Constitution of India

The appellant, an Additional District and Sessions Judge on a two‑year probation, was dismissed after the High Court, relying on a vigilance inquiry and several complaints—including a Bar Association resolution—concluded his work and conduct were unsatisfactory. The appellant argued that his dismissal without a hearing…

M/s Coromandal Sacks supplied HDPE bags to Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) and sued for recovery of unpaid amounts, alleging price differences, liquidated damages, penalties and loss of unsold bags. FCIL contended it was a sick industrial company under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, …

The Association for Democratic Reforms challenged the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with VVPAT, seeking a return to paper ballots, physical hand‑over of VVPAT slips to voters, and 100% VVPAT counting, alleging possible manipulation. The Supreme Court examined the technical architecture of EVMs, the safeguard…

The appellants, a group of farmers, allowed the Sulthan Bathery Panchayat (later a municipality) to use a portion of their agricultural land for a bypass road on the promise of compensation, which was never paid. No formal acquisition, transfer, or documented voluntary surrender was produced by the Panchayat or the Pub…

The State of Rajasthan issued a notification on 6 October 2008 upgrading the Gram Panchayat of Napasar village to a Nagarpalika, which was subsequently challenged in the Rajasthan High Court. The High Court dismissed the challenge, the State later withdrew the notification, issued a fresh one in 2016, and the matter re…

The State Government acquired 103 bighas of land in Banda district for the Tulsi Nagar Residential Scheme under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, issuing a notification on 8‑9‑1998 and a declaration on 7‑9‑1999. The acquisition was completed with possession handed over to the Banda Development Authority (BDA) on 30‑6‑200…

Captain Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab, was expelled from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for the remainder of its 13th term after a Special Committee found him involved in an alleged illegal exemption of land during his tenure as Chief Minister in the 12th term. The appellant challenged the expulsion, arguin…

The respondent, a temporary employee of the Census Organisation, claimed regularisation after being retrenched, relying on State circulars that relaxed the upper age limit for such employees. The State of Orissa issued circulars in 1995 and 1999 but did not lay down a policy for regularisation. The Orissa Administrativ…

The case concerned Air Force officers who voluntarily retired under a scheme to join the public sector undertaking Vayudoot Ltd. The Government issued a circular on 30 Oct 1987 granting a service‑weightage for pension calculation, but a note excluded officers who retired prematurely for permanent absorption in PSUs fro…

Dharappa, a daily‑wage labourer, claimed that his termination from the Rural Dairy Centre in 1980 was illegal and sought reinstatement and back wages before the Labour Court under Section 10(4A) of the Industrial Disputes Act (ID Act). The Labour Court awarded reinstatement with 50% back wages, but the employer challen…

The petitioners were former employees of the Faridabad Development Board who retired between 1976 and 1986 and sought pension benefits under a scheme introduced in 1992. They relied on a prior civil suit where similarly situated employees were granted pension, arguing that the decree should bind the administration as r…

The State of Karnataka appointed certain teachers on a one‑year contract under the 1983 Special Recruitment Rules, paying them a salary lower than the minimum pay‑scale and expressly stating that their service would not count for future government service. After regular recruitment, these contract teachers were absorbe…

The Madras Telephone SC/ST Social Welfare Association sought a direction that the eligibility list for promotion from Junior Engineer to Assistant Engineer be based on the year of confirmation, but the Central Administrative Tribunal had ordered the list to be based on the year of passing the qualifying examination. Th…

The State of Andhra Pradesh was sued by the family of Challa Chinnappa Reddy, who died after a bomb was hurled into his jail cell, alleging negligence of police officers who ignored repeated warnings of a conspiracy to kill the inmates. The trial court dismissed the suit on grounds of limitation and sovereign immunity;…

The case concerned a dwelling‑house owned by an undivided family in which one co‑owner sold his one‑third share to Babu Lal, a stranger to the family. Respondent No.1, the decree‑holder in a partition suit, sought a decree under Section 4 of the Partition Act, 1893, to buy out Babu Lal's share, even though Babu Lal had…

The appellant, a railway employee, was reverted from a deputed post and successfully challenged the reversion and later seniority fixation in his favour through the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court. The Railways later contested the seniority order, but the High Court again upheld it. Direct recruits then approac…

The appellant, Shyam Lal (deceased) by legal representatives, appealed to the Supreme Court challenging a finding by the Allahabad High Court that certain constructions in a house were made after an earlier High Court judgment. The High Court had earlier struck off a trial court's direction for partition, directing tha…

The Supreme Court considered two writ petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises attempted suicide. The petitioners argued that the provision violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. After reviewing earlier High Court decisions, comparative law,…

The dispute involved a 100‑acre tank and its appurtenant land in Vatticherukuru village, originally granted by a zamindar for digging and maintaining a tank. The descendants of the original grantee held a ryotwari patta under the Andhra Pradesh Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, while the Village Panch…

Sudha Devi sued the tenant (defendant 1) for non‑payment of rent and wrongful sub‑letting, and also sought possession against a third defendant who allegedly occupied the flat after a decree. The defendants did not appear, and an ex‑parte decree was passed based on the plaintiff’s sole witness. The third defendant appe…

The dispute concerned the sale of a six‑bigha property in Duffers Lane, Howrah, which had been under the custody of an Official Receiver appointed in a 1952 suit. The appellant, Sadhu Ram Bansal, offered Rs 4 lakhs, paid Rs 1 lakh and was accepted by the Receiver, but failed to pay the balance promptly. Respondents 1‑4…

The appellant, a promotee in the Military Engineer Services (MES) Class I, challenged a 1974 seniority list that, applying a 9:1 quota between direct recruits and promotees, rendered him surplus and denied him a berth. The Court examined the validity of the earlier seniority lists of 1963 and 1967/68, the statutory cha…

Ranjan Dwivedi, an advocate charged with murder and conspiracy, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing the Union to provide him with a counsel of his choice at fees comparable to those paid to state-appointed lawyers. He argued that Article 22(1) and the Directive Principle under Article 39…

The State of Uttar Pradesh filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution and Section 406 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking the transfer of criminal proceedings against sitting MLA Mukhtar Ansari from a Punjab court to a Special Court in Allahabad and the hand‑over of his custody from Roopnagar Jail…

The Haryana government awarded concession agreements to Rapid Metrorail Gurgaon Ltd (RMGL) and Rapid Metrorail Gurgaon South Ltd (RMGSL) for two metro projects, which were later terminated by both parties amid allegations of fraud against the IL&FS group. The State agencies HSVP and HMRTC approached the High Court unde…

The insured, a manager who obtained a home loan with a personal accident insurance rider, died in Mozambique after contracting encephalitis malaria from a mosquito bite. His spouse and father claimed the death benefit, arguing that the bite was an unforeseen event constituting an accident. The insurer contended that de…

The Customs and Central Excise Department created a separate Data Entry Operator cadre to implement computerisation, later merging it back with the original ministerial cadre under the TA Rules, 2003 and STA Rules, 2003. This merger altered the inter‑se seniority of officers, disadvantaging those who remained in the mi…

The case concerned the dismissal of Deputy Superintendent Ved Mitter Gill and four other jail officials after four under‑trial terrorists escaped from Model Jail, Burail, Chandigarh through a 94‑foot tunnel. The authorities invoked clause (b) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution to dispense with …

The State of Himachal Pradesh filed a Special Leave Petition challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order that summarily dismissed its application for leave to appeal an acquittal under Section 378(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, without providing any reasons. The Supreme Court examined whether a judicial ord…

A landlord and tenant dispute was taken to an executive magistrate under Section 144 of the CrPC, after which the landlord filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution in the High Court. The High Court, without notice or hearing, ordered the police to ensure the landlord’s ingress and egress, leading to …

The Supreme Court examined two dismissals of police Sub‑Inspectors, Ajay Manchanda and Kuldip Singh, effected under clause (b) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution without a departmental enquiry. In Manchanda's case, a Deputy Superintendent’s report concluded that the complainant and witnesses we…

The case concerned a female confidential stenographer, Audrey D’Costa, who claimed that after the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 came into force she was paid lower wages than male stenographers performing the same or similar work. The employer, Mackinnon Mackenzie & Co., argued that the business was not covered by the Ac…

The case involved a dispute over a letter of credit issued by United Commercial Bank (UCB) for the sale of mustard oil by Godrej Soaps Ltd. to the Bihar State Food & Civil Supplies Corporation. The seller presented documents that the bank deemed discrepant because the railway receipts described the oil as "unrefined" c…

The petitioners, appointed as Temporary Assistant Engineers between 1955 and 1964 under a special scheme, claimed they were members of the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) Class I and were entitled to promotion under Rule 133(3)(c) and equal treatment under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The Railway …

The appellants, M/s Brahmaputra Concrete Pipe Industries, challenged a Registrar's order refusing to register their curative petitions, arguing that the Registry lacked authority to dismiss such petitions on the ground that the preceding review petition was not dismissed by circulation. The review petition had been dis…

Commander Seema Chaudhary, a Short Service Commissioned officer in the Indian Navy's Judge Advocate General's Branch, was denied a Permanent Commission (PC) on the ground of lack of vacancies despite the Supreme Court's earlier directions in Lieutenant Commander Annie Nagaraja's case that women SSC officers be consider…

Mrs. F.L. Raitt, a foreign national, sold a portion of her Indian immovable property to the predecessor of the appellant after obtaining prior RBI permission, but gifted another portion to respondent No.1 without such permission. The appellant and respondent No.4 sued to declare the gift deeds void; the trial court dis…

The appellant, Dhirendra Kumar, was convicted of murdering Surat Singh by striking him on the head with a stone. The prosecution presented eye‑witnesses, the widow of the deceased, and corroborative testimony establishing prior enmity and a motive. The accused claimed he was falsely implicated and that the incident was…

The appellant challenged a writ order of the Allahabad High Court that had vacated an interim injunction granted by a civil court, arguing that a writ of certiorari under Article 226 could not be issued against orders of a civil court. The Supreme Court was asked to reconsider the view expressed in *Surya Dev Rai* that…

The Union of India (Northern Railways) entered into a construction contract with Mis. Singh Builders Syndicate which contained Clause 64 requiring two serving Gazetted Railway officers as arbitrators who would appoint an umpire. The builder invoked arbitration in 1999, but repeated transfers and resignations of the app…

Umesh Challiyil filed an election petition under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 alleging corrupt practices by the elected candidate K.P. Rajendran. The Kerala High Court dismissed the petition on preliminary objections, holding that the verification in the petition and the affirmation in the supporting affi…

Alpesh Na Vinchandra Shah and his brother were arrested for mis‑declaring import consignments and evading customs duty. Both were detained under section 3(1) of the COFEPOSA Act. They later applied for settlement under section 1278 of the Customs Act; the Settlement Commission accepted full duty payment, granted immuni…

Therakhatoon purchased land in 1966 and later alleged that her neighbour, Slambin Mohammad, illegally occupied part of it and constructed two rooms in 1967. After a delay of several years, she filed a suit for possession, injunction and damages, which was initially dismissed by the trial court, reversed by an appellate…

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission advertised 23 Assistant Director (Junior) posts in 1993, but the State Government halted recruitment to amend the service rules. The 1995 amendment abolished the Assistant Director (Junior) cadre and created a new Marketing Officer cadre with different qualifications. The origina…

Ram Lubhaya Bagga, a Punjab government employee, suffered a heart attack and was treated at Escorts Heart Institute, incurring Rs. 2,11,758.70 in expenses. He claimed full reimbursement under the 1991 policy that allowed full payment at designated private hospitals, but the Punjab Government had issued a new 1995 polic…

The plaintiff, a Goan shipping company, sued the owners of the foreign vessel M.V. Elisabeth for conversion of cargo after the ship left Marmagao without the required bills of lading and delivered the goods abroad against the plaintiff's instructions. The Andhra Pradesh High Court arrested the vessel in Vishakhapatnam …

The petitioners, a language advocacy society and several students, filed a writ under Article 32 seeking a direction that pre‑medical and pre‑dental entrance examinations be conducted in Hindi and other regional languages, alleging that the exclusive use of English violated Article 29(2) of the Constitution. The respon…

The appellant, a civil servant of Uttar Pradesh, was charged with misuse of travel allowance and his case was referred to the U.P. Administrative Tribunal. After an initial report finding several charges proved, the appellant submitted a reply to a show‑cause notice and the Tribunal re‑appraised the evidence, concludin…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Travancore Christian Succession Act, 1092 continued to govern intestate succession for Indian Christians in the former State of Travancore after the Part B States (Laws) Act, 1951 extended the Indian Succession Act, 1925 to that territory. The petitioners challenged sections 24, 2…

The Calicut City Corporation levied a licence fee under Schedule IV of the municipal act for the use of land to soak coconut husks. The respondents, who were conducting the soaking without a licence, challenged the fee, arguing that no specific service was conferred and that the levy was either an invalid fee (lacking …

The case arose from an election petition filed by Debi Ghosal challenging the Lok Sabha election of Mohd Ismail from the 19‑Barrackpore constituency. The petition impleaded the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, and two other state ministers, alleging they colluded with the returned candidate to commit corrupt …

Two government servants, including K.R. Tahiliani, were compulsorily retired under Rule 56(j)(i) of the Fundamental Rules after turning 50 while serving in an officiating capacity in Class I or Class II posts. They challenged the retirements through petitions under Article 226, and the Union appealed to the Supreme Cou…

The petitioners challenged the 1976 insertion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ into the Preamble of the Constitution, arguing that the amendment was retrospective, lacked popular consent, and violated the basic structure by restricting economic policy and religious freedom. The Court examined whether Article 368 …

UCO Bank issued a sale notification under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 to auction mortgaged property. The borrowers, members of Scheduled Tribes, challenged the sale alleging that Section 187 of the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 19…

Manoharan filed a suit seeking a mandatory injunction and reconveyance of land after a loan transaction, but paid only one‑tenth of the court fee of Rs.28,797. The Sub‑Judge rejected his application for an extension of time to pay the balance fee, leading to dismissal of the suit. Manoharan appealed, also seeking condo…

The appellant filed complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in a Mumbai magistrate’s court, alleging that cheques were drawn and handed over in Mumbai, dishonoured in Delhi, and a legal notice was issued from Mumbai. The respondents sought to have the complaints returned under Section 201 of the …

The Union transferred administrative control of the Special Service Bureau and the Chief Inspectorate of Armaments from the Cabinet Secretariat to the Ministry of Home Affairs and trifurcated the Directorate General of Security (Secretarial) Service into three separate units, allocating staff on an "as is where is" bas…

The case arose from a writ petition challenging a detention order dated 10 May 1993 issued under Section 3(1) of the COFEPOSA Act. The Punjab and Haryana High Court held that the order had become infructuous due to the lapse of time and restrained the respondents from enforcing it, while also leaving open the possibili…

Four accused (A‑1 to A‑4) were convicted under IPC sections 326/34 and 325/34 for causing grievous hurt. The trial court sentenced A‑1, A‑2 and A‑3 to one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs.500; A‑4, being a minor, received one month imprisonment and a fine of Rs.500. The Bombay High Court reduced the sentences of A‑3 …

The Collector of Central Excise assessed additional duty on Orient Fabrics for alleged mis‑disclosure and undervaluation of fabric, also ordered confiscation of 35 bales and imposed a penalty. The Central Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal allowed the appeals, holding that the Central Excise Act could not be …

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board was exempted from the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 by two Government Orders issued under Section 36 of the Act (1979 and 1982). Employees of the Board challenged the exemptions, and the Madras High Court set aside the orders, directing the Board to pay statutory bonus from the 1978‑79 account…

The appellant, K.F. Ganchi, a member of the Backward Classes, was elected as a councillor from a general (unreserved) ward of Jambusar Municipality. The roster for 1997 required that the President of the municipality be a Backward Class member. Respondent No.1, Chandubhai Rajput, contended that only Backward Class coun…

The appellant S. Suryanarayan Sahu, a senior draughtsman in CSIR, challenged the pay scales applied to senior draughtsmen, seeking the higher scale of Rs.425‑700 from 1974 and the Rs.550‑900 scale from 1974, alleging violation of the constitutional principle of equal pay for equal work. The Central Administrative Tribu…

The State of Haryana relaxed the minimum qualification for ex‑military personnel, appointing diploma‑holding engineers as Assistant Engineers under Rule 3(iii) of the Punjab Government National Emergency (Concession) Rules, 1965, and counted their military service for seniority. The respondents, after promotion to Exec…

The Supreme Court examined the nomination procedure for nine vacancies in the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) under the 1976 Rules, where the Chief Secretary assigned marks for ACRs, experience, and an ability test, and excluded candidates scoring 33% or less in the ability test. The appellants argued that thi…

The appellants, dealers registered under the Madhya Pradesh Sales Tax Act, imported sugar and other goods listed in Schedule II of the Madhya Pradesh Entry Tax Act into the state for consumption, use or sale. They challenged the entry tax levied under Section 3(1)(a) of the Act, contending that because sugar attracts a…

Ayya alias Ayub, while already in judicial custody for alleged offences, was detained under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act, 1980 on three grounds alleging threats to public order. The petitioner challenged the detention, arguing that the first two grounds (non‑cognizable bus attacks) lacked a rational nexus …

The appellant, a former advocate, joined Hindustan Shipyard, a Government of India undertaking, and later applied for a District Munsif post under the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service Rules. The recruitment rules required three years of legal practice, but a proviso allowed candidates already in "Government servic…

The Supreme Court examined two issues arising from a Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh: whether the Secretary of the State Legislative Assembly could be appointed as Returning Officer under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and whether an elected Assembly member who had not yet taken the oat…

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) issued an advertisement on 18 June 2013 for recruitment to State and Subordinate Services. A press note dated 12 November 2014 allowed candidates to correct mistakes or change categories in already‑submitted online applications, but did not invite fresh applications. Sever…

The Supreme Court examined challenges to the Supreme Court Lawyers’ Chambers (Allotment and Occupancy) Rules, specifically the block period for meeting eligibility criteria, the requirement that applicants be members of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), and the residence requirement of being in Delhi/New Delhi.…

The CBI prosecuted three police officers for grievously injuring a detainee, Jugta Ram, in police custody, including the amputation of his penis using a razor. The trial court convicted all three under sections 326, 308, 323, 342, 343 and 120B of the IPC, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted the ASI and SHO and reduc…

The Supreme Court revisited its earlier order of 14 February 2006 directing that all marriages in India be compulsorily registered. After hearing amicus curiae and examining compliance reports, the Court found that several states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram…

The State of Uttar Pradesh challenged the levy of a licence fee on denatured spirit, arguing that the Union's Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 (particularly Section 18‑G) ousted the State's power to legislate under Entry 33 of List III of the Seventh Schedule. The High Court had declared the fee illega…

The Supreme Court heard a civil appeal (No. 5979 of 2001) against an interlocutory order of the Bombay High Court that had granted ad‑hoc approval to certain teachers appointed by Dayanand Vedic Vidyalaya, despite the Education Inspector’s rejection of those appointments on the ground of rule violations. The Court held…

Escorts Ltd. challenged a demand under Section 4(1) of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944, based on Rule 6(b) of the Central Excise Valuation Rules, 1975, after a show‑cause notice alleging contravention of the Excise Rules. The tribunal, relying on Ashok Leyland Ltd. v. Collector of Central Excise, held that becaus…

The appellant, a small retailer dealing in scheduled agricultural produce in Kasauli (a notified market area of Solan district), challenged the requirement to obtain a licence under Section 4(3) of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural Produce Marketing Act, 1949 and to pay the market fee. He argued that he did not operate…

The petitioners, Group C and D employees of the Special Security Bureau in the North‑Eastern Region, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the special duty allowance that had been granted to Group A and B officers. The Supreme Court, in Union of India v. S. Vijay Kumar (1994), had held that the allowance was i…

India Cement Ltd., a cement manufacturer, obtained a mining lease for limestone and kankar under the Mineral Concession Rules, 1960. The lease required payment of royalty fixed by the Mines and Minerals (Regulation & Development) Act, 1957. The Tamil Nadu government, invoking sections 115 and 116 of the Madras Panchaya…

The State of Maharashtra sought to establish a permanent bench of the Bombay High Court at Aurangabad, but pending central approval, the Chief Justice issued an order under s.51(3) of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, appointing Aurangabad as a place where Judges and Division Courts may also sit. The High Court stru…

The appellant, Sanjabij Tari, appealed against the High Court’s ex‑parte order acquitting Kishore S. Borcar (respondent No.1) under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for a bounced cheque of Rs.7.5 lakh. The central issue was whether the High Court could overturn the concurrent findings of the trial and sess…

The Supreme Court examined whether Khalsa Girls High School, a Sikh‑run school in West Bengal, qualifies as a linguistic minority institution under Article 30 of the Constitution and consequently whether Rule 28 of the 1969 Management Rules governs its teacher appointments. The Court held that the school was founded by…

The appellant, a Christian minority college, challenged three Government Orders (G.O.M. No. 57, 92 and 98) that prescribed criteria for determining minority status of B.Ed. candidates, mandated centralized counselling, and required vacant management‑quota seats to be filled by non‑minority students on merit. The colleg…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ petition under Article 32 concerning the inhuman conditions prevailing in Indian prisons. The petition highlighted overcrowding, unnatural deaths, inadequate and untrained staff, and the lack of implementation of various prison‑related guidelines. Recognising the vio…

The petitioner filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a direction to bar Members of Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and Councils from practising as advocates while holding office, invoking Bar Council of India Rule 49 which prohibits advocates from being full‑time salaried employees. The Court examined wheth…

The Madras Bar Association challenged the constitutional validity of the National Tax Tribunal Act, 2005, which sought to transfer appellate jurisdiction from High Courts to a newly created National Tax Tribunal (NTT) for deciding substantial questions of law in tax matters. The Supreme Court held that while Parliament…

The Supreme Court examined a writ petition filed by Rungta Engineering College, Bhilai and the Secretary of the GDR Educational Society challenging the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University's refusal to grant affiliation. The University had declined affiliation on several grounds, but the All India Council…

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) declared member Suresh D. Shah a defaulter and the Income Tax Department sought to attach the proceeds of his membership card and securities under s.226(3) of the Income Tax Act. BSE argued that a membership card is a personal, non‑transferable privilege and that its lien under Rule 43 m…

Hukam Chand Gupta, a retired Assistant Administrative Officer of the National Dairy Research Institute, claimed that his pay scale should have been revised in line with the pay scale of Superintendents at the ICAR headquarters and that a junior colleague, J.L.P. Madan, should not have received a higher pay scale. The C…

Avinash Sadashiv Bhosale, a State Bank of India branch manager, was prosecuted under IPC sections 120B, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 201 for alleged fraud of Rs 12 crore, but was acquitted by the criminal court. Simultaneously, the bank instituted departmental proceedings under the SBI Officers Service Rules, 1992, charging …

The case arose from a property dispute in which Madan Rai and his three sons fired gunshots, killing a teenage boy. The trial court convicted Madan Rai under IPC sections 302 and 440 and the others under section 440, but the Allahabad High Court acquitted all accused, setting aside the convictions. The father of the de…

The Supreme Court examined whether the President’s assent under Article 254(2) of the Constitution applies only to the specific repugnancies identified by the State or confers a blanket supremacy to the State law over all central statutes. The Court held that the President’s consideration and assent are limited to the …

The Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India Ltd., acting as a canalising agent, placed a purchase order with a foreign exporter for tin mill black plate coils on behalf of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL). The coils were shipped on the high seas and the bill of lading was endorsed in favour of SAIL bef…

Advocate Ajay Kumar Pandey, after his defamation suit and subsequent revision were dismissed, filed a series of contempt petitions against judges of the High Court and subordinate courts, using scurrilous, unparliamentary and abusive language that cast aspersions on their impartiality. The Supreme Court ordered him to …

The case arose from a mob of about 200 armed persons who attacked labourers transplanting paddy on a field, resulting in the deaths of Razaullah and Ahmed Shah. The trial court convicted all accused under Sections 302/149 and 302/34 IPC; the High Court set aside the 302/149 convictions but upheld the 302/34 convictions…

The Supreme Court examined the discretionary allotment of fifteen petrol pumps by the then Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Capt. Satish Sharma, who granted them to relatives of politicians, Oil Selection Board members and ministry officials without any advertisement, guidelines or transparent criteria.…

The petitioners, J.K. Industries Ltd. and others, sought renewal of factory licences but were directed by the Chief Inspector of Factories to file applications signed only by a director, as the occupier, under Section 2(n) proviso (ii) of the Factories Act, 1948 (amended 1987). The Supreme Court examined whether a comp…

Shyamaraju Hegde appealed to the Supreme Court against a Karnataka High Court order dismissing his revision petition under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure read with Section 50(1) of the Karnataka Rent Control Act. The High Court had relied on its own Full Bench decision in M.M. Yaragatti v. Vasant, which hel…

Dr. Smt. Kuntesh Gupta, appointed principal of Hindu Kanya Mahavidyalaya, was suspended and later dismissed by the Authorized Controller under the U.P. State Universities Act. The Vice‑Chancellor stayed the suspension, disapproved the dismissal and reinstated Gupta, allowing the Controller to impose a lesser penalty. W…

The Karnataka Legislature enacted the Tax on Entry of Goods into Local Areas Act, 1979 to replace octroi by levying a tax of up to 2% ad valorem on specified goods (textiles, tobacco, sugar) entering 27 selected local areas. The State notified the areas and rates, and several petitions challenged the Act on the grounds…

The petitioner, Vasanta Sampat Dupare, was convicted of rape and murder of a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to death, a sentence that was affirmed on appeal, reviewed, and followed by rejected mercy petitions. He filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a fresh sentencing hearing in accordance with the procedur…

The petitioner, serving a life sentence for murder and a weapons offence, applied for premature release after 24 years of incarceration, claiming denial of remission and parole. The Remission Board rejected his applications twice, relying heavily on adverse opinions of the presiding judge, despite favorable reports fro…

The appellants, teaching faculty of Government Homeopathic Colleges in Kerala, sought to have the retirement age enhancement granted to medical doctors (from 55 to 60 years) applied retrospectively to them, arguing a legitimate expectation. The State had issued a 2010 Government Order (G.O.) raising the retirement age …

The Commissioner of Police, Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order that directed the consideration of four candidates (Raj Kumar, Shiv Singh, Prem Singh Choudhary and Deepa Tomar) for appointment as constables despite their involvement in criminal cases. The candidates had either been acquitted or had their ca…

The case concerned the validity of the Demobilized Armed Forces Personnel (Reservation of Vacancies in the Himachal Pradesh State Non‑Technical Services) Rules, 1972, which granted a 15% reservation for ex‑servicemen and allowed counting of their military service for seniority and pay. The petitioners, former army pers…

Satya Pal Anand, a septuagenarian, claimed that a plot of land allotted to his mother by a cooperative society was unlawfully cancelled by the society through a Deed of Extinguishment dated 9‑8‑2001, and that subsequent sale deeds to third parties were also void. The Sub‑Registrar refused to cancel the extinguishment d…

The Supreme Court examined public‑interest writ petitions challenging the allocation of coal blocks by the Central Government between 1993 and 2011. The Court held that the allocation process, carried out through the Screening Committee and a government‑dispensation route, was not authorized by the Mines and Minerals (…

The State of Assam advertised for the post of Gaonburah and appointed Kandarpa Sarma after a selection committee evaluated candidates on suitability. Rajeshwar Das, the nephew of a former Gaonburah, appealed under executive instruction para 162, and the Deputy Commissioner set aside Sarma's appointment, directing Das's…

The respondent, a legislator and social activist, filed a writ petition alleging that the Rajasthan Chief Minister's Relief Fund was being distributed arbitrarily and discriminatorily among minor rape victims, seeking a uniform grant of Rs.5 lakh to each victim. The High Court ordered that Rule 5 of the Relief Fund Rul…

A Judicial Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Shri B.V. Rao, was staying in a state‑run guest house when senior police officials, led by Inspector General Nirmala Choudhary, forcibly entered his room, abused and intimidated him, and seized his documents. An FIR was lodged under Sections 143, 144, 146,…

The Supreme Court examined whether a ministerial note dated 8 June 1999 could be treated as a decision under Section 48(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to withdraw from the acquisition of land occupied by Shanti Sports Club, and whether the Government’s refusal to de‑notify the land (letter dated 9 June 2000) was …

The respondents filed a suit under Section 34 of the Trust Act seeking management of Vidyodaya Trust, and the District Court allowed the suit by granting leave under Section 92 of the CPC after deciding a preliminary issue on its maintainability. The appellants challenged this order, filing a revision petition under Se…

The petitioners challenged Sections 2 and 7 of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 and Rules 4 and 5 of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Rules, 1989, including sub‑rule (3) of Rule 5, before the Orissa High Court, which dismissed the petition. They filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, contending …

The Indore Development Authority conducted a public auction of a government land parcel; the appellant, Malik Brothers, was the highest bidder but failed to pay the balance, leading to forfeiture of the premium. The appellant challenged the forfeiture and the Authority referred the dispute to an arbitrator, who awarded…

The Hydro‑Electric Employees Union and other petitioners challenged the U.P. State Electricity Board’s decision to amalgamate the posts of Meter Readers, Sub‑Station Operators and Switch Board Attendants into a single cadre and the regulation framed under Section 79(c) of the Electricity Supply Act, 1948. The Board arg…

The petitioners, M. Satyanarayana Murthy and others, filed a second review petition (RPD No. 17573 of 1998) challenging an order previously reviewed in Review Petition No. 214 of 1995, which had been dismissed. The second petition was filed after a delay of 2 years and 321 days, and the petitioners' explanation for the…

The Orissa Public Service Commission advertised a post of Junior Teacher (Lecturer) in Surgical Gastroenterology, requiring an M.S. degree with two years of special training in a Medical Council of India‑recognised institution. Dr. D. Sahu, a qualified surgeon who had acquired such training while assisting at SCB Medic…

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation demanded contributions from several hotels for the period 1970‑1978, treating the hotels as factories under the Employees' State Insurance Act, 1948 because cooking in their kitchens was a manufacturing process. The hotels contended that only the kitchen should be deemed a fac…

Asharam M. Jain filed a Special Leave Petition under Art. 136, alleging that the Chief Justice of the Maharashtra High Court and another judge had acted with bias and prejudice. The petition contained vitriolic accusations that the judges had deliberately harmed the petitioner and obstructed justice. The Supreme Court …

Sadhu Ram, a probationary bus conductor, was terminated by the Delhi Transport Corporation. After a failed conciliation, the Conciliation Officer reported to the Delhi Administration under s.12(5) of the Industrial Disputes Act, and the Government referred the matter to the Labour Court, which held that a valid demand …

The State of West Bengal charged four police officers with murder under IPC sections 302 and 34 for the deaths of Ranjit and Samir Chakraborty during a police operation in 1970. The trial court convicted them, but the Calcutta High Court acquitted, holding that the order to open fire given by the Deputy Commissioner wa…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal concerning the grant of stage‑carriage permits under Rule 212 of the Andhra Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules, 1964. The dispute centered on whether the proviso that an applicant may receive marks for either residential or sector qualification (whichever is more advantageous) infringed A…

The appellant was convicted for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a five‑year‑old girl under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 376AB IPC, and was sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. The offence occurred on 20 May 2019, before the 2019 amendment to Section 6 of the POCSO Act, whi…

The appellant, Sukdeb Saha, challenged the Andhra Pradesh High Court's refusal to transfer the investigation of his 17‑year‑old daughter's suspicious death at a coaching institute to the CBI. He alleged that the local police investigation was biased, incomplete, and that crucial forensic evidence and CCTV footage were …

The petitioners, K. Purushottam Reddy and others, challenged two notifications issued by the Union of India that effected delimitation of constituencies only for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that the exclusion of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana violated Article 14 and the statutory manda…

The dispute arose between Sunair Hotels Ltd (SHL) and VLS Finance Ltd over a failed Memorandum of Understanding for a hotel project, leading to multiple FIRs and arbitration. SHL filed an application under Section 156(3) CrPC on 1 July 2005, prompting a Metropolitan Magistrate to order registration of FIR No.380/2005 f…

The case involved a reference to a nine-judge bench to resolve the divergence between India Cement Ltd. v. State of Tamil Nadu (which held royalty is a tax) and State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd. (which held royalty is not a tax). The core issues were the true nature of royalty under Section 9 of the Mines…

The second respondent filed an application under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking anticipatory bail for alleged offences under IPC sections 406, 420, 467 and 468. The Patna High Court granted the bail but, in the same order, directed the cancellation of the licence of Kanchan Kumari, the appellant,…

The appellant, a co‑sharer of land, entered into a 1995 agreement to sell his share to his elder brother, the respondent, for Rs 5 lakhs, with Rs 4 lakhs paid upfront and the balance to be paid upon execution of the sale deed. The appellant failed to execute the deed and the respondent sued for specific performance, al…

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by Ram Kumar Patel and others against the State of Uttar Pradesh challenging the High Court's order that quashed the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education (Teachers) Service (161st Amendment) Rules, 2012 on the ground of repugnancy with the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) …

The State of Uttar Pradesh amended its Basic Education Rules to incorporate the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) qualifications for elementary teachers, later revoking the weightage given to Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) marks. A writ petition challenged the revocation, and the Allahabad High Court set a…

The appellant Devraj was convicted under Section 302 IPC for murdering his cousin amid a land dispute. The prosecution relied on three eye‑witnesses, two of whom were declared hostile, but their testimony was corroborated by other evidence showing Devraj’s assault on the victim. The defence argued that hostile witness …

Rajesh Kumar Gond, a Junior Hindi Translator in the Commerce Ministry, sought pay parity with Junior Translators in the Central Secretariat Official Language Service, invoking the principle of equal pay for equal work. The Central Administrative Tribunal, finding no material showing any functional distinction between t…

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) challenged a High Court order that required employers to implement a wage‑limit amendment (raising the ceiling from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,500) only from the date of the judgment (16 Mar 2004) rather than from the date of the notification (1 Jan 1997). The amendment was made b…

Harjeet Rice Mills, insured with National Insurance Co., claimed loss of stock after a fire in its godown, asserting the fire was accidental and caused by a short circuit. The insurer contested, alleging the fire was arson, the loss exaggerated, and that the claim was fraudulent, relying on a private investigator’s rep…

The appellants, R. Murali and others, sought leave under Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure to file a suit for modifying the scheme of administration of the Sri Kanyaka Parameshwari Devasthanam and Charities, alleging mismanagement by the current Board of Trustees. The trustees opposed, contending that the Tamil…

Smt. Gulaichi, a government employee of Uttar Pradesh, discovered that her service book recorded her date of birth as 31-07-1929, which would make her retire on 31-07-1987. A few weeks before retirement she claimed the correct date to be 31-07-1939 and an officer amended the entry; she then sued for a declaration that …

The case concerned railway employees who retired between 1 January 1973 and 4 December 1988 and whose pension was to be calculated under Rule 2544 of the Indian Railway Establishment Code, which then allowed a running allowance of up to 75% of other emoluments. The Railway Board later issued notifications on 5 December…

The appellants, former guards of the Northern Railway who retired between 1980 and 1988, challenged a 1988 notification that retrospectively reduced the percentage of running allowance used to calculate pension from 75% to 45% (1973‑1979) and to 55% thereafter. The Full Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT…

The respondents were teachers in privately managed aided schools in Haryana who, after acquiring higher qualifications, claimed pay scales and dearness allowances equal to those of teachers in government schools. The State Government refused, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted relief, directing parity in pay…

The appellant, a former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, was charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 for possessing assets disproportionate to his known income. He sought to quash the criminal proceedings, arguing that judges are not "public servants" under the Act and that no prior sanction was req…

The Board of Management of the School of Buddhist Philosophy, Leh, amended its 1973 recruitment rules in August 1978 to require that the Principal possess a specialised academic background in Buddhist Philosophy. After appointing Tashi Paljor under the revised criteria, M.L. Mattoo, who had been serving as Administrati…

The State Government Pensioners' Association, representing former government employees who retired before 1 April 1978, challenged the Andhra Pradesh Government Order No. 88 (dated 26 March 1980) which revised the gratuity formula and made it effective from that date. They argued that gratuity is part of pensionary ben…

The Supreme Court examined whether a 1973 notification that conferred the powers of a Deputy Superintendent of Police under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 on the General Manager of Haryana Roadways was valid. The petitioners, private motor transport operators, argued that the appointment violated their fundamental right …

The appellants, selected as Lower Division Clerks in 1984, were appointed only in 1993 and 1996 after court orders, while similarly placed candidates (Parveen Singh and others) obtained retroactive appointments and back wages following a tribunal order and a Punjab‑Haryana High Court judgment. The appellants later soug…

The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission advertised 13 vacancies for Civil Judge (Junior Division) and conducted a written examination. Respondent No.1, Mukesh Thakur, secured the required aggregate marks but failed to obtain the mandatory 45% in the Civil Law‑II paper, and was therefore not called for interview.…

C. Gupta was appointed as an Industrial Relations Executive (management staff) of Glaxo‑SmithKline Pharmaceuticals and was terminated on 15 September 1982 under a clause allowing dismissal with three months' notice or salary in lieu. He claimed to be a "workman" under Section 2(s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 a…

The employee Chunilal Nanda was suspended by Midnapore Peoples' Co‑op. Bank Ltd. and challenged the suspension through multiple writ petitions. The High Court, in contempt proceedings, ordered his reinstatement, payment of arrears and the revocation of his suspension, and also directed the removal of the appointed Enqu…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued a notification under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 in 2003, followed by a declaration in 2004 and an award in 2005 for land needed for a road project. The respondents obtained interim stay orders that prevented DDA from taking possession, and later filed a writ petition und…

The original plaintiff, M.N. Channavasavaiah, borrowed Rs.1,500 from B.M. Narayan Shetty and executed a deed of conditional sale on 28 July 1969, delivering possession of the land to the lender for five years with a condition that repayment would void the sale and reconvey the property. The lender later sold the land t…

The petitioners sought directions for the Union, State Governments and Union Territories to comply with the Supreme Court's earlier orders on the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, noting that the Act had been repealed and replaced by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The Court examined the legislati…

Bhuvnesh Kumar Dwivedi was employed by Hindalco Industries Ltd as a labour supervisor from 30‑12‑1992 to 27‑07‑1998. Although the employer periodically terminated his service on the pretext of "sanction expired" and re‑appointed him on short contracts, the workman rendered continuous service of nearly six years. The La…

Sri Ram Builders entered into a BOT agreement with the Madhya Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (MPRTC) to construct a bus‑stand‑cum‑commercial complex on land leased by the Indore Development Authority (IDA). The High Court ordered MPRTC to hand over possession of the land and directed specific performance, but the o…

The Union of India moved a writ petition under Art. 32 seeking to quash a Tamil Nadu Government letter proposing remission of life sentences for seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after the Supreme Court had earlier commuted death sentences of three of them to life imprisonment. The Court examined w…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of three accused in a kidnapping‑for‑ransom case. It upheld the life‑sentence convictions of Gautam Kumar (A2) and Vijay Ranglal Chorasiya (A5), finding that eyewitness testimony, telephone‑booth records and voice‑spectrography reliably proved their guilt beyond reasonable dou…

The Supreme Court, hearing Special Leave Petition (Cr.) No. 5073 of 2011 filed by the State of Karnataka against Shivanna, observed the persistent incidence of rape and the inadequacy of existing procedural mechanisms. It noted the absence of a fast‑track procedure for rape cases despite the existence of Fast‑Track Cou…

The Security Association of India and other private security agencies challenged the Maharashtra Private Security Guards (Regulation of Employment & Welfare) Act, 1981 on the ground that it was repugnant to the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005 and violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. T…

The Association of Management of Private Colleges, whose members are colleges affiliated to Bharathidasan University and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, filed writ petitions seeking to bar the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) from exercising jurisdiction over their MBA and MCA programmes. The High C…

Shankar Kisanrao Khade, aged about 52, and his wife abducted an 11‑year‑old girl with moderate intellectual disability, repeatedly raped her and later strangulated her to death. The trial court and the High Court convicted Khade under IPC sections 302, 376, 366‑A, 363 r/w s.34 and sentenced him to death, while his wife…

The appellant, an employee of Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union Ltd (BISCOMAUN), had not received his salary since January 1996 and filed a writ petition in the Patna High Court. A Single Judge ordered the employer to pay the salary and suggested winding up the organization, but a Division Bench reversed that ord…

The appellant challenged a 1998 government notification that excluded a small portion of Cubbon Park for construction, arguing it violated the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975 and the Constitution’s right to life. The High Court upheld the notification, limiting future constructions without further c…

The State of Bihar appealed a Patna High Court judgment that held Sections 15(1) and 15(2) of the Bihar Consolidation of Holdings and Prevention of Fragmentation Act, 1956 to be ultra‑vires Articles 13 and 14 of the Constitution and diluted the effect of Sections 4(b), 4(c) and 37. The High Court also declared the earl…

In 1899 a deed of settlement was executed containing donations of both religious and secular character (list E). The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, invoking Section 77 of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1927, ordered that fifty per cent of the trust's income be treated as a religiou…

The appellant claimed occupancy rights over a parcel of land under Sections 44 and 45 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, relying on revenue records, rent receipts and oral testimony that he had been a tenant until 1975. The Land Tribunal and the Land Reforms Appellate Authority accepted this evidence and granted …

The Supreme Court heard a contempt petition filed by Murray & Co. against Ashok K.R. Newatia and others after the respondents filed an affidavit in a transfer petition falsely claiming that the petitioner had not sold or dealt with the disputed immovable property, contrary to the facts. The Court examined whether such …

The Supreme Court examined the rape of a minor girl by Kamal Kishore, whose conviction was upheld by the Himachal Pradesh High Court but the sentence was reduced to three years under the proviso of Section 376 IPC, citing the offence's age and the accused's settled life as "adequate and special reasons." The Court foun…

Chandra Parkash Shahi, a constable recruited on probation under the U.P. Police Regulations, completed his two‑year probation without blemish but was terminated a year later by a simple notice under Rule 3 of the U.P. Temporary Government Servants (Termination of Service) Rules, 1975, following a preliminary enquiry in…

The appellant, placed at No.10 on a select list of ten candidates for two lecturer positions in Physical Education, sought appointment after two candidates were already appointed. The government rejected his claim, citing an amendment to the Kerala Collegiate Education Service Special Rules, 1994, which imposed higher …

The case concerned a violent incident on 22 September 1990 in which five accused formed an unlawful assembly and attacked two victims, resulting in the deaths of Mohan and Sekhar. The prosecution charged the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder (302) and attempted murder (307). The …

The Kerala Fishermen's Welfare Fund Act, 1985 creates a fund for fishermen’s welfare and requires certain persons, termed ‘dealers’, to contribute 1% of their sales. The respondents, exporters of fish, argued that they dealt only in processed fish meat and therefore were not ‘dealers’ under the Act. The High Court set …

Karamat Husain Muslim Girls College, a Muslim minority institution, advertised a principal's post requiring a master's degree, five years teaching/administrative experience, and working knowledge of Urdu. Ms. Shainda Hasan, lacking the experience requirement, was selected after the selection committee relaxed that qual…

The petitioners, promotee Assistant Engineers of the Andhra Pradesh Roads & Buildings Engineering Service, challenged a seniority list prepared by the State Government after the Supreme Court’s direction in K. Siva Reddy’s case. The Court had ordered that as of 31 December 1982, 37.5% of substantive vacancies be filled…

Kashmeri Devi, the widow of a tonga driver who died in police custody, alleged that two sub‑inspectors and two constables beat her husband to death after arresting him. A complaint was filed and the case was initially registered under IPC Section 302, later converted to Section 304 and subsequently to Sections 323/342,…

Bhagwati Prasad Dixit challenged the election of Rajiv Gandhi to the Lok Sabha on three grounds: alleged loss of Indian citizenship due to marriage and property in Italy, holding an office of profit by receiving a parliamentary salary, and the ineligibility of the Chief Election Commissioner. The High Court dismissed t…

The Supreme Court heard a special leave appeal (Civil Appeal No. 2182 of 1984) filed by the Election Commission of India against an ex‑parte order of the Punjab & Haryana High Court that stayed the election programme for a by‑election in the Taoru Assembly constituency. The High Court had intervened despite the imminen…

The petitioners, owners of land acquired under the Resettlement of Displaced Persons (Land Acquisition) Act, 1948, challenged two provisos in Section 7(1)(e) that fixed compensation based on the market value as of September 1, 1939 plus 40 percent, arguing that they violated Section 299(2) of the Government of India Ac…

The petitioners, women officers on Short Service Commission (SSC) in the Indian Army, challenged the Army's method of granting Permanent Commission (PC) after the Supreme Court's decision in Babita Puniya, alleging that the benchmarking of their marks against the lowest‑scoring male officer, the reliance on early‑caree…

The employee, Chhota Birsa Uranw, joined Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. in 1973 with a date of birth recorded as 15‑Feb‑1947. He later discovered that his school leaving certificate and Mining Sardarship certificate recorded his birth as 6‑Feb‑1950 and sought correction under Implementation Instruction No. 76 in 1987. The emp…

Four members of a political party filed a public‑interest writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution alleging that the Chief Minister of Sikkim had amassed assets disproportionate to his known income and misappropriated public funds. They sought a mandamus directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to launch…

Md. Shahabuddin, a sitting MP, was in custody with more than forty criminal cases pending. Because of serious threats to public order, the Patna High Court, exercising its power under s.9(6) of the CrPC, issued a notification that the Court of Session would hold its sittings inside Siwan District Jail, and the Bihar Go…

The petitioners filed a writ of habeas corpus alleging that the husband of one petitioner had disappeared while in police custody. The Punjab & Haryana High Court directed the State to pay Rs.1,50,000 as compensation, attributing the disappearance to police remissness. The State and the police appealed, contending that…

The appellant, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, challenged the Allahabad High Court's summary dismissal of its writ petition against a Labour Court order reinstating a workman with 50% back wages. The High Court had issued notice, received a reply, and then dismissed the petition without providing any re…

Promotee Telecom Engineers Forum and 44 other employees (petitioners) had their seniority fixed on the basis of the year they passed the departmental qualifying examination, as directed in the Parmanand Lal case. The Supreme Court later clarified that while recruitment year would generally govern seniority, the seniori…

The State of Kerala announced a policy exempting industrial units from enhanced power tariff if they began commercial production between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 1996. Southern Ispat Ltd. applied for power allocation, faced delays, installed a 125 kVA diesel generator and claimed it had started commercial product…

The Union of India appealed a decision of the Allahabad High Court that struck down paragraph 7 of Central Excise Notification No. 175 of 1986, which excluded from exemption any small‑scale manufacturer that affixed the brand or trade name of a person not eligible for the exemption. The Court examined whether this amen…

The appellant, a temporary government investigator, resigned by tendering a one‑month notice pay as required by Condition 6 of his appointment and handed over all official records on 24 Nov 1984, two days before filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha election. The respondent challenged his election, alleging that he w…

The appellant challenged the appointment of A.P. Joseph as principal of a minority college, arguing that an amendment to the U.P. Intermediate Education Act (U.P. Act 26 of 1975) had removed the Director of Education’s power to appoint principals of minority institutions, and that the earlier disapproval of the selecti…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) against a Division Bench order of the Calcutta High Court that disposed of a writ petition seeking compassionate appointments for union members. The writ petition had been de‑listed by a Single Judge pending a reference to a lar…

Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh, an MLC from the RJD, was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council after the Ethics Committee found his conduct unparliamentary and his subsequent refusal to cooperate with the Committee. He challenged the expulsion through a writ petition under Article 32, arguing that the Ethics Committee's p…

The petitioners, trained teachers, filed writ petitions under Article 32 seeking appointment as Assistant Teachers in Jharkhand government schools in order of seniority and with total age relaxation, invoking the Supreme Court's decision in Ram Vinay Kumar v. State of Bihar. The State of Jharkhand had framed its own re…

A complaint alleging irregularities in construction works at the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha was investigated by the Lokayukt, which referred the matter to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Vidhan Sabha Secretary issued letters claiming a breach of legislative privilege …

The Society Common Cause filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a declaration that the "right to die with dignity" is a fundamental right under Article 21 and that persons should be allowed to execute a living will or attorney authorization to refuse life‑prolonging treatment. The petitioners argued that termin…

The Supreme Court examined whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) 1985 Regulations, which require a three‑year bachelor's degree before admission to a master's programme, apply to open universities and bind them. It held that the Regulations are statutory, mandatory and prevail over the Open University Act; con…

The Supreme Court examined whether employees appointed on an ad‑hoc basis could be regularised in service. The respondents, who had served for more than ten years in various posts, sought regularisation with all consequential benefits after their applications were rejected by the State. The High Court had directed the …

The appellant State challenged a High Court order that declared Section 47A of the Indian Stamp Act, as amended by Andhra Pradesh Act 8 of 1998, unconstitutional. The amendment requires a party to deposit 50% of the deficit stamp duty before a registering officer can refer the instrument to the Collector for valuation.…

West Coast Paper Mills Ltd and Dandeli Ferro Alloys Ltd transported goods by rail and were charged a flat freight rate that denied them the benefit of the telescopic rate system, resulting in higher charges. They filed complaints under Section 28 of the Railways Act, 1890; the Railway Tribunal held the rates illegal bu…

The Steel Authority of India entered into a works contract for an oxygen furnace plant, paying a contractor for design, engineering, supply and installation. Under the amended Section 13‑AA of the Orissa Sales Tax Act, the owner was required to deduct 4% sales tax on all payments, but it omitted deduction on amounts re…