradesh had not given the consent required under S…

The appellant, a director of a private limited company, challenged an order of the Company Law Board (CLB) that, despite finding no oppression, directed him to purchase the managing director's shares to resolve a deadlock between the two directors/shareholders. The Supreme Court examined whether Sections 397, 398 and 4…

The appellant, a widow of a peon who died in service of a charitable aided institution in 1996, applied for a compassionate appointment but was denied. She received family pension and retrial benefits, while the vacancy was filled by another employee in 1997. The High Court dismissed her writ petition, and she appealed…

The appellant, along with two others, was found in possession of 7,985 litres of spirit seized by police and was convicted under Section 55 of the Kerala Abkari Act. The appellant challenged the conviction on the ground that the Sessions Court had omitted the words "transport, transit or possesses" from Section 55, arg…

The respondent, Harish Kumar, was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) on 14 June 2002. He filed a writ petition challenging the detention on the ground that his representation to the Central Government, dated 27 September 2002, …

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) terminated a group of temporary workers known as "Ticca Mazdoors" who had been employed between 1980 and 1982 after alleging they produced forged certificates; they were later acquitted in criminal trials. In 1987‑88 they sought re‑employment, were refused, and raised an industrial dispu…

Shakuntala, the natural daughter of the deceased Sunda Ram, sued to be declared owner of his property, challenging a registered adoption deed that named Jai Singh as an adopted son. The trial court and two appellate courts held that the adoption was invalid and decreed in favour of Shakuntala. On appeal, the Supreme Co…

V.K. Jain, an Assistant Engineer promoted to Executive Engineer in Uttar Pradesh, was compulsorily retired under U.P. Fundamental Rule 56(c) after a Screening Committee considered four adverse entries in his character roll, including a withholding of integrity. The High Court set aside the retirement, holding that only…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (as amended) after the Delhi High Court had struck it down as violative of Article 14 and as eroding judicial independence. The Court held that Parliament has the competence to enact the Act…

The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation to Rajendra Singh and his son Sanjay Singh for injuries allegedly sustained in a 1993 road accident involving an insured vehicle. United India Insurance Co. later discovered police reports indicating the claimants were actually injured in a separate tractor accide…

Krishan Niwas, a government employee, was convicted under Section 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment, leading to his removal from service under Article 311(2). The conviction was later modified to Section 325 IPC with a 1½‑year sentence. After serving the term, a departmental appeal reduced his penalty to a low…

The Election Commission issued a notification for a bye‑election to the Udhampur Parliamentary Constituency and, after a reference by the Returning Officer, directed a repoll at certain polling stations, which was carried out. The election result was challenged before an election petition, and the High Court set aside …

Sh. A. Chinnappa contested the Bethamangala Assembly seat in Karnataka, which was reserved for Scheduled Castes, claiming he belonged to the Mundala caste listed in the Presidential notification under Article 341. The Karnataka High Court held that he actually belonged to the Mondy/Mondigaru caste, which is not include…

The petitioners, former Emergency Commissioned Officers, were appointed to the Tamil Nadu Commercial Tax Service after discharge from the Army. Rule 35 of the Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Service Rules required seniority to be fixed by date of appointment, but the State Government issued orders in 1976 and 1977 fix…

The Supreme Court examined whether an intra‑court appeal under clause 15 of the Bombay High Court's Letters Patent is available against a judgment of a Single Judge hearing a petition under Article 227 (or Article 226) of the Constitution. The Division Bench had dismissed the appeal on the basis of a prior Full Bench d…

Vallabh Glass Works Ltd. and others, manufacturers of various types of glass, challenged the levy of excise duty by the Central Excise Department under Item 23A(1) of the Central Excise & Salt Act, 1944, contending that their products were not "sheet glass" and should be taxed under the residual Item 68. After the Assi…

Laxmibai was elected as a member of a Gram Panchayat in Nanded but failed to submit her election‑expense account within the 30‑day period, submitting it 15 days late. The Collector, acting as the State Election Commission, disqualified her for five years, rejecting her medical certificate as a valid excuse. Laxmibai ch…

The petitioners challenged Rule 5A(3) of the Bihar Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Recruitment Rules, 1955, which limited the number of candidates called for the final written examination to 10% of those who appeared in the preliminary test. They argued that the rule violated the Supreme Court's decision in Malik Mazha…

The case involves multiple appeals arising from a Delhi High Court judgment concerning the division of powers between the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) under Article 239AA of the Constitution. The Supreme Court Constitution Bench had earlier interpreted Artic…

The Cement Workers' Union filed a Special Civil Application (SCA) in the Gujarat High Court seeking to compel Indian Bank and Global Cements Ltd. to pay outstanding wages to workers of a cement factory in Porbandar, Gujarat, and to set aside a Debt Recovery Tribunal order that transferred sale proceeds to the bank. The…

The Supreme Court allowed appeals against the acquittal of A2 to A4 (Sasikala, Sudhakaran, Elavarasi) in a disproportionate assets case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The trial court had convicted them for conspiracy and abetment with A1 (Jayalalitha, since deceased) in amassing assets worth Rs.66.65 cro…

Siemens and other bidders challenged the award of a contract by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for 486 standard gauge cars to Hyundai Rotem, arguing that the GEC (energy consumption) values used to adjust bids were untenable and that the Government’s appointment of a committee to review the tender process whil…

The appellants challenged the registration of FIR No. 442 of 2012 on the ground that a second FIR cannot be filed for the same incident after an earlier FIR had been lodged. The Court examined the scope of the "principle of sameness" and held that while a second FIR on identical facts is prohibited, a counter‑FIR prese…

The appellant, a Group D luggage porter in Northern Railway, qualified for promotion to Ticket Collector (Group C) after passing written and viva‑voce tests, but was denied promotion because he was not declared medically fit in Class B‑2 under Para 510 of the Indian Railway Medical Manual (IRMM). The appellant challeng…

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) advertised an LPG distributorship and, after interviews, prepared a merit panel placing Guru Shakti Singh first and Sardar Mahinder Singh second. Mahinder Singh complained that the selection committee had awarded him lower marks despite meeting the criteria, and filed a writ petition which …

The appellant Budhaev Karmaskar was convicted of murdering a sex worker, Chayay Rani Pal, by repeatedly striking her head, causing fatal injuries. Eye‑witness testimony and a detailed post‑mortem report established the brutality of the assault and the cause of death. The trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment u…

The respondents were appointed on an ad‑hoc basis as Technical Assistants in the Frozen Semen Bank Project of the Bihar Animal Husbandry Department in 1992 and were terminated in 1997 after the Fodder Scam. They filed writ petitions challenging their termination, which were dismissed by the High Court, and later sought…

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) had inserted Note 3 in its 1967 Service Regulations, stating that candidates holding National Trade Certificate/National Apprenticeship Certificate (NTC/NAC) recruited as Helpers could not be considered for internal promotion to Junior Assistant or Typist posts. The TNEB Thozhila…

In 2003, thirteen Uttar Pradesh MLAs elected on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket met the Governor and asked him to invite the Samajwadi Party to form the government, thereby voluntarily relinquishing their BSP membership. The BSP leader filed a petition under Article 191 read with paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule …

Anjan Kumar, the son of a Scheduled Tribe mother and a non‑tribal father, obtained a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate on the basis of his mother's status and cleared the Civil Services Examination as an ST candidate, but was denied a final posting. He challenged the Union of India's refusal and the enquiry report that …

The Supreme Court, hearing a transfer petition concerning a matrimonial suit, observed that the lack of official marriage records in many States enables unscrupulous persons to deny the existence of marriages, adversely affecting women and children. It noted that while several States have rules for voluntary registrati…

The Supreme Court examined whether an employer could close an industrial undertaking and retrench workmen without obtaining prior permission from the appropriate Government, and whether a settlement reached between the parties could override the statutory requirements of Sections 25‑N and 25‑0 of the Industrial Dispute…

The State of Maharashtra sought to convert Jalgaon Municipal Council into a Municipal Corporation after the 2001 provisional census showed the urban population exceeded three lakh. The High Court quashed the conversion notifications on four grounds: an alleged unconstitutional hiatus, reliance on provisional population…

Baldev Singh Gandhi, an elected municipal councillor, publicly criticised the house‑tax assessment list prepared by the Municipal Council of Jandiala Guru, using pamphlets, loud‑speakers and inviting taxpayers to discuss grievances. The Punjab State Government claimed his actions caused difficulty in tax collection and…

On 23 October 1989, two nephews of Hardip Singh were shot dead by Jugraj Singh and his accomplices who were armed with guns and a gandasa. The prosecution presented the two surviving relatives as eye‑witnesses, supported by a post‑mortem report that identified gun‑shot injuries, and the trial court convicted the accuse…

A writ petition under Article 32 was filed by R. Karuppan, claiming to act for the Madras High Court Advocates Association, seeking a declaration that Chief Justice of India Dr. A.S. Anand was born on 1‑Nov‑1934 rather than 1‑Nov‑1936 and had therefore retired on 31‑Oct‑1999. The Association’s members later denied auth…

Park Leather Industry and another, engaged in preparing tanned leather, challenged the levy of market fees imposed by the State of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh Krishi Utpadan Mandi Adhiniyam, 1964, on the ground that tanned leather is a distinct manufactured commodity and not "hides and skins" covered by the d…

Dr. Girish Bihari, an IPS officer, was due to retire on 31 March 1996. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh ordered, on 20 March 1996, an extension of his service for six months under Rule 16 of the All India Services (Death‑cum‑Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. On 23 March 1996, the Governor cancelled that extension order un…

The respondents, pre‑1979 retirees of the Rajasthan government, challenged the 1970 and 1974 notifications that liberalised pension benefits with cut‑off dates, alleging discrimination under Article 14. They did not challenge the later 2 September 1985 notification which extended the revised pension formula to all pre‑…

Sub‑Inspector Mohinder Singh was dismissed in 1991 by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Chandigarh without a departmental enquiry, invoking Article 311(2) proviso (b) of the Constitution on the ground that witnesses would not freely depose against him. The dismissal was based on a report alleging gross misus…

The case involved a dispute between two rival managing committees of Sri Ratnamuni Jain Inter College, Agra. The education authorities initially recognized the appellants' scheme of administration but later withdrew that recognition, prompting the appellants to file a civil suit seeking an interim injunction. The respo…

The Punjab Public Service Commission conducted a competitive examination for 71 posts in the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) and Allied Services. Candidate V.M. Bansal, whose father was a commission member, changed his preference to the Punjab Civil Service before the result was declared and the change was app…

The assessee, K.C. Thapar & Bros. (P) Ltd., claimed deductions for losses incurred on the sale of shares of Bharat Starch & Chemicals Ltd. and Greaves Cotton & Co. Ltd. for AY 1959-60, which the Income‑Tax Officer disallowed on the ground that the transactions were at undervalued prices and were made to a group affilia…

The Prabha Manufacturing Industrial Co‑operative Society was allotted an "industrial plot" with a self‑constructed shed by the Custodian of Evacuee Property in 1949. The Society later sought a permanent allotment, but the Custodian sold the land at auction in 1960 to the predecessor of Banwari Lal. The Society challeng…

The appellant sought compensation for land acquired by the State of Bihar and was awarded Rs. 20,231.67, which he contested as being far below the market value of Rs. 2,80,000. The matter was referred to a three‑member arbitration board, which confirmed the compensation award. The appellant unsuccessfully moved the Dis…

Advocate Rajeeb Kalita filed a public‑interest writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing all States and Union Territories to provide separate, accessible toilet facilities for men, women, persons with disabilities and transgender persons in every court and tribunal. He highlighted the deplorable condi…

Shamshar Singh Sandhu, a DIG in the CRPF, was promoted to the rank of Inspector General (IG) but was later reverted to DIG without a notice or hearing. The reversion order was stayed by the High Court, allowing him to continue serving as an IG until his retirement on 31 January 2016. He sought retirement benefits as an…

The State Bank of India dismissed Deputy Manager Narendra Kumar Pandey after a departmental inquiry under its Officers Service Rules for twelve charges of misconduct, including fraud and misuse of bank facilities. Pandey did not attend any of the inquiry sessions, nor did he file a written defence, prompting the Inquir…

The case arose from a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The accused obtained a High Court order under Section 482 CrPC allowing her to appear through counsel and the High Court issued sweeping directions to all criminal courts to dispense with personal attendance of accused in such cases an…

The Supreme Court examined whether "physician samples" of patented and proprietary medicines, which are distributed free of cost to doctors and prohibited from sale under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, are liable to central excise duty. It held that excise duty is a tax on manufacture, not on sale, and therefore the stat…

The respondents, a Senior Dietician and a Dietician employed by the Union Territory Administration of Chandigarh, claimed that their pay scales should be brought at par with those of their counterparts in the Government of Punjab, invoking the doctrine of equal pay for equal work. The High Court had directed the Union …

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) challenged the grant of a stage‑carriage permit to private operators Ashrufulla Khan et al. for a route that overlapped a small portion of a notified route covered by a scheme of total exclusion prepared under Chapter IVA of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939. The High C…

Nirma Ltd. filed a Special Leave Petition under Article 136 of the Constitution seeking to appeal an order of the City Civil Court, Ahmedabad, which had decided an appeal under sub‑section (2) of Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The petition raised the question of whether a second appeal is bar…

The State of Karnataka, under Section 39 of the Mysore Fire Force Act, 1964, framed special recruitment rules requiring a qualifying examination for promotion to Leading Fireman. Later, the Government adopted a policy of seniority‑cum‑merit promotion and amended the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules,…

The appellants, permanent Junior Scale Stenographers, sought promotion to Senior Scale Stenographer. Only six candidates qualified a prescribed test, but the State Recruitment Board recommended an additional 26 candidates whose performance was nearest to the standard. The Government initially did not act, later amended…

The Delhi Stock Exchange sought to increase its membership by 250, half through a public issue of shares and half by diluting existing shareholdings, subject to a higher non‑refundable deposit for public‑issue applicants. The Central Government approved the scheme, and an Expert Committee was constituted to select the …

The State of Uttar Pradesh prosecuted Ashok Kumar Srivastava, his father Rajendra Lal and sister Sudha for the murder of Meera Srivastava, alleging they set her ablaze over a dowry dispute. The trial court convicted them under Sections 302 and 34 IPC based on the testimony of neighbours (PW1, PW4, PW3) and circumstanti…

The Union of India appealed a Central Administrative Tribunal order that had directed all members of the All India Services, even those who retired before 1 January 1973, to receive gratuity under Government Notification No. 33/12/73‑AIS (ii) dated 24 January 1975. The Supreme Court examined whether the notification, r…

Padmanabha Padhy was appointed as a lecturer in D.A.V. College on 26 July 1971 on probation and was terminated by a letter dated 28 March 1972 effective 30 April 1972. He filed a writ petition under Article 226 challenging the termination, contending that only the Governing Body, not the Principal, could dismiss him. T…

The Indore Development Authority (IDA) allotted a plot to Dr. Hemant Mandovra in 1995 under a tender, requiring 50% payment upfront and the balance in installments. The respondent failed to pay the balance, leading to cancellation of the allotment in 2000. After a High Court order in 2006 directing the IDA to hand over…

The Supreme Court considered contempt petitions filed by the successful auction purchaser (Celir LLP) against the original borrower, a subsequent transferee, and the bank, alleging wilful disobedience of the Court’s 21 September 2023 judgment that confirmed the 9th auction of a secured asset and directed issuance of a …

The Urban Improvement Trust (the appellant) sought to acquire land in Nangli Kota and Moongaska villages under the Rajasthan Urban Improvement Act, 1959. The respondents challenged the acquisition, alleging procedural defects: failure to serve individual notices under s.52(2), premature possession before compensation w…

The case concerns the murder of a police officer for which two accused were acquitted by the trial court. The High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted them for life, relying on the testimony of police witnesses and a purported dying declaration. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the scope of appellate review…

More than 90 candidates who appeared for the Main (Written) Examination for Civil Judge (Junior Division) challenged the selection process, alleging that the evaluation was arbitrary, lacked a model answer key, and that only nine out of 1,195 candidates qualified. The Supreme Court examined the examination’s security, …

The appellant, a meritorious candidate claiming reservation in the sports and games category, was denied admission to the MBBS course after the statutory cut‑off date of 30 September 2015. The High Court, relying on the decision in Jasmine Kaur, refused admission and awarded only monetary compensation. The Supreme Cour…

Dr. Sabu Mathew George filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions to block online advertisements and content facilitating sex selection, and to compel Google India, Yahoo! India and Microsoft Corporation to comply with the Pre‑conception and Pre‑natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) …

The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) was petitioned under the Right to Information Act, 2005 for the names, designations and addresses of members of its interview board. While the Commission disclosed most of the requested information, it refused to reveal the interviewers' details, invoking Section 8(1)(g) of th…

Respondent No.1 was temporarily appointed as Project Director of the Child Labour Elimination & Rehabilitation Society through the Employment Exchange without any public advertisement. She later left the Society to join a post in the Panchayat & Rural Development Department, was repatriated but was not allowed to rejoi…

The Supreme Court entertained suo motu contempt petitions arising from its own directions on medical college admissions in Chhattisgarh, finding that the Director of Medical Education, Dr. S.L. Adile, and four other officials wilfully flouted the Court's schedule and admitted two candidates, including the Director's da…

The case concerned an FIR alleging terrorist activities against Irshad Ali and another accused, who claimed to be informers and were allegedly falsely implicated. The Delhi Special Cell filed a police report under Section 173(2) CrPC, after which the High Court ordered a CBI inquiry and later a closure report. The tria…

Retired judges of the Bombay High Court complained that the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was unavailable in many areas, limiting their medical treatment and reimbursement. The Bombay High Court, treating the complaint as a suo motu writ, directed the Maharashtra Government to frame rules under Section 230 of…

Ashok Kumar Nigam, a District Government Counsel, applied for renewal of his term. The State Government declined renewal by a blanket order dated 3 April 2008, without considering the recommendations of the District Judge and District Magistrate as required by the Legal Remembrancer's Manual. The High Court set aside t…

The Supreme Court considered multiple writ petitions and appeals filed by private teacher‑education colleges, including Maa Vaishno Devi Mahila Mahavidyalaya, which had obtained recognition from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) but were denied affiliation by universities and the Uttar Pradesh State Gov…

The Supreme Court reviewed a 2007 order that directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inquire into alleged disproportionate assets of a political family and to submit its report to the Union of India. The petitioners sought a review, arguing that the Court lacked jurisdiction to order a CBI inquiry without…

The respondent, an Accountant in the Office of the Accountant General, was promoted to Senior Accountant (Functional) in 1990 despite not having passed the mandatory Departmental Examination required by the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (Senior Accountant) Recruitment Rules, 1988. The Department later discovered…

Shankarlal, a clerk in the Madhya Pradesh Public Works Department, was suspended on 4 September 1982 with subsistence allowance payable under Rule 53 of the Madhya Pradesh Fundamental Rules. He failed to attend most of the departmental enquiry dates, leading to an ex‑parte finding of misconduct and termination of servi…

The Supreme Court examined who must lead evidence first in eviction proceedings under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971. New India Assurance Company Ltd., a State under Article 12, sought to evict tenants NUSLI Neville Wadia and others from a building it owned. The dispute centered on w…

The Uttar Pradesh (Krishi Evam Prodyogik Vishwavidyalaya) Act created a university whose service conditions are governed by its statutes, which do not provide for daily‑wage or ad‑hoc appointments. Respondent No.2, a daily‑wage laboratory assistant, was entrusted with clerk duties from 1‑Nov‑1991 and claimed regularisa…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) allotted flats under a Self‑Financing Scheme (SFS) and later, after some allottees defaulted on instalments, the Vice‑Chairman, acting as a delegatee, issued policy orders imposing a 20% surcharge and demanding payment of the current cost of the flats with retrospective effect. The…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest petition filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties alleging that the Central and State Governments had failed to implement earlier court directions for universalisation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). The petition highlighted that many Anganwadi C…

A contempt application was filed under Section 17 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 before the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal against the Principal Secretary for wilful disobedience of the Tribunal's order. The State and the Principal Secretary challenged the Tribunal's jurisdiction in the Andhra Prades…

The appellant, a tenant of a shop let under the Kerala Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1965, saw the shop completely destroyed by fire. He rebuilt a new shop on the vacant land without the landlord's consent, prompting the landlord to sue for demolition of the new structure and possession of the land. The trial…

Arun Kumar Agarwal and others filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking the cancellation of a 1,000 MW thermal power project at Mangalore and the registration of a FIR for alleged corruption. The High Court, without detailed analysis, directed the CBI to investigate based on thirteen points of alleged s…

The petitioner sought special leave to challenge a Himachal Pradesh High Court order that appointed a Local Commissioner (Tehsildar) to re‑measure a disputed land parcel and relied on the Commissioner’s report indicating encroachment by the respondent. The High Court, after examining the report, upheld the appellate co…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta challenging the lease of forest land on the banks of the River Beas to Span Motels Private Limited, a company linked to former Environment Minister Kamal Nath. The petition alleged that the motel had encroached on protected …

The Supreme Court examined complaints lodged before the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta against several officials—chief executive officer of a state cooperative union, a business manager of a handloom cooperative, a clerk of a wool cooperative, and a divisional manager and doctor of the State Road Transport Corporation. The H…

G.P. Volkart Ltd. had obtained municipal approval to construct a 30‑storey building with an FSI of 2.45. After the Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Act, 1974 came into force, the Metropolitan Authority rejected the application within the statutory 60‑day period, prompting the company to appeal to the State Govern…

The Supreme Court examined three election petitions challenging the election of Giani Zail Singh as President of India. The petitioners, who had not been duly nominated as candidates under the Presidential and Vice‑Presidential Elections Act, 1952, claimed the returned candidate exercised undue influence and was unsuit…

The appellant LIC terminated Om Parkash's employment on the ground of abandonment after he was absent without leave for more than 90 days and failed to respond to multiple notices sent to his permanent address. The employee later secured a job with the Food Corporation of India but concealed this fact in his writ petit…

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions challenging the demolition of residential and commercial structures belonging to persons accused or convicted of crimes, where the demolitions were carried out without following any due‑process requirements. The Court examined whether the executive could impose such a p…

The Commissioner of Police, Aurangabad, detained Balu under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1981, and the order was approved by the State Government and confirmed by the Advisory Board. Balu challenged the detention before the High Court, which set aside the order on merits and also on the groun…

The Finance Act, 2017, through Part XIV, amended 25 enactments to merge tribunals and delegate rule-making power to the Central Government regarding qualifications, appointment, and service conditions of tribunal members. The Supreme Court considered whether Part XIV could be passed as a Money Bill under Article 110, b…

The respondent, Subhash Chandra Agarwal, filed three RTI applications seeking information about (1) correspondence regarding the appointment of three Supreme Court judges who superseded seniority, (2) declaration of assets by judges pursuant to a 1997 resolution, and (3) correspondence about a Union Minister allegedly …

The appellants were first engaged on a daily‑wage basis in August 1993, later on a contractual basis in 1996, and were given the minimum pay‑scale in 2000. In 2006 they were conferred temporary status with retrospective effect from 2 October 2002. The Allahabad High Court directed that they be considered for regularisa…

The Supreme Court was approached by the State of Tamil Nadu for clarification of its 15 December 2016 order that prohibited the grant of liquor licences along national and state highways, including stretches within municipal limits. The Court clarified that the purpose of the order is to curb liquor sales along highway…

The appellant, Daulat Singh Surana, owned premises that had been requisitioned and used by the West Bengal Government since 1943 as the office and residence of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Security Control). The State issued a notification under Section 4 and a declaration under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition …

The respondent, an associate professor at NIT Jamshedpur, applied for admission to a Quality Improvement Programme at IIT Madras and sought leave from the institute. The institute denied permission, citing a rule that staff strength in the department could not fall below 70% upon relieving a teacher. A Single Judge all…

The case concerned the interpretation of Rule 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Orissa Revised Scales of Pay Rules, 1985, which governed the fixation of pay for university lecturers and professors after a revision of pay scales. The petitioners, who were professors, argued that, in addition to being placed at the minimum of the r…

Members of the Indian Military Nursing Service (IMNS) challenged a dress code issued by the Additional Director General of Military Nursing Services, alleging violations of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The petitions were filed in various High Courts, some of which dismissed them on the ground that uniform pr…

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (appellant) claimed that certain lands, buildings and other assets owned by Karam Chand Thapar & Bros. Pvt. Ltd. (respondent) vested in the Central Government under Section 3G(vi) of the Coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1972, and issued notices for possession. The respondents contended t…

The Supreme Court examined whether medical services rendered by doctors, hospitals and nursing homes fall within the definition of "service" under Section 2(1)(o) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and thus attract consumer‑redress. It held that services provided for consideration – even if partially free or paid th…

Mis Packraft (India) Pvt Ltd, through its director, filed a contempt petition against the Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation alleging that the corporation sold the appellant's defaulter property in breach of the Supreme Court's guidelines laid down in Mahesh Chandra's case. The petition claimed wilful disobedience of …

The Ramjas Foundation challenged the validity of notifications issued under Sections 4, 6, 9 and 10 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for land in Delhi that it claimed was wakf and used for charitable education. It alleged that its objections under Section 5A were rejected without a personal hearing and that the notifi…

The case concerned scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the S‑2 and S‑3 grades who were placed in lower pay scales than junior colleagues after a 1989 notification revised pay structures based solely on total service length (8 years for S‑2, 16 years for S‑3). The senior scientists argued…

The All India Judges' Association filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions for the creation of an All‑India Judicial Service and uniform service conditions for the subordinate judiciary, including retirement age, pay, accommodation, transport, library and in‑service training. The Court examined the con…

The appellant mortgagor and his co‑heirs mortgaged two‑thirds of a property for a loan. A mortgage suit was filed and the trial court passed a preliminary decree on 25‑July‑1962 ordering payment in instalments and authorising a sale on default. Because of non‑payment, a final decree for sale was passed on 6‑March‑1963 …

The case concerned a partnership formed in Pondicherry in 1962 among the father and his sons, later continued by the sons after the father's retirement. In 1978 the respondent sued for dissolution of the partnership and accounting, claiming it was a partnership at will, while the appellants contended that the deed, gov…

Bhagat Ram Sharma, a former member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and later a member of the Punjab State Public Service Commission (PSPC) who retired in 1959, sought pension benefits under Punjab PSPC Regulation 8(3) and under the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances & Pension of Members) Act, 1971. Th…

The Comptroller and Auditor General framed a 1966 scheme allowing Upper Division Clerks who had served at least 20 years, exhausted all chances to pass the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination, or were over 45, to be appointed as temporary Accountants without needing to pass the exam. The appellants, who were still…

The Accountant General of Tamil Nadu and the Comptroller and Auditor‑General appealed against judgments that had allowed seniority claims by several former Upper Division Clerks who argued that their length of service should be counted under paragraph 143 of the Manual of Standing Orders. The respondents relied on a 19…

The petitioners challenged the admission process of the Regional Engineering College, Srinagar, run by a society registered under the Jammu & Kashmir Societies Registration Act, alleging that the viva voce interview was arbitrary, that 33⅓% of total marks were allocated to it, and that the procedure violated Article 14…

The Municipal Council of Pusad imposed a Boja and Bale tax on ginning and pressing cotton under Section 66(1)(b) of the Central Provinces Municipalities Act, 1922, in 1932. Gokaldas Dossa & Co. Ltd. challenged the tax in 1967, arguing that it exceeded the ceiling limits set by Article 276 of the Constitution and the Pr…

The Supreme Court examined two appeals filed by the Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax challenging High Court orders that granted service‑tax refunds to Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. (SPCL) for construction work at IIT Patna and NIT Rourkela. The core issue was whether these educational institution…

The Bengal Secretariat Cooperative Land Mortgage Bank and Housing Society Ltd. (the appellant) sought to redevelop its dilapidated administrative building by entering into a joint‑venture agreement with a private developer, Hi‑Rise Apartment Makers Pvt. Ltd. A dissenting member, respondent No.1, challenged the society’…

The appellant Ramanand (alias Nandlal Bharti) was convicted and sentenced to death for allegedly murdering his wife and four children, based largely on circumstantial evidence comprising a discovery statement of the murder weapon, extra‑judicial confessions to two witnesses, alleged motive stemming from an extramarital…

Senior IPS officer Sanjiv Rajendra Bhatt filed writ petitions under Article 32 seeking transfer of investigations into two criminal cases to the CBI or a fresh Special Investigation Team (SIT), alleging that he was present at a 2002 Gujarat meeting, that the Court‑appointed SIT leaked confidential material, and that hi…

The West Bengal Police recruited constables and placed the respondent on the provisional select list. He was medically fit and submitted a verification roll stating he had never been arrested, but an enquiry revealed his involvement in a criminal case under IPC sections 148, 323, 380, 448, 427 and 506, for which a char…

The case concerned a complaint before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes that Ajit P.K. Jogi had fraudulently obtained Scheduled Tribe certificates and contested elections from reserved constituencies. The Commission held a hearing, recorded a finding that Jogi’s certificates were false, …

The appellant, a clerk in NABARD, was issued a caste certificate by a Tehsildar stating he belonged to the 'Koli Mahadeo' tribe, which was then recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in Maharashtra. After his appointment to a reserved ST vacancy in 1992, the bank’s Caste Scrutiny Committee later concluded that he did not belo…

The State of West Bengal prosecuted Kailash Chandra Pandey, a Deputy General Manager at Calcutta Airport, for demanding a bribe of Rs.5,000 to facilitate the passage of cleaning contract bills. A trap was arranged in which the complainant handed the money, which was subsequently recovered from Pandey's pocket; his hand…

The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) allotted 175 acres of industrial land to B.P.L. Ltd. under Regulation 13, a special‑case provision, after a High Level Committee’s deliberation. A public‑interest litigation challenged the allotment on grounds that the Board exceeded its statutory purpose, fixed a…

The original landlord filed an eviction suit under the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates (Control) Act, 1947, claiming a bonafide and reasonable requirement for the premises. After his death, his heirs amended the plaint to assert their own requirement of starting a grocery business due to a lock‑out at his f…

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) runs N.H.L. Municipal Medical College and, through Rules 6(i) and 7, defined a "local student" as one who passed qualifying examinations from schools located within the municipal limits. Permanent residents of Ahmedabad who obtained their qualifications from schools in the adja…

The appellant, Everest Co‑owners, owned three godowns that were leased to the Food Corporation of India and later occupied by the respondent, M.P. State Ware Housing Corporation, without the appellant’s consent. After the lease expired, the appellant claimed damages of Rs 4,76,984 and invoked the arbitration clause in …

Ibrahim Ahmad Batti, a Pakistani national, was detained under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) on 1 July 1982 for alleged smuggling. The grounds of detention were served in English and Urdu within five days, but Urdu translations of the bulk of the documents rel…

The appellant, a three‑time Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested by the CBI in June 2024 in connection with an FIR registered in August 2022 under sections 120B, 477A IPC and section 7 PC Act. He challenged the legality of the arrest under Sections 41A and 41(1)(b)(ii) of the CrPC and also sought regular bail. The Hig…

The appellants, owners of land reserved for Development Plan Roads under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, constructed the roads at their own cost, surrendered the land to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and were granted 25% transferable development rights (TDR). They later claimed the balance 75% (or 10…

On 7 November 2003 a large mob in Ahmedabad assaulted several persons, burnt a two-wheeler and an auto‑rickshaw, and snatched the gold chain of PW‑2. The appellant, accused No.6, was identified only by PW‑2’s testimony given two years later, without any identification parade and amidst a crowd of 50‑100 people. The tri…

The appellant and respondent were married in 2002 but the marriage was never consummated and the parties lived apart for almost two decades. The appellant filed for divorce on the ground of cruelty; the trial court granted a decree on the basis of irretrievable breakdown, which was later set aside by the appellate cour…

The appellant, Sumit Mehta, was charged under IPC sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 and the Delhi High Court granted him anticipatory bail on the condition that he deposit a fixed deposit of Rs 1 crore in the complainant's name. Mehta appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that the condition was unreasonable, unrelated…

The petitioners, representing Scheduled Tribes employees, sought a direction that Himachal Pradesh implement its own policy of reservation in promotions with consequential seniority under the 85th Constitutional Amendment, relying on data already collected. The State argued that implementation should be deferred pendin…

Ramesh Ahluwalia, an administrative officer of the private unaided DAV Public School, was removed from service following a disciplinary inquiry in which the principal, who also acted as a management witness, participated. Ahluwalia challenged the removal by filing a writ petition under Article 226, contending that the …

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 12(5), 12(6), 15(5) and 15(6) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which prescribe the eligibility criteria for appointing Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners. The petitioner argued that the provisions were vague, lacked specifi…

The case concerned the renewal and re‑grant of mining leases for iron and manganese ores in Karnataka. Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. and MSPL Ltd. challenged the Karnataka State Government’s recommendation to grant a mining lease to Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd. and Kalyani Steels Ltd., arguing that the recommendat…

The Supreme Court examined a long‑standing dispute in the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service concerning the inter‑seniority of officers appointed by direct recruitment from the Bar and those promoted from the Nyayik Sewa and Judicial Magistrates. The petitioners sought to prevent direct recruit appointments until th…

Allied Air‑Conditioning Corp manufactured package‑type air conditioners that were cleared in a knocked‑down condition and assembled on site. The Commissioner of Central Excise alleged duty evasion and invoked the extended period of limitation under the proviso to Section 11(A) of the Central Excise Act, 1944, assessing…

Noble Resources Ltd. entered into a contract with the Orissa state-owned corporation OMC Ltd. to supply specified quantities of iron‑ore fines of grades A, B and C at agreed prices. OMC later refused to supply the remaining C‑grade quantity, citing a sharp rise in international prices and cancelled the tender, promptin…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by Sanjay Kumar Manjul against a High Court order that had allowed Dr. S. Rajavelu’s writ petition challenging his exclusion from the UPSC’s direct recruitment for the post of Superintending Archaeologist. The dispute centered on whether field experience in Epigraphy satisfied the…

Balbir Singh, a constable, was discharged under Punjab Police Rule 12.21 after being found to have consumed liquor and misbehaved with a lady constable. No formal disciplinary inquiry was held; a preliminary medical examination was the only assessment. The State appealed the High Court's decision that the discharge vio…

The accused, a school teacher, forcibly had sexual intercourse with his 4th‑standard student, who was about 14 years old at the time, and later became pregnant. The victim lodged an FIR after a delay, leading to trial where the accused was convicted under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The Hig…

The workmen of Gwalior Sugar Co. Ltd., including Kanhaiyalal Agrawal, were dismissed for allegedly colluding to falsify weigh‑ment slips, leading the Labour Court to refuse reinstatement on the ground of loss of confidence and award half salary with full retirement benefits. The Industrial Court held that the employees…

The All India State Bank Officers Federation filed writ petitions under Article 32 challenging the State Bank of India's 7 March 1989 promotion policy for moving officers from Senior Management Grade Scale V to Top Executive Grade Scale VI. The petitioners argued that the policy was arbitrary for raising the minimum se…

The Supreme Court examined the criminal proceedings arising from the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, where a leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) from a Union Carbide India Ltd plant caused thousands of deaths and injuries. Twelve individuals, including Keshub Mahindra and other senior officials, were charged under IPC sections 30…

The landlord leased premises to Esso Company in 1969. When Esso merged into Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPC) in 1974, the landlord filed an eviction suit under the Karnataka Rent Control Act, 1961 alleging sub‑letting. The lower courts dismissed the suit, holding that under the Esso (Acquisition of Undertaking…

The Supreme Court examined whether bank employees on strike were entitled to wages for the strike period. It held that entitlement to wages requires the strike to be both legal and justified, and that questions of legality and justifiability are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the industrial adjudicator under the …

The appellant, a candidate for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 1990, challenged the second proviso to Rule 4 of the Civil Services Examination Rules before the Central Administrative Tribunal, alleging it violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The CAT allowed the appellant to appear in the Main examinat…

In a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, 55 individuals who had joined the Arya Samaj movement in the former Hyderabad State in the late 1930s claimed entitlement to the Freedom Fighters' Pension Scheme (renamed Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme, 1980). They had been convicted and sentenced to im…