Constitution of India

Pankaj Srivastava filed a writ petition seeking a compassionate appointment as a clerk after the death of his father, a Bank of India employee. The bank opposed, invoking Clause 10(iv) of its compassionate appointment scheme and a 2002 board letter that required Government approval where disciplinary proceedings could …

The Supreme Court examined an appeal challenging a Bombay High Court order that disposed of a writ petition by adopting a "Minutes of Order" signed by counsel, without impleading parties who would be affected by the construction of a compound wall. The writ petition sought police protection for the wall's construction,…

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) issued several insurance policies in Rajasthan between 1993-94 and 2001-02 and, due to the unavailability of India Insurance stamps in the state, purchased the stamps from Maharashtra. The Rajasthan government issued show‑cause notices demanding payment of stamp duty on those p…

The Supreme Court, exercising suo motu jurisdiction under Article 32, examined the humanitarian crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and issued directions to the Union and State governments on the supply of oxygen, essential drugs, and vaccines, as well as on hospital admission policies and protection of individuals …

The Supreme Court examined a long‑running dispute concerning the award of domicile‑based bonus marks in appointments of primary school teachers in Rajasthan. Earlier judgments (Kailash Chand Sharma and Manmohan Sharma) had declared such bonus marks unconstitutional and applied the doctrine of prospective overruling, li…

The Supreme Court examined the Central Government's order under Section 396 of the Companies Act, 1956 that compulsorily amalgamated 63 Moons Technologies Ltd. (FTIL) with its wholly‑owned subsidiary National Spot Exchange Ltd. (NSEL). The Court held that the order was ultra vires because the statutory conditions prece…

Ravinder Singh was stopped while transporting five bottles of illicit liquor and was convicted under Section 61(1)(a) of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, receiving a six‑month imprisonment. He appealed, contending that at the time of the offence (25 May 1995) no minimum sentence was prescribed, and that the amendment intro…

Astamija Dash, a Management Trainee at Punjab National Bank, was terminated after failing to pass the bank's confirmation test despite being given three attempts and citing pregnancy‑related health issues. She claimed discrimination because another trainee, Indubala, was allowed a fourth attempt. The High Court held in…

The appellants, private stage‑carriage operators, challenged a Delhi Government notification dated 31‑12‑1999 issued under Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which (i) raised the fees for using DTC bus shelters and terminals and (ii) made all DTC concessional passes binding on private operators. The Supreme Co…

The State of Himachal Pradesh enacted the Himachal Pradesh Taxation (On Certain Goods Carried by Road) Act, 1976 to levy a tax on goods transported by road. The Himachal Pradesh High Court declared the Act unconstitutional as a restriction on inter‑state trade under Article 301 and for lacking presidential assent under…

Shirish Kumar Rangrao Patil, a probationer civil judge, was accused of demanding illegal gratification and other misconduct. An inquiry officer found several charges proved, and a show‑cause notice was issued. A committee of five High Court judges (four of whom met) accepted the findings and recommended dismissal, whic…

The petitioners claimed ownership of 4,922 square yards of land (Survey No. 202) in Lallaguda, Secunderabad and obtained injunction orders under sections 145 and 146 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. They alleged that the police were not providing assistance despite the injunctions. The Andhra Pradesh High Court quash…

The appellants, teachers promoted to Reader and Professor under the University Grants Commission's merit promotion scheme, were placed senior to directly recruited faculty in Vikram University's seniority list. The directly recruited respondents challenged this placement, and the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered the d…

The appellant, selected in the combined Civil Services Examination, was initially appointed to the Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Police Service (DANIP). When vacancies later arose in the Indian Police Service (IPS), the three reserved‑category vacancies were filled from DANIP candidates, but the general‑category vacancies …

Star Enterprises and other appellants submitted the highest monetary offers for lease of plots in response to a public tender issued by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDC) of Maharashtra, a government company acting as a New Town Development Authority. The CIDC rejected these offers without providing…

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a promotion scheme for staff officers (Grade II/A) based on centre‑wise seniority and a fixed ratio of candidates to vacancies, as set out in Administrative Circulars No. 8 and 9 of 13 May 1972. Three Grade‑II clerks at the Nagpur branch challenged the clause that limited the …

The petitioners, 39 promotees to the post of Assistant in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), challenged a 1981 seniority list that demoted them in favour of direct recruits, alleging violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. They argued that seniority should be based on the date they exercis…

The married couple Mannar Reddiar and Adhilakshmiammal executed separate wills bequeathing their properties to their two sons, excluding their daughter Kalavathy who had earlier received gifts. After the death of the testators, the daughter and the second son filed a suit for partition and contested the probate of the …

During a hearing of Criminal Appeal No.400/2006, Senior Counsel Mr. R. Basant highlighted several common inadequacies in criminal trial procedures, such as lack of standardized witness and exhibit lists, poor recording of depositions, and inconsistent referencing of parties and evidence. He urged the Supreme Court to i…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Punjab and Haryana governments could be challenged for appointing law officers without a transparent, merit‑based process, alleging arbitrariness violative of Art.14 of the Constitution. The petitioners, who were law officers on contract, claimed that the States had no realistic a…

The respondents, transferred to the Indian Railways, sought seniority and promotion benefits under a 2005 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The department allegedly failed to fully implement the order, prompting the respondents to file a contempt petition before the CAT, which in 2010 directed the app…

The Supreme Court, hearing a civil appeal filed by the Mineral Area Development Authority against the Steel Authority of India, noted a conflict between two earlier decisions—one by a five‑Judge Bench in State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd. and another by a seven‑Judge Bench in India Cement Ltd. v. State of …

The respondent, a former constable of the Border Security Force (BSF), resigned after 12 years and 8 months of service under Rule 19 of the BSF Rules, 1969. The Government of India, relying on a 1995 Government Order, granted him full pensionary benefits, which were not released, leading to a writ petition and subseque…

C/M. St. John Inter College, a minority educational institution under Article 30, terminated the services of its employees without obtaining prior approval of the Inspector as required by Section 16G(3)(a) of the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921 and Regulation 44. The Allahabad High Court set aside the termination…

Capt. M. Paul Anthony, a security officer of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd., was arrested after a police raid at his residence recovered gold items. He was suspended and a departmental inquiry was initiated, but his request to stay the inquiry pending the criminal trial was denied. The inquiry proceeded ex parte, he was found …

Gaurav Jain filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking separate educational institutions and other relief for children of prostitutes. A two‑judge Division Bench (Ramaswamy J and Wadhwa J) delivered differing judgments: Ramaswamy J ordered the establishment of a committee and measures to eradicate prostituti…

In 1954 the government acquired about 20,000 acres of land for the Rourkela Steel Plant and paid compensation. The Union Minister for Steel advised that at least one member of each displaced family should be given a job in the plant (the T.N. Singh formula). In 1995 the displaced persons filed a writ petition under Art…

The petitioners, tenants of four shops, alleged that the third respondent fraudulently obtained two court decrees from Gauhati and Gaya to evict them from their premises, purchasing the decrees and powers of attorney for a sum of rupees twenty thousand each. They sought a writ under Article 32 directing the CBI to inve…

Harish Uppal, a former Indian Army officer, was court‑martialed and sentenced to dismissal and two years' rigorous imprisonment for irregularities during the 1971 Bangladesh operations. While incarcerated, his advocate filed a post‑confirmation petition under Section 164(2) of the Army Act, 1950, which was rejected by …

The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) issued a notification on 23 May 1975 for recruitment of 50 Tehsildars, specifying reservation percentages and stating that selection would be made in accordance with the then‑existing rules. The Commission prepared a select list using the procedure laid down in the Governm…

Andhra Steel Corporation, a dealer under the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, purchased iron scrap both within and outside Karnataka to manufacture steel products. The Act's Section 5(4) together with Schedule IV, Item 2 and Explanation II (applicable before 1‑April‑1978) exempted sales of steel semis made from scrap on which …

The producer S. Rangarajan sought a ‘U’ certificate for his Tamil film “Ore Oru Gramathile” which was initially refused, then granted after review by two Revising Committees. The Madras High Court later revoked the certificate on grounds that the film was biased, could incite caste‑based unrest and violated several gui…

Lena Khan, a Deputy Chief Air Hostess of Air India, challenged the airline's retirement policy that required Indian‑origin air hostesses to retire at 35 (extendable to 45) while foreign‑origin hostesses could serve beyond 45, alleging violations of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. The petition also raised whethe…

The Calcutta High Court entertained a writ petition under Article 226 challenging the Chief Election Commissioner, the Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India for allegedly issuing vague and arbitrary directions for a de novo revision of West Bengal's electoral rolls and for proceeding with electio…

The appellants, who had passed the Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test (JTET) under the 2022 Recruitment Rules, challenged a High Court order that allowed candidates who cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) or neighbouring states' Teacher Eligibility Tests (STET) to participate in the ongoing recruitment …

The Trust obtained a decree for possession of premises occupied by the Society, but the High Court stayed execution pending the Society's appeal and imposed a conditional stay requiring deposits and a status‑quo. The Society later let out the premises for exhibitions, violating the stay conditions, leading the Trust to…

The deceased owner of a property allegedly named his tenants as abettors in a suicide note, leading the police to detain the tenants and demolish the premises with the help of the deceased's relatives. The two tenants filed complaints under Section 156(3) of the Cr.P.C., which were initially mishandled by the magistrat…

The petitioners, who were witnesses to a 2016 Jat community agitation in Haryana that involved arson and loss of life, alleged that the trial in Jhajjar was compromised by the influence of a powerful advocate, threats to witnesses, and a biased prosecuting team. They filed a transfer petition under Article 139A(2) of t…

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL) cancelled the results of a 1978 recruitment for Class IV posts after discovering irregularities, terminating all appointees including Ram Gopal and Shyam Behari Lal. Shyam Behari Lal obtained relief from the Allahabad High Court on equitable grounds, which was later set …

M.V. Jayarajan delivered a public speech in Kannur criticizing a Kerala High Court order that prohibited meetings on public roads, using language that the court deemed abusive, including calling judges "idiots" and employing the regional term "sumbhan". The High Court convicted him of criminal contempt under Section 12…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Entry 25 of Schedule VI of the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957, which levies tax on the processing and supply of photographs, photo prints and photo negatives. The issue centered on whether the State could tax the goods component of a works contract after the 46th…

The appellant and respondent No.1 both applied for the post of Anganwadi Worker in Odisha. The selection committee initially appointed the appellant, but the Sub‑Collector remanded the case on 26‑12‑2009, leading to a reconsideration where the appellant again emerged as the most eligible candidate. Respondent No.1 file…

The petitioners were added as co-accused under Section 319 of the CrPC in a murder trial that had already examined 134 witnesses. They sought a stay of the addition and of the trial, arguing that a blanket stay violated their right to a speedy trial under Article 21. The Supreme Court examined whether the stay order of…

The plaintiff obtained a loan of Rs 70.30 lakh, secured by a cheque drawn in the name of a partnership firm, and filed a suit for recovery along with an application for attachment before judgment under Order XXXVIII Rule 5 CPC. The High Court rejected the attachment, holding that the loan was not for the benefit of the…

Vinod Kumar, a workman, challenged the termination of his services and the award of the Labour Court before the Allahabad High Court via a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. The High Court listed the matter on 27‑08‑2003, reserved judgment on that day, and purportedly delivered its judgment on 19‑12‑2…

The Supreme Court examined whether an order by the Chief Justice of India (or his designate) under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, appointing an arbitrator, is an adjudicatory order that can be challenged by a petition for special leave under Article 136 of the Constitution. The Court held tha…

Three medical officers were appointed on an ad‑hoc basis by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. and later sought regularisation and parity pay. The Andhra Pradesh High Court directed that they be regularised with effect from 1 April 1986 and that they receive regular pay scales. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that regularisatio…

The case involved a retiring railway employee (appellant No.2) who sought to have his married daughter, also a railway employee (appellant No.1), regularised in the railway quarter allotted to him. The Railway Board circular dated 11 August 1992 allowed regularisation only for a son or an unmarried daughter, permitting…

P.N. Malhotra, a civilian employee in the defence services whose salary was drawn from the Defence Estimates, was dismissed after a disciplinary enquiry conducted under the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. He challenged the dismissal before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which held that the 1965 Rules did not apply to him …

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Reserve Bank of India's 1987 directions regulating Residuary Non‑Banking Companies (RNBCs) under Sections 45J, 45K(3) and 45L of the RBI Act. The petitioners, a group of finance companies including Peerless, argued that the directions were ultra vires, unrea…

The case arose from a violent clash between local Harijan labourers and migrant workers hired by mirasdars during a paddy harvest dispute. On 25 December 1968, the deceased Packiriswami Pillai was attacked and fatally cut on the head and neck by the accused Gopal (A‑1) and others, as witnessed by several eye‑witnesses …

The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) was sued by passengers who lost limbs in a bus accident. The corporation argued that a sudden failure of the bus lights caused the crash and sought to avoid liability, also contesting the quantum of compensation awarded by the Accidents Claims Tribunal. The Supreme…

The appellant, Amandeep Singh Saran, was charged with offences including IPC Section 409, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or up to ten years, and was being tried before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Raipur, a court that can impose at most seven years imprisonment. Having already spent ove…

The State of Uttar Pradesh challenged a writ petition filed under Art.226 that sought mandamus against certain respondents for alleged violations of excise licence rules and alleged fraud. The High Court, after examining the investigation, issued a series of sweeping directions ordering the creation of a separate inves…

The Supreme Court examined challenges by landowners to the Municipal Corporations of Bhopal and Indore who, under Section 305 of the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956, issued notices to remove or set back building portions projecting beyond the regular line of a public street for a Bus Rapid Transit System…

The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) filed a special civil application seeking to levy market fee on Biotor Industries Ltd for its purchase of castor seeds and to declare Rule 48(2) of the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets Rules, 1965 ultra vires of Sections 28A and 59 of the Gujarat Agricultural Produce…

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) prepared a draft scheme on 13‑Feb‑1986 to nationalise 39 bus routes under Section 68‑C of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939. After objections were filed, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 came into force and the competent authority declared the scheme to have lapsed und…

Bal Thackrey was convicted by the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) for criminal contempt under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, based on two petitions filed by respondents alleging that his public speech scandalised the court. The petitions were filed without obtaining the mandatory written consent of th…

The Supreme Court dealt with a suit for specific performance of a contract to sell immovable land where the plaint failed to give a precise description of the property and no map was annexed. The trial court decreed specific performance, but the decree did not identify the land, leading to execution difficulties, inclu…

The State of West Bengal granted a 999‑year lease of a plot in Salt Lake to Tapan Kumar Mullick, who later bequeathed the leasehold interest to a stranger, K.C. Kapur, by will. After Mullick's death, Kapur obtained probate and applied to have his name entered as lessee, which the High Court ordered despite the Governme…

The petitioners challenged two notifications dated 6 January 1995 and 9 March 1995 issued under Sections 4, 6 and 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for land in Nilothi, Delhi, which was to be used for a sewage‑treatment plant (STP). They argued that the phrase "is likely to be needed" in the Section 4 notificatio…

The petitioners, private stage‑carriage operators, challenged the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Special Provisions) Act, 1992 which bars the grant of any new permit overlapping a notified route after 30 June 1990. They argued that the cut‑off date created an arbitrary classification violating Article 14 and that Section 1…

The petitioners, reserve trained pool telephone operators (RTPs) of Delhi and Bombay telephone nigams, and various categories of casual labourers in the Department of Posts, sought parity with regular employees in service benefits after being absorbed as regular staff. The Court examined earlier orders dated 28 July 19…

The appellant, a hospital director, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) on 12 May 2021 for allegedly procuring fake Remdesivir injections. He filed a representation against the detention on 18 May 2021, which was communicated to the State and Central Governments, but the authorities delayed considering i…

The Supreme Court considered whether officers invested with powers under Section 53 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) are 'police officers' within the meaning of Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, and whether a statement recorded under Section 67 of the NDPS Act can be use…

Heem Singh, a Rajasthan police constable, was dismissed after a departmental enquiry found him guilty of misconduct for allegedly committing murder while on leave. He had been acquitted of the murder charge in a criminal trial because key witnesses turned hostile and the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasona…

The appellant, a landlady, sought eviction of her tenant under Section 9 of the Rajasthan Rent Control Act, claiming a bona‑fide need to use the premises for construction for her children and guests. The Rent Tribunal dismissed the petition, holding the landlady could meet her need elsewhere, but the Rent Appellate Tri…

S. Mahesh, a Scheduled Caste candidate, was appointed by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. (NLC) but could not produce his original caste certificate. He informed the corporation and asked to be treated as a general‑category candidate; the corporation accepted, allowed him to join service and later promoted him. Years l…

The appellant, a visually‑handicapped allottee of a fair‑price shop, challenged an appellate order that restored the original allottee's licence and cancelled her own allotment. The High Court dismissed her writ petition on the ground that she was not a necessary party. The Supreme Court examined whether a subsequent a…

The plaintiff entered into a 1989 agreement to purchase a house from defendant No.2, paid the full consideration, but the seller failed to execute the sale deed. The plaintiff filed two suits: one for permanent injunction to prevent dispossession by defendant No.1 and No.2, and another for specific performance of the s…

The respondents were initially appointed as work‑charge helpers in 1979 and later selected as Junior Clerks in 1984 after a limited competitive exam. They claimed that, having performed the duties of Junior Clerks, they were entitled to the Junior Clerk pay scale retroactively from 1979 and from 1 April 1982, invoking …

The respondent, a Speech Therapist/Audiologist appointed in the non‑executive S‑6 grade at Durgapur Steel Plant, sought parity in pay and cadre with a senior employee (B.V. Prabhakar) holding an executive E‑1 grade at Rourkela Steel Plant. The company rejected the claim, citing its personnel manual which allows each pl…

The State of Uttar Pradesh issued an order restricting eligibility for the Special Basic Training Course (BTC) 2007 to candidates whose B.Ed. degrees were from institutions recognized by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). Several candidates whose degrees were from institutions that were later recognized…

The case concerned employees of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Department who were deputed to newly formed Transport Corporations and later permanently absorbed. The State Government fixed 1 May 1975 as the cut‑off date for determining pension eligibility, but the Madras High Court held this date arbitrary and ordered …

The respondent, a helper employed from 1 July 1990 to 26 February 1991, was terminated for unsatisfactory work. Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 protects a workman only if he has completed at least 240 days of service in the preceding 12 months. The Labour Court held that the workman had worked only 219…

The petitioners, who were daily‑wage/N.M.R. workers in various Orissa government projects, filed writ petitions seeking regularisation of their services and equal pay with regular staff on the ground that they performed the same duties, invoking Article 14 of the Constitution. The Orissa High Court allowed the petition…

The appellant, a Class IV peon appointed in 1976, was temporarily promoted to the Class III post of Junior Clerk in 1982 and later reverted to his original post in 1986. He challenged the reversion before the Orissa Administrative Tribunal, which held that the promotion was contrary to the 1963 Orissa Ministerial Servi…

The appellants, the widow and daughter of the deceased Atma Singh, challenged a registered will that left all of his property to his sister (the first respondent) and subsequent sale deeds that transferred land to the sister's son. The trial court found numerous suspicious circumstances—such as questionable thumb impre…

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Employees Union filed a complaint against Dr. S.K. Kacker alleging an offence under Section 409 of the IPC. The police took no action, and the Union approached the Delhi High Court under Article 226 seeking a mandamus directing the CBI to investigate. The High Court refused t…

The case concerned five public‑sector undertakings whose workmen had gone on an illegal but justified strike demanding wage parity with BHEL, followed by a lock‑out declared by management. The National Industrial Tribunal awarded the workers 35% of their wages for the strike and lock‑out periods, disallowed set‑off of …

Joginder Singh Wasu, the Advocate General of Punjab, was appointed under a 1953 notification fixing his fee at Rs 100 per civil writ or letters‑patent appeal. In 1975 the State issued an amendment reducing fees for batch cases and capping total fees at Rs 1,000. Wasu protested, submitted bills based on the original rat…

Smt. Shashi Nayar, the wife of a condemned prisoner, filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of the death penalty imposed on her husband for murder under IPC Section 302. She argued that capital punishment violates Article 21, lacks deterrent effect, is barbaric, and that hanging …

The appellants, registered coal dealers under the U.P. Sales Tax Act, collected sales tax from purchasers after coal became taxable in 1965, but were later held not liable for tax and sought a refund of the amounts deposited. The Sales Tax Officer rejected the refund claim, relying on Section 29-A, which permits refund…

The petition sought revocation of special leave that had been granted by the Supreme Court in the presence of the respondents' counsel after hearing. The Court examined whether it could set aside its own order of special leave, considering the procedural propriety of the original grant and the constitutional implicatio…

In the 1980 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Surinder Singh was elected but his victory was challenged on two grounds of corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act, 1951: (1) alleged "undue influence" for disturbing an Akali Party meeting with firearms, and (2) alleged "bribery" for promising to h…

The case involved a series of civil suits filed in 2001 that had been repeatedly amended and impleaded, leading to a long pendency. The plaintiff sought to file a rejoinder after the defendants had filed written statements, but the trial court initially rejected the application, later allowing it on review. The High Co…

The appellant, an unmarried woman in a consensual relationship, sought to terminate a 22‑week pregnancy under Section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and Rule 3B of the MTP Rules. The Delhi High Court held that Rule 3B applied only to married women and denied the relief, prompting a Special Le…

The appellants were convicted of offences under the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention) Act for assaulting the complainants in separate incidents in 2000 and 1995. After the convictions, the parties entered into amicable settlements, and the appellants sought to have the non‑compoundable offe…

The State of Jammu & Kashmir sought to appoint a Re‑T (teaching guide) under its Rehbar‑e‑Taleem scheme. An advertisement dated 29‑Nov‑2002 stipulated an upper age limit of 35 years as on 1‑Jan‑2002, with the phrase "as far as possible" regarding age qualification. Respondent No.2, born on 28‑Dec‑1965, was selected des…

The appellant Amit Shrivas claimed a compassionate appointment after his father, a work‑charged driver, died in service; the father had become a permanent employee after 15 years but was still paid from the contingency fund. The 2008 Madhya Pradesh policy excluded work‑charged/contingency employees from compassionate a…

Jamal Uddin, a Scheduled Tribe candidate born on 31‑01‑1965, applied for a regular Munsif post in Jammu & Kashmir after serving as an adhoc Munsif. The 2002 Public Service Commission notification required candidates to be not more than 35 years old as of 1 January of the examination year, and his application was reject…

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation acquired 37 acres of land for a golf‑cum‑hotel resort under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but later transferred portions of the land to private entities. Several landowners challenged the acquisition, alleging fraud and diversion of public purpose. The High Court, a…

The Supreme Court considered a writ petition filed by the grandmother of a surrogate child, Baby Manji Yamada, challenging directions of the Rajasthan High Court that dealt with the custody and production of the child. The child was born to a surrogate mother in Gujarat to Japanese biological parents who had entered in…

The Supreme Court dealt with the large‑scale misuse of residential premises for commercial purposes in Delhi. Earlier it had ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to seal offending premises, granting traders a deadline of 30 June 2006 subject to affidavits. The Union of India subsequently enacted the Delhi Laws (S…

Deposit collectors employed under various banks' Daily Deposit Schemes raised an industrial dispute seeking regular pay scales and service conditions. The dispute was referred to the Industrial Tribunal under Section 18(3)(d) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which awarded their absorption as regular staff and othe…

The Board of Trustees for the Port of Calcutta, constituted under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, owned land leased to Everest Industries Ltd. and another party. Upon lease expiry, a 1996 notification altered the rent schedule, imposing a non‑refundable premium equal to four years' rent and annual rent escalations, re…

Badrinath, an IAS officer, was denied promotion to the super‑time scale on the ground of pending disciplinary cases and adverse confidential report remarks. He challenged the State and Central Governments' orders, arguing that the Governor’s order during President's rule had dropped the disciplinary cases, rendering th…

The appellant, the highest bidder for a foreign liquor shop in the Changanassery Excise Range, could not locate a premises within that range and obtained permission from the Excise Commissioner to shift the shop to the Karukachal Range under Rule 6(2) of the Kerala Abkari Shops (Disposal in Auction) Rules, 1974. A hote…

The Supreme Court examined three civil appeals arising from orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal that appointed junior officers to the post of General Manager (GM) and equivalent in the Indian Railways, allegedly bypassing senior officers. The dispute centered on the interpretation of paragraph 7.3 of the Sche…

The appellants were appointed as Junior Basic Teachers (J.B.T.) in Haryana government schools without B.T./B.Ed. qualifications and later obtained those degrees. They sought higher grade (Masters) pay automatically, relying on a 1957 Punjab Government instruction that linked pay to qualification. The State of Haryana c…

The appellants, originally members of the Junior Branch of the Bihar Finance Service, were merged into the Senior Branch by a government resolution dated 2 November 1975, purportedly with retrospective effect from 1 April 1974. The respondents, who were direct recruits to the Senior Branch on 12 May and 25 May 1974, ch…

Captain B. Subha Rao, a retired naval officer, was arrested at Bombay Airport for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. He filed a series of bail applications; Judge Puranik rejected a batch on 6 June 1989 without noting a pending application (Criminal Application No. 995/8…

The appellant, a former government telephone employee, had taken a house on lease in 1954 and continued to occupy it after retirement in 1967. Respondent S.P. Pathak applied to the House Allotment Officer for possession, alleging the appellant occupied the premises in violation of Clause 22(2) of the Central Provinces …

The appellant, a logistics company, was awarded a contract to handle and store iron and steel at the central dispatch yard of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL) and deployed 36 motor vehicles exclusively within the enclosed premises. It sought exemption from motor vehicle tax under Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Motor V…

The Rajasthan High Court had directed the state to consider a candidate, who had applied for a Civil Judge post as a General category applicant and paid the general fee, for one of the two vacancies reserved for persons with disabilities after she later claimed visual impairment based on a disability certificate showin…

The respondent, K.V. Abdul Khader, was Chairperson of the Kerala State Wakf Board and was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The appellant, Ashraf Kokkurr, filed an election petition alleging that the respondent was disqualified under Article 191(1)(a) of the Constitution because he held an office of profit. T…

The Rajasthan Government issued notifications granting reservation in promotion for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which were later quashed by the Rajasthan High Court because the State had not complied with the quantifiable data requirements laid down in M. Nagaraj's case. General‑category employees filed civi…

The appellant, Mohammed Ajmal Mohammad Amir Kasab, was one of ten Pakistani terrorists who launched a coordinated attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 people and injuring 238. He was convicted by the trial court on multiple charges including waging war against the Government of India, murder, and terroris…

The appellants, wholesale vegetable and fruit vendors, were ordered by the Gauhati High Court to vacate the Machkhowa market in Guwahati to make way for an administrative building, and were directed to shift to a new market at Ganeshguri. They challenged the order, claiming a violation of their fundamental right to car…

The case concerned a matriculate ex‑serviceman with over 15 years of defence service who applied for a Group‑C Data Entry Operator post where the essential qualification was graduation with mathematics or statistics. Under a 1986 DOPT notification and Rule 6 of the Ex‑Servicemen (Re‑employment) Rules, such ex‑serviceme…

The appellant, a co‑employee of Mahesh Deorao Bhivapurkar, challenged a High Court order that had declared Bhivapurkar a member of the Halba Scheduled Tribe and directed the employer to accept his caste certificate. The Supreme Court held that the High Court's decision was unsustainable, did not create res judicata, an…

Bharat Sewa Sansthan, a charitable society, leased premises to U.P. Electronics Corporation Ltd. under a lease that contained an arbitration clause. The society sued for recovery of rent arrears, water and sewerage taxes, and interest, while the corporation moved for reference of the dispute to arbitration under Sectio…

The appellant, JSW Steel, was setting up a steel plant in Bellary, Karnataka and entered into a pipeline supply agreement with the respondent, Jindal Praxair, which contained an arbitration clause specifying Bombay as the seat of arbitration. A dispute arose and the respondent filed a petition under Section 9 of the Ar…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by Reliance Industries Ltd. against the Gujarat High Court’s dismissal of its review petition challenging a writ order passed under Article 226 that directed polluting industries to install effluent treatment. The division bench of the High Court had differed on the merits, and di…

The writ petitioners, traders in a market, claimed that the Krishi Utpadan Mandi Samiti was not providing any services and therefore could not charge a market fee. The Mandi Samiti counter‑claimed that it rendered several services such as electricity, water, sanitation, tents, and was planning further infrastructure, j…

Shri Maruti Shripati Dubal, a police constable, suffered a head injury in a 1981 road accident and was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia. He attempted self‑immolation on 27 April 1985 and was charged under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. While the case was pending, he challenged the constitutional validit…

The State of Uttar Pradesh sought to levy excise duty on various categories of wastage arising in the manufacture of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL): (A) wastage exported outside the State, (B) wastage during transport of high‑strength spirit, (C) loss due to obscuration in rum production, and (D) pipeline loss. The …

The appellant was convicted under sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC for the murder and concealment of Joginder Singh, based primarily on three pieces of circumstantial evidence: identification by two liquor‑shop owners, an extra‑judicial confession to a village pradhan, and the recovery of a saw blade under a Section…

The petitioners, representing Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees of the Posts & Telegraphs (P&T) Department, challenged a 1983 government policy that removed the earlier reservation advantage that allowed them to be promoted after 10‑12 years, replacing it with a uniform 16‑year rule for all employees. They …

Ajay Canu, a student with a two-wheeler licence, challenged a Hyderabad police notification and Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rule 498-A that made wearing crash helmets compulsory for motorcycle and scooter riders. He argued that the rule was ultra vires the Motor Vehicles Act because Section 85‑A had not been brought …

Dr. V.K. Saxena and a nurse, Bhagwati Singh, were convicted for the murder of Sudha, Saxena's wife. The Sessions Judge sentenced Saxena to death and the nurse to life imprisonment. The Allahabad High Court reduced Saxena's death sentence to life imprisonment and acquitted the nurse, citing a split opinion among its jud…

The appellant Sukhdev Yadav was convicted of murder, kidnapping and related offences and sentenced to life imprisonment fixed at twenty years without remission, along with fines. After serving the full twenty‑year term on 9 March 2025, he sought release but the Delhi High Court had earlier denied his furlough applicati…

The appellant Ajwar filed a criminal appeal challenging a bail order granted by the Allahabad High Court to respondent No.1, Waseem, who had been repeatedly granted and then cancelled bail by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had earlier cancelled the bail on two occasions, directing that any future bail could be so…

The respondent, a judicial officer, opted for a revised pay scale under the Haryana Civil Services (Judicial Branch) and Haryana Superior Judicial Service Revised Pay Rules 2001 and gave an undertaking to refund any excess salary. After his compulsory retirement, the pay rules were revised again in 2003, and an audit s…

The petitioner, convicted under the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts and sentenced to death by a TADA court, sought a writ under Article 32 to stay the execution of the death warrant dated 30 April 2015, alleging procedural irregularities and that his curative petition had not been decided by a bench constituted as per Supreme …

The Union of India challenged the validity of Notification Nos.102/87‑CE and 103/87‑CE which granted exemption from excise duty on iron and steel scrap from ship‑breaking only to importers who had paid customs duty at Rs.1,400 per Light Displacement Tonnage (LDT). The respondent, N.S. Rathnam & Sons, had paid a lower c…

Mahaveer C. Singhvi, an Indian Foreign Service probationer appointed in 1999, was discharged on 13 June 2002. He challenged the discharge before the Central Administrative Tribunal, the Delhi High Court, and finally this Court, alleging that the order was punitive, based on alleged misconduct uncovered through a secret…

The Supreme Court examined the criminal contempt proceedings against senior advocate R.K. Anand and former special public prosecutor I.U. Khan arising from a televised NDTV sting operation that captured their alleged attempts to influence a prosecution witness in the high‑profile BMW hit‑and‑run trial. The Court held t…

The respondent filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act alleging that the appellant had issued a pronote and a cheque which later bounced. The appellant claimed the documents were forged and applied to a magistrate for their examination by a handwriting expert; the application was dismissed…

The petitioners, railway clerks belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, challenged a Railway Board letter dated 9 October 2003 that applied the reservation policy to posts created by a cadre‑restructuring exercise in Group C and D. The Central Administrative Tribunal had struck down the reservation clau…

NARENDER SINGH, a customs vigilance officer, was dismissed for allegedly accepting illegal gratification to clear Afghan nationals through customs. After his appeal was rejected, the Central Administrative Tribunal quashed the dismissal and ordered his reinstatement. The Union of India challenged the Tribunal's order b…

Sanaboina Satyanarayana, convicted of murder (Sec. 302 IPC), dowry harassment (Sec. 498A IPC) and tampering with evidence (Sec. 201 IPC), sought remission of his life sentence under a Government Order dated 25‑01‑2000 issued under Article 161 of the Constitution. The Order excluded "prisoners convicted for crimes again…

Shri T. Sham Bhat, a Class‑I officer of Karnataka's non‑State Civil Service, was barred from selection to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after the IAS (Appointment by Selection) Second Amendment Regulations, 1989 increased the required continuous service from eight to twelve years and allowed Class‑II officers…

The appellants challenged the constitutional validity of the Haryana Rural Development Act, 1986, specifically sections 5(1) and 11, alleging that the 1% levy on agricultural produce was a tax in disguise and therefore ultra vires the State's legislative competence under Articles 246(3) and 286(2) of the Constitution. …

Capt. V. Kumar filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the Lok Sabha’s voting on the impeachment motion against Justice V. Ramaswami. He alleged that his nine‑page communication to the Speaker was not circulated, that an oral whip to abstain was illegal, and that the Speaker should have compelled MPs to vote…

The first meeting of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation was convened on 6 May 1988 to elect the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee members. A violent disturbance broke out when opposition councillors seized ballot boxes and chairs were thrown, prompting the Municipal Commissioner to adjourn the proceedings at…

The Tamil Nadu legislature enacted three land‑acquisition statutes (1978, 1997 and 2001) which were later held repugnant to the Central Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The Madras High Court declared the three state statutes void and quashed acq…

The Supreme Court considered several interim applications concerning the La‑Residentia residential project, which was marketed as an Amrapali Group development promising delivery within 36 months. After a forensic audit, the Court had earlier ordered that 19.75% of the project (632 flats) be surrendered to the Amrapali…

Lal Singh, convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced to life imprisonment, applied for premature release under CrPC ss.432 and 433 after being transferred to a Punjab jail. The Gujarat Government rejected his application; the Punjab High Court directed Gujarat to reconsider …

The appellant organisation Sambhavna filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the University of Delhi to introduce bridge and foundation courses, provide accessible reading material, train teachers, and include disability representatives in university bodies for visually impaired students. The University resp…

The case concerned an Assistant Foreman of an Ordnance Factory who was served a charge memo alleging bribery and challenged the disciplinary proceedings on the ground that the charge memo was issued by an authority subordinate to his appointing authority. The Central Administrative Tribunal quashed the charge memo, a d…

The petitioners challenged the constitutionality of sections 34(1), 47(1)(a)(i) and 58(1)(a)(i) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which base the pecuniary jurisdiction of district, state and national consumer commissions on the value of consideration paid rather than the compensation claimed. The challenge arose fr…

The mother, a working professional, filed a petition seeking permanent custody of her two minor children, alleging the father might forcibly remove them. The Family Court restrained the father and granted limited visitation, which the father appealed. The High Court then ordered a 15‑day monthly interim custody for eac…

The appellants, legal heirs of the deceased Kathiresan, filed suits seeking declaration of title and injunction over a suit land purchased by Kathiresan. The respondent, a relative, invoked Article 227 of the Constitution before the Madras High Court, seeking rejection of the plaints on the ground that they were barred…

A 14‑year‑old girl, X, who alleged sexual assault, became pregnant and sought termination of her pregnancy beyond the statutory 24‑week limit. The High Court denied the request, relying on a clarificatory opinion of a medical board that did not assess the impact on X's physical and mental health. The Supreme Court set …

The Rajasthan Waqf Board claimed that a structure identified as the Qalandari Masjid on Tiranga Hill was a waqf religious site situated within Survey No. 6731, which had been leased to Jindal Saw Ltd for mining. The High Court allowed the mining lease to proceed, prompting the Board to appeal. The Supreme Court examine…

The Supreme Court examined multiple writ petitions challenging the seniority and appointment of judicial officers in Rajasthan's District Judge cadre after the 2010 Judicial Service Rules came into force. The petitioners argued that officers promoted ad‑hoc to Fast Track Courts should retain seniority from their initia…

The State of Haryana issued notifications under Section 5(2) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 fixing and revising minimum rates of wages, including provisions that classified unskilled workers as semi‑skilled after a certain period of experience, prohibited segregation of wages into allowances, included security staff as…

The Supreme Court examined whether the transmission assembly, an intermediate component produced during the manufacture of tractors by M/s. Escorts Ltd., attracted excise duty under the Central Excise and Salt Act. The Court held that transmission assemblies are distinct, commercially known products and therefore quali…

The employees of the Andhra Pradesh Labour Department challenged G.O.M. No.14 (1994) and No.22 (1996) which allowed promotion by transfer to the post of Assistant Labour Officer. The State Administrative Tribunal struck down those G.O.M.s as ultra vires the Presidential Order but held the striking down to be prospectiv…

Seven teachers were appointed in a private‑management school without complying with the Andhra Pradesh Educational Institutions Rules, 1993 – no prior permission, no advertisement, and no approval of appointments. Their services were not approved and they received no salary, prompting writ petitions that the High Court…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. and others challenging the West Bengal Multi-Storeyed Buildings Tax Act, 1979 on the ground that it violated Article 14 by discriminating between owners of multi‑storeyed buildings based on the portion of the building taxed. The appellants argued that t…

Shree Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan, a charitable trust, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing the Union of India to fix a date for bringing Section 2(c) of the Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Act, 1982 into force, which would exclude charitable organisations from the definition of "industry". …

The Competent Authority initiated forfeiture proceedings under SAFEMA against Amritlal Chandmal Jain, whose detention under COFEPOSA had earlier been challenged by several writs of habeas corpus. Although the High Court had quashed the detention order and the SAFEMA proceedings, the Competent Authority later sought to …

The Central Government, under Section 2(a)(xi) of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, issued a 1983 notification declaring various seeds as essential commodities and issued the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983. Earlier, a Division Bench of this Court upheld the validity of that notification and order in the Raghu Seeds & F…

The respondents, who were Head Constables, appeared for the promotion examination to Assistant Sub‑Inspectors in December 1993. Because very few candidates passed, the Director‑General of Police (DGP) granted 15% grace marks to general candidates and 10% to reserved‑category candidates, but only for the Jabalpur zone, …

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by promotees of the Indian Statistical Service challenging a seniority list that excluded periods of service in "ex-cadre" posts. The issue arose from the earlier judgment in Narender Chadha v. Union of India (1986), where the Court had directed that promotees be treated as regu…

In 1967 a large number of Delhi police constables, including the petitioner Bhoop Singh, were terminated for participating in a mass agitation. While many of those dismissed were later reinstated after filing writ petitions in the 1970s, Bhoop Singh waited 22 years before filing a petition before the Central Administra…

The appellant, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was prosecuted for corruption offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Supreme Court, in an earlier order dated 16.2.1984, suo motu transferred the case from the Special Judge to the Bombay High Court for speedy trial. The appe…

Mohanlal Jatia was detained under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) on the basis of documents seized from his brother‑in‑law and statements recorded by R.C. Singh of the Enforcement Directorate. His wife, Pushpadevi Jatia, challenged the detention before th…

The Union of India, through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, sought Supreme Court directions to transfer Rs 5,000 crore from the unutilized balance of Rs 24,979.67 crore lying in the "Sahara‑SEBI Refund Account" to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies for disbursement to the genuine depositors of the Sahara…

The appellants were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC for the murder of Abbas Baig, based primarily on the oral testimony of three eyewitnesses. They challenged the conviction, arguing that the eyewitness evidence was unreliable, that the defence counsel's suggestions during cross‑examination …

The Central Bank of India and other nationalised banks (appellants) challenged the validity of a cut‑off date they fixed for calculating gratuity payable to retired employees (respondents) under their Regulation 46. The respondents argued that the cut‑off date, which limited the benefit of revised pay scales to retiree…

The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) Board extended the service of retired Parpathedar P. Seshadri on a contract basis beyond the age of sixty. Respondent S. Mangati Gopal Reddy filed a writ petition, styled as a public‑interest litigation, alleging that the extensions violated Rule 13 of the TTD Service Rules, 198…

Ramdas Athawale, a Lok Sabha member, filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the validity of the Lok Sabha's resumption on 29 January 2004, arguing that the President’s special address under Article 87 was required because it was the first session of the year. The Court held that the December 2003 session wa…

The petitioner, Smt. Shail, was a victim of offences under Sections 376 and 328 of the IPC by the respondent, Manoj Kumar, who later married her to avoid conviction but subsequently deserted her. She filed a maintenance application under Section 125 of the CrPC before the Family Court, which was delayed; the High Court…

The appellant was remanded to judicial custody for offences under the IPC and the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act. After the statutory 60‑day period for filing a charge‑sheet elapsed, he applied for bail, asserting the indefeasible right under the proviso to Section 167(2) of the CrPC. The Special …

The President of India referred a matter under Article 317(1) of the Constitution to the Supreme Court seeking an enquiry into 32 charges of alleged misbehaviour against Dr. Ram Ashray Yadav, Chairman of the Bihar Public Service Commission. After detailed submissions, the Attorney General narrowed the enquiry to four c…

Nar Singh Pal, a casual labourer who had acquired temporary status in the Telecom Department, was terminated in May 1992 on the basis of alleged assault and pending criminal charges under the IPC. The termination was effected by paying retrenchment compensation without a regular departmental enquiry. Pal was later acqu…

The accused were convicted of murder under Sections 302, 148 and 149 of the IPC for chasing and assaulting the deceased, an act witnessed by three eye‑witnesses. The appellants challenged the conviction on several grounds, chiefly that the First Information Report (FIR) was not promptly lodged, that the copy of the FIR…

Parimal Chandra and other canteen workers of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) filed a writ petition seeking to be treated as regular employees of LIC and to receive the minimum salary paid to Class IV employees, invoking the principle of equal pay for equal work. The High Court initially granted the relief…

In 1954, Shri M.P. Shah donated Rs.15 lakh to the Government of Saurashtra for establishing a medical college, with the condition that he or his nominee could nominate 10% of the seats for admission. The Government of Gujarat later decided to discontinue the donor's 12-seat quota, invoking the Supreme Court's decision …

The petitioners, owners of agricultural land, had sold portions of their holdings under agreements of sale and had delivered possession to the purchasers in part performance, but no conveyance deed was executed. The issue was whether such land could be excluded from the owners' "holding" under Section 3(i) of the Andhr…

The appellants challenged the continuation of proceedings under Chapter III‑B of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 for determining ceiling areas of agricultural holdings after the Rajasthan Imposition of Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings Act, 1973 repealed those provisions. The High Court held that the 1973 Act did not ex…

A group of villagers applied to the Punjab Government to have a local religious institution declared a Sikh Gurdwara under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. The application was referred to the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal, which held that the institution was a Sikh Gurdwara and that the respondent was the hereditary Mahant. The …

Vedanta Limited operates a copper smelter at the SIPCOT industrial complex in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the State Government ordered its closure for repeated violations of environmental norms, including operating without consent, improper hazardous waste management, and dumping…

The Supreme Court was asked to consider whether, under its Article 142 powers, it could issue blanket directions that all interim stays granted by High Courts should automatically lapse after six months and that High Courts must dispose of such cases on a day‑to‑day basis. The Court examined the object of interim order…

The case concerned a former High Court judge who, after retirement, served as President of the Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for nearly five years. He claimed pension for that period based on a 2002 executive order of the State Government, although the Madhya Pradesh Consumer Protection Ru…

The Delhi Water Supply and Sewage Disposal Undertaking and Commodore S. D. Sinha filed a public‑interest petition under Article 32 seeking a direction that the upstream states release sufficient water in the Jamuna River for Delhi's drinking needs. The Supreme Court, after hearing the parties, issued an interim order d…

The petition under Article 32 challenged the selection of three advocates—Mohinder Singh Suller, S.K. Sardana and Nawab Singh—as Additional District and Sessions Judges in Haryana, alleging that the High Court had no definite selection procedure and that one appointee was the son‑in‑law of a sitting judge, raising conc…

The case concerned the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, which reserved 64 postgraduate (PG) medical seats under its State quota – 32 for candidates who had studied at the college (institutional preference) and 32 for candidates deemed "residents" of Chandigarh based on broad residence criteria. The …

The Narcotic Control Bureau appealed against a High Court order that suspended the ten‑year rigorous imprisonment sentence of Lakhwinder Singh, convicted under the NDPS Act, and granted him bail pending appeal after he had served 4½ years. The issue was whether the appellate court could grant such relief when the convi…

The appellant purchased a mortgaged property at an auction conducted on 31 July 2007 and received a sale certificate on 30 November 2007, thereafter developing the property. The guarantor of the original borrower challenged the auction before the Debt Recovery Tribunal, which set aside the sale; the decision was later …

Shankar Lal Sharma, a 73‑year‑old man of limited means, filed a Special Leave Petition against Rajesh Koolwal & Ors. The Court appointed Sanchar Anand as amicus curiae, who represented the petitioner pro bono on fourteen occasions. The Court examined the duty of advocates to assist indigent litigants and the broader co…

The case arose from FIR No. 60/2017 alleging wrongful confinement, trafficking and conspiracy against Ajay Malik for employing a tribal domestic worker. Malik sought quashing of the criminal proceedings and compounding of the offences, supported by a no‑objection affidavit from the complainant, while the State opposed …

The petitioners, wards of serving railway employees, sought appointment under the Largess Scheme, which allowed entry into railway service without competitive examination. The Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court had earlier directed the Union of India to reconsider the scheme on constitutional grounds. …

The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) appointed respondent No.4 as Project Engineer (Electrical) on deputation from the U.P. Power Corporation in February 2014 and later absorbed him in May 2015. The appellants, who were Assistant Project Engineers, challenged the appointment and absorption, arguing th…

Mukesh Kumar, a death‑row convict in the Nirbhaya gang‑rape case, filed a mercy petition under Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution, which was rejected by the Lieutenant Governor on 15 January 2020 and by the President on 17 January 2020. He challenged the rejection before the Supreme Court, alleging that relevant m…

The Supreme Court examined two questions referred to a larger bench: whether an order of anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) must be limited to a fixed period, and whether such bail terminates when the accused is summoned or when charges are framed. Relying on the Constitution Benc…

Four Indian Air Force officers were granted Premature Separation from Service (PSS) under the Air Force Human Resource Policy, subsequently withdrew their requests and sought to continue in service. The Air Headquarters rejected their withdrawal applications, citing Paragraph 18 of the policy which permits withdrawal o…

The petitioners applied for direct recruitment to the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service (UPHJS) but were debarred because they exceeded the age ceiling prescribed in Rule 12 of the UP Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1975. They challenged the constitutional validity of Rule 8(1), which mandates recruitment at interva…

The case concerned the detention of Abdu Rahiman under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA). The detenu filed a representation against his detention, which was rejected by the competent authority; the rejection was communicated to him by an under‑secretary rat…

The Commissioner of Commercial Taxes of Kerala challenged a penalty of Rs.86 lakh imposed on K.T.C. Automobiles for allegedly evading Kerala sales tax by registering 263 cars sold from its Mahe branch under the Pondicherry Sales Tax Act. The High Court set aside the penalty, holding that the sale was completed at Mahe …

The Supreme Court dismissed three civil appeals filed by the Public Services Tribunal Bar Association challenging the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Public Services (Tribunal) Act, 1976 as amended by Act No. 5 of 2000. The Court held that the State Legislature had competence under Entry 41 of List II to e…

The case concerned a Platinum Jubilee Pension Scheme introduced by ITC Ltd., whose eligibility was limited to employees retiring on or after 24‑August‑1986 as per a settlement reached under Section 12(3) of the Industrial Disputes Act during conciliation proceedings. Retired workers who left before that date challenged…

The case concerned the promotion of candidates to the post of Assistant Purchase Officer in ISRO, where selection was based on a written test (50 marks), interview (30 marks) and assessment of confidential reports (20 marks) with a minimum of 50% in each component and 60% overall. Two candidates, dissatisfied with not …

The President of India referred a matter under Article 317(1) of the Constitution to the Supreme Court, seeking an enquiry into whether Shri Sher Singh, a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission, should be removed for misbehaviour. The allegation was that Sher Singh repeatedly attempted to influence the written…

Bharat Ram Meena, a Munsiff/Judicial Magistrate, challenged adverse remarks recorded in his 1990 Annual Confidential Report (ACR) that questioned his integrity, impartiality, and conduct. The remarks were based on allegations of unauthorized absences during election duties and alleged manipulation of judicial records, …