Constitution of India

The State of Uttar Pradesh constructed the Gai Ghat bridge in 1968‑69 and, by a 1976 notification, began levying tolls to recover the bridge's construction cost, interest on total expenditure, maintenance costs and other expenses, for up to 50 years or until full recovery. A truck owner, Devi Dayal Singh, challenged th…

In the 1995 Puri Assembly election, both the appellant, Sri Uma Ballav Rath, and respondent No. 1 filed nomination papers as Janata Dal's official candidates. The Returning Officer, unable to determine the official candidate, treated both as independents and allotted different symbols. After a representation by Janata …

The petitioner, Ratanlal Nath, challenged several rules made under the Tripura Panchayats Act, 1993, alleging they were ultra vires the Act and the Constitution. The issues concerned (i) provisos allowing use of records other than the last census for determining SC/ST and total population, (ii) sub‑rules governing the …

R.C. Tripathi, appointed as Overseer (later Junior Engineer) in the Local Self‑Government Engineering Department in 1964, was confirmed in 1975 despite a High Court injunction prohibiting such confirmations. The confirmation was later rectified by a de‑confirmation order in 1978 without giving Tripathi a hearing. In 19…

Brahma Datt Sharma, an executive engineer of Uttar Pradesh, was dismissed in 1972 after a departmental inquiry and later had the dismissal order quashed by the High Court in 1984 because he was not given a chance to see the recommendation on the quantum of punishment. While he was retired, the State Government issued a…

Four ad‑hoc Fast Track Court District Judges applied for regularisation under the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Service Rules, 2007. They passed the written examination with the required minimum marks but failed to obtain the requisite marks in the viva voce and the combined (written + viva) aggregate as prescribed in the Su…

The plaintiff, N.C. Bansal, filed a civil suit seeking a declaration and permanent injunction concerning a property. The trial court dismissed the suit as non‑maintainable; an appellate court remanded the matter for trial. After remand, the plaintiff filed three applications: (i) under Order 7 Rule 14 of the CPC to fil…

Five legislators were elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 2008 as independents. They supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and served as cabinet ministers, but withdrew their support in October 2010, prompting the Speaker to disqualify them under paragraph 2(2) of the Tenth Schedule for "de…

The petitioner, Keshav Prasad Sharma, was tried for a criminal offence when the public prosecutor sought to implead respondents No.3‑9 as co‑accused under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The trial court allowed the impleadment, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court set aside that order. The petitioner filed S…

Shanti Devi, a widow, continued to run a grocery‑stationery shop in rented premises after her husband's death. The trade licence was in her husband's name and the authorities refused to issue a fresh licence to her without a No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) from the landlord, invoking Rule 12(m) of the Sikkim Trade Licen…

Syed Hussain, a police constable, stood as surety for Ahmed Qureshi, a hardened criminal involved in 32 snatching cases, and allegedly helped other accused obtain bail. The disciplinary authority found him guilty of misconduct and ordered his removal from service. The Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal upheld the r…

The petitioners challenged the functioning of the Bhopal Gas Relief Tribunal, alleging that the Deputy Welfare Commissioner had fixed arbitrary compensation amounts, that Lok Adalat decisions were sham, and that the lack of proper medical facilities violated their rights. The Supreme Court examined the 1985 Bhopal Gas …

A Sub‑Inspector of Police was charged with accepting a bribe and failing to register a criminal case. A Deputy Superintendent of Police framed the charge‑memo, conducted the inquiry and sent a report to the Deputy Inspector General, who imposed compulsory retirement. The Sub‑Inspector appealed to the Tamil Nadu Adminis…

The petitioner, born in 1941 to parents who had converted to Christianity before his birth, later reconverted to Hinduism at age 14 and claimed to be an Adi‑Dravida Scheduled Caste to obtain SC benefits in his employment with the Food Corporation of India. He filed a suit for a declaration of Scheduled Caste status; th…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Uttar Pradesh rules granting special seniority to demobilised officers commissioned during national emergencies (Nov 1962‑Jan 1968 and after Dec 1971) while excluding those commissioned between Jan 1968 and Dec 1971 violated Article 14. The respondent, a former short‑service army …

The Uttar Pradesh State Government appointed law officers and brief holders on contracts that allowed termination at any time without cause. The government later abolished the brief‑holder system and removed 26 law officers, prompting the officers to file a writ alleging violation of Article 14 and natural justice. The…

The petitioners filed appeals under Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act without obtaining the mandatory certificate from the High Court. The Supreme Court Registry sought guidance on whether these petitions could be entertained as Section 54 appeals or should be treated as special leave petitions under Article 136 o…

The widowed plaintiff and her children sued Dutta Cycle Stores for eviction under Section 11(1)(d) of the Bihar Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1947, alleging arrears of rent for February 1974 and May‑August 1974. The trial court and the appellate courts found that rent for May‑June 1974 was unpaid an…

The petitioners, industrial undertakings, challenged the validity of Rule 19A of the Income‑Tax Rules, 1962, which excluded borrowed capital and fixed the computation of "capital employed" on the first day of the previous year for the purpose of the tax exemption under Section 80J of the Income‑Tax Act. They also conte…

The petitioner, a student, filed a writ of habeas corpus under Article 32 of the Constitution on behalf of C. Daniel and C. Paul, who were allegedly taken by jawans of the 21st Sikh Regiment from Huining village to Phungrei camp on 10 March 1982 and thereafter disappeared. The respondents (Union of India, State of Mani…

The Indore Vikas Praadhikaran (IDA) issued a notice inviting bids (NIT) to lease a 3,382‑sq‑m plot, fixing a reserve price of Rs 21,120 per sq m. Shri Humud Jain Samaj Trust submitted the highest bid of Rs 25,671.90 per sq m, but the Tender Committee discovered an outstanding property‑tax demand and cancelled the tende…

The Supreme Court was approached by a group of advocates (Ajayinder Sangwan & Ors.) who had submitted applications and law degrees for verification but whose degrees had not yet been verified by universities, fearing exclusion from the electoral roll for State Bar Council elections. The Court had earlier, on 23 August …

The Supreme Court examined a batch of appeals filed by M/s Shree Bhagwati Steel Rolling Mills and other assessees against the Commissioner of Central Excise. The core issues were whether Rules 96ZO, 96ZP and 96ZQ of the Central Excise Rules could levy interest and a mandatory penalty equal to the duty amount when Secti…

The appellant, a judicial officer, was dismissed following an enquiry under the Gujarat Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1971. He challenged the dismissal in a Special Civil Application, and the High Court set aside the enquiry report and his dismissal. The respondent (the High Court) appealed, arguing that the trial co…

The Central Bureau of Narcotics alleged that Bahadur Singh, a servant in a dhaba, was found with a key that opened a locked box containing 17.45 kg of opium. The trial court convicted him under Sections 8 and 18 of the NDPS Act, but the Rajasthan High Court acquitted him, holding that there were no reliable independent…

The Supreme Court examined whether IIT Kanpur could limit the extension of retirement age to 62 years only to teachers and staff treated on par with teachers, as per communications from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The first respondent, an Assistant Registrar, claimed entitlement to the extended age but …

The appellant, the brother of the deceased Achamma, alleged that his sister’s death was not a natural heart‑failure but a murder concealed as suicide. After exhumation and a post‑mortem indicating organophosphorus poisoning, the CB‑CID investigated and charged the husband under Section 306 IPC (abetment of suicide) and…

The State of Haryana, following a policy to regularise daily‑wage workers, terminated the services of several daily wagers. The Labour Court held that the workers had not been in continuous service for the requisite 240 days in the preceding 12 months, and therefore the retrenchment did not violate Sections 25F and 25G…

Surinder Singh Banolta was elected to the Zilla Parishad on 5 January 2001. Earlier, in 1998, he had been declared an encroacher under the Himachal Pradesh Public Premises (Rent Recovery and Land Eviction) Act, a disqualification ground under Section 122(c) of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. A complaint …

Laut Kumar Verma, engaged on daily wages, applied before the Labour Court for classification as a permanent clerk, claiming that continuous service of more than six months entitled him to permanent status under Clause 2 of the Standard Standing Orders and protection of Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act. The L…

The petitioners challenged the Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001, alleging that it violated Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 19(1)(c) and 300A of the Constitution by taking over the assets of the Indian Council of World Affairs Society and by being enacted in defiance of a prior High Court judgment that had struck down a…

The Municipal Board of Saharanpur sought to levy water tax on Imperial Tobacco's factory and residential buildings under Section 128(1)(x) of the U.P. Municipalities Act, 1916, claiming that the entire complex lay within a 600‑foot radius of a public stand‑pipe and was situated in a "common compound". The respondent ar…

Two petitioners, Charan Lal Sahu and Mithilesh Kumar, filed an election petition challenging the election of K.R. Narayanan as President of India. Their nomination papers were rejected because they did not satisfy the mandatory requirement of Section 5B(1)(a) of the Presidential and Vice‑Presidential Elections Act, 195…

The petitioner, Dharti Pakar Madan Lal Agrawal, filed a composite election‑petition‑cum‑writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutionality of Sections 5‑B and 5‑C of the Presidential and Vice‑Presidential Elections Act, 1952 as amended by the 1997 Ordinance. The Supreme Court held that such a composite pe…

The appellant, an illiterate Harijan widow, sued to cancel a sale deed she had executed in favour of the respondent, alleging fraud, that she thought she was executing a will, and that the deed was obtained without consideration. The trial court, appellate court and Allahabad High Court all held that the deed was volun…

The petitioner, a Civil Judge appointed on probation after six months of training, remained on probation beyond the two‑year period without a confirmation order. The Madhya Pradesh High Court, finding his performance unsatisfactory, discharged him under Rule 52(a) of the M.P. Government Service (Temporary, Quasi‑perman…

The petitioners, Sadiq Bakery and others, filed writ petitions challenging the imposition of sales tax and surcharge on bread, rusk and bun under the Andhra Pradesh Sales Tax Act, 1957, arguing that bread and biscuits constitute a homogeneous class and should be taxed at the same rate. They contended that the different…

The petitioners, two public‑spirited organisations, sought a writ of mandamus directing the police to enter any place of worship where criminals were suspected to be sheltering. The petition was filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The Court held that it is not within judicial competence to issue a general manda…

Workmen employed by Shri Baidyanath Ayurveda Bhabhan Pvt Ltd were receiving an attendance bonus and claimed that they were also entitled to a bonus under the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 for the year 1966-67. The Industrial Tribunal held that the attendance bonus, being a customary payment, was payable in addition to the…

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) appealed against a Division Bench order that quashed its acquisition of a flat requisitioned under the West Bengal Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1948. The property had been under requisition since 1979 and the High Court, in 1993, directed the Land Acquisi…

The petitioners were appointed as Chairmen, Vice‑Chairmen and members of Agricultural Market Committees under the Andhra Pradesh (Agricultural Produce and Livestock) Markets Act, 1966. After the creation of Telangana in 2014, the State promulgated Ordinance No.1 of 2014 reducing the size of the committees, shortening t…

The Supreme Court examined whether the widows of three deceased employees, who had been appointed on an ad‑hoc six‑month basis, were entitled to family pension under the Punjab Civil Services Rules and the 1964 Family Pension Scheme. The Court held that eligibility for family pension is conditioned on the employee bein…

The Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation (KSFIC) was appointed as the State's agent to sell confiscated granite blocks. After a legislative committee uncovered a scam, the State terminated KSFIC's agency and directed it to refund the amounts paid by the purchasers, Indian Rocks and other companies. KSFIC claim…

The Supreme Court examined the appointment of District Munsiff magistrates in Andhra Pradesh where a number of women and SC/ST candidates were selected under Rule 22‑A(2) of the Andhra Pradesh State and Subordinate Service Rules. The petitioners argued that the rule, even after amendment, only created a preference for …

Satnam Overseas, a miller‑exporter, bought paddy in Haryana and Punjab, milled it into rice and exported the rice. The assessing authorities initially granted exemption under Section 9(1)(b) of the Haryana General Sales Tax Act, 1973, but later revised the assessments on the ground of retrospective amendments to Sectio…

The respondents were detained under Section 3(1) of the National Security Act, 1980 by the District Magistrate, Jaisalmer on 7 January 1987. Grounds of detention were not supplied within the statutory five‑day period; the magistrate recorded “exceptional circumstances” on 11 January and supplied the grounds on 16 Janua…

The Supreme Court examined whether a rule prescribing a 1:1 ratio for promotion of Excise Guards to Excise Preventive Officer, based on possession of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), violated Article 16 of the Constitution. The Court reiterated that higher educational qualifications can be a permissible…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993 and the Presidential reference under Article 143(1) concerning whether a Hindu temple existed before the Babri Masjid was built. The Court held that the Act was within Parliament’s legislative competence (Entry 42, …

The New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) rejected revised building plans of Statesman Ltd. on fire‑safety grounds, particularly the provision of refuge areas and the absence of a pedestrian walk‑way and podium required by zoning plans. The Delhi Urban Art Commission and the Chief Fire Officer cleared the plans, and the…

The Supreme Court examined the State of Madhya Pradesh's policy decision of 30 December 1984 to privatise nine state‑owned liquor distilleries by granting D‑2 licences to existing contractors for constructing new distilleries and D‑1 licences for wholesale supply. The petitioners challenged the decision on grounds of a…

The Supreme Court examined three writ petitions challenging detentions under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974. The petitioners argued that a communication dated July 27, 1980, sent by their counsel requesting the detainee’s release and copies of documents, was a "rep…

The case concerned the validity of the Survey of India (Recruitment from Corps of Engineer Officers) Rules, 1950, which gave seniority and promotional advantages to army engineers over civilian recruits. Civilian officers challenged the rules as violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, and the Andhra Prades…

The Rajasthan government issued Notification S.O.377 on 9 March 2007, exempting VAT on asbestos cement sheets and bricks containing at least 25% fly ash, provided the dealer began commercial production in the state by 31‑December‑2006 and the exemption lasted until 23‑January‑2010 (later extended). The appellants, manu…

The case concerned Group Captains in the Indian Air Force who were promoted either on a merit basis (Select) or on a time‑scale basis (Time Scale) and were subjected to different ages of superannuation – 54/57 years for Time Scale officers versus 57 years for Select officers. The respondents argued that, since both cat…

The appellant, Naren Chandra Naskar, challenged the registration of his sale deed, alleging forgery, after a criminal complaint was filed by the District Registrar. Both his deed and the respondent's deed were recorded with identical registration details, prompting the Calcutta High Court to order an enquiry by the Dis…

The State of Rajasthan filed a Special Leave Petition challenging a cryptic order of the Rajasthan High Court that dismissed its application for leave to appeal against an acquittal of Chanda and others without giving reasons. The Supreme Court examined whether a High Court must pass a speaking order showing due applic…

The appellant, a constable in the Central Reserve Police Force, was repeatedly disciplined for unauthorized absence, culminating in dismissal after a departmental inquiry found some charges partially proved. He challenged the dismissal, but his appeal and subsequent writ petition were dismissed due to long delay. The S…

The respondent filed a suit for recovery of Rs.2,20,000 with interest against the appellant firm. After a series of decrees and execution proceedings, the appellant paid amounts but disputed that interest had been calculated twice and that interest on interest was added, and also claimed that income‑tax paid should be …

The Commissioner of Central Excise (Pondicherry) challenged Acer India Ltd.'s practice of deducting the value of operational software from the assessable value of computers for central excise purposes. The Revenue argued that the software, being loaded in the hardware, formed part of the computer and its value should b…

The State prosecuted four accused for a dacoity during which the deceased was murdered, alleging that the accused were identified at the scene by the victim (PW‑I) and other witnesses using torchlight and a gaslight. The trial court convicted them under Sections 302, 149, 148, 323 and 395 of the IPC and sentenced them …

Bijoy Kumar Mishra was appointed as a probationary officer of the State Bank of India in October 1980. He remained unauthorisedly absent from duty from April 1981 and, after a brief appearance in August 1983, was absent until 1988. The bank’s service rules fixed a maximum probation period of three years, which expired …

The State of Bihar enacted the Bihar Forest Restoration and Improvement of Degraded Forest Land Taxation Act, 1992 to levy a tax on the excavation and use of forest land for non‑forest purposes. Respondents, including Indian Aluminium Company, held mining leases under the Mines and Minerals Regulation Act, 1957 and cha…

The truck bearing No. 9493 was seized by a Divisional Forest Officer for carrying 22 logs of timber without a permit under the Madhya Pradesh Ven Upaj Vyapar Viniyaman Act, 1969. The driver compounded the offence by paying Rs.1,000, but the truck was not released because its value was not paid, leading to its confiscat…

The Supreme Court examined a challenge by OBC candidates to the proviso of Rule 13 of the Rajasthan State and Subordinate Services (Direct Recruitment by Combined Competitive Examinations) Rules, 1962, which allowed a 5% relaxation in preliminary‑exam cut‑off marks for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) cand…

The petitioners, appointed as ad‑hoc Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) in the Indian Railways between 1983 and 1986, challenged the Railways' decision to terminate their services and deny regularisation, alleging violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. They contended that the 1977 Recruitment Rules did not…

The petitioner filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, arguing that the Order was legislative in nature and could not be issued by the Election Commission because it lacked statutory authority. The Court examined whe…

The State Bank of India (SBI) disciplined its field officer A.G.D. Reddy for alleged misconduct, including failure to conduct periodical inspections and not completing formalities for an equitable mortgage, and imposed a penalty of reduction in basic pay to the lowest stage in Scale‑I under Rule 49(e) of the SBI (Super…

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquired land from private owners and an arbitrator awarded enhanced compensation, which NHAI challenged under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The land owners, instead of filing an execution proceeding, approached the High Court under Article 226…

The State of Tripura framed the Tripura State Civil Services (Revised Pension) Rules, 2009, wherein Rule 3(3) provided that revised pension would be computed notionally from 1 January 2006 but the actual financial benefit would be payable only from 1 January 2009. A group of pensioners, led by Smt. Anjana Bhattacharjee…

The case arose from a reference to a nine-judge bench to determine whether the right to privacy is a constitutionally protected fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, particularly in light of the Aadhaar scheme's collection of biometric data. The petitioners argued that privacy is an intrinsic part of the rig…

The Supreme Court examined the renewal of a 30‑year lease granted by the Ujjain Development Authority (UDA) to Mis Ajar Enterprises Private Limited (Ajar) after the leasehold interest was acquired from the liquidated IISCO. The Court held that Rule 24 and Rule 25 of the Madhya Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Vikasit Bh…

The Supreme Court, hearing Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal (Criminal Appeal No. 135 of 2010), continued its earlier directives to improve the rehabilitation of sex workers by ordering the Central Government to provide Rs.10 lakh and each State Government Rs.5 lakh (Union Territories Rs.2 lakh) to the Court‑a…

Sukhdeo Pandey, an Extra‑Departmental Branch Post Master (EDBPM), cleared a promotion exam to the post of Postman in 1969 but the selection was cancelled due to alleged irregularities. A criminal case was later filed against him, cleared, and he was arbitrarily removed from service in 1977; the removal order was set as…

Kishori Lal, an agriculturist, obtained a loan from the District Land Development Bank in 1971 and mortgaged his agricultural land as security. He was a minor at the time of the loan, defaulted on repayment and the bank initiated recovery proceedings culminating in an auction of the mortgaged land. The Board of Revenue…

The appellant, a student, claimed membership in the Halba Scheduled Tribe to obtain admission to a Bachelor of Engineering program, but the Caste Scrutiny Committee later invalidated his caste certificate. He continued his studies under interim orders of the High Court, completed the course, and sought his degree after…

The appellant filed an application under Sections 11 and 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, alleging that a single judge of the Patna High Court had failed to comply with directions issued on 30‑03‑1999. The High Court judge, while hearing the contempt application, examined the correctness of the original order an…

The Supreme Court examined the AIIMS policy of reserving 33% of postgraduate seats for its own in‑house graduates and a further 50% discipline‑wise reservation, which resulted in lower‑merit candidates being allocated coveted "creamy" specialties over higher‑scoring open‑category candidates. The Court held that such in…

The appellants, who were defendants in civil suits filed in 1983, failed to appear before the trial court on 20 February 1992, leading to ex‑parte orders against them. They applied under Order 9 Rule 13 of the CPC to have those orders set aside, claiming they were diligent and that their non‑appearance was due to a rep…

The All India Judges Association sought to improve the service conditions of subordinate judges, prompting the Supreme Court to issue directions on uniform hierarchy, qualifications, retirement age, pay, allowances, accommodation and training. The Union of India and several states challenged these directions, arguing t…

Ms. Lily Thomas, an advocate, filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a declaration that any member of the Lok Sabha who abstains from voting on a motion of impeachment of a Supreme Court judge should be deemed to have supported the motion, thereby satisfying the majority requirement of Artic…

The appellants, owners of tea, rubber and cardamom estates in Kerala, sought exemption under Section 2(f)(1)(i)(B) of the Kerala Private Forests (Vesting and Assignment) Act, 1971 for lands used to grow fire‑wood trees for fuel in estate factories, smoke‑houses and for workers' domestic use. The Kerala High Court held …

The Andhra Pradesh Government promulgated the Revised Pension Rules, 1980, creating two categories of pensioners: Part I for those retiring on or after 29 October 1979 and Part II for those who retired between 1 April 1978 and 28 October 1979. The petitioners, who fell in Part II, alleged that the differential treatmen…

The appellant, a dealer in red arecanut, had its consignment detained by the GST Mobile Squad and was served a show‑cause notice under section 129(3) of the CGST Act. The appellant filed objections but, due to business exigencies, paid the tax and penalty amount of Rs 7,20,440 under protest and the goods were released …

Bhima Rao Baswanth Rao Patil, a successful Lok Sabha candidate, was challenged by K. Madan Mohan Rao through an election petition under Sections 81 and 84 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, alleging false information, non‑disclosure of pending criminal cases and convictions, and non‑compliance with Election…

The West Bengal Central School Service Commission advertised for Assistant Teacher posts, requiring candidates to have Bengali as a first, second or third language at secondary, higher secondary or any higher level. Respondent No.1, educated outside West Bengal, applied for an Arabic teaching post in a Bengali‑medium s…

The Supreme Court examined petitions seeking directions to set up State Human Rights Commissions (SHRCs) in several states that had failed to do so under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The Court held that the word "may" in Section 21 of the Act does not make the power to constitute SHRCs discretionary; it is…

The petitioners, former candidates for principal and senior lecturer posts, claimed that the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) had willfully ignored Supreme Court orders (dated 10 Jan 2001 and 20 Feb 2002) directing it to apply a uniform eligibility criteria. The UPPSC issued an office order on 7 April 20…

Five persons were tried for murder under s.302 read with s.149 IPC. The trial court convicted all and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The High Court dismissed the appeal, upholding the conviction. Three of the accused filed Special Leave Petitions, and this Court altered their conviction to s.304 Part I IPC and re…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Section 4A of the Rajasthan Sales Tax Act, 1994, which levied tax on the first point sale of drugs, medicines and formulations by wholesalers to retailers based on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) printed on the package rather than the actual consideration paid. T…

The appellant, D.P. Singh, sued Jai Prakash University and others for a declaration that an order terminating his services was illegal. The suit was decreed ex parte against the college's governing body, which later became a constituent unit of the university, but the university was not impleaded. In execution, the uni…

The Federation of Bar Associations in Karnataka filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a permanent bench of the Karnataka High Court in northern Karnataka, arguing that the long distance from Bangalore made access to justice costly and time‑consuming. The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High …

The respondent, originally an Assistant Director in a government organization, was deputed to Punjab National Bank (PNB) on 10 March 1970 and absorbed permanently on 10 March 1972. PNB's 1979 Officers Service Regulations stipulated that officers recruited before 19 July 1969 retire at 60, while those recruited on or af…

The petitioners, appointed as Election Commissioners in October 1989, challenged the President’s January 1990 notifications that rescinded their appointments and abolished the two posts. They argued that the abolition violated the tenure provisions in the service rules, infringed the independence of the Election Commis…

The Supreme Court Employees Welfare Association filed writ petitions seeking parity in pay with Delhi High Court staff, invoking the principle of equal pay for equal work. The Court examined whether the Delhi High Court judgments were res judicata, held that a dismissed Special Leave Petition does not create a binding …

The appellant, an officer who was officiating as Superintending Engineer in the Gujarat Service of Engineers, was ordered to retire compulsorily under the first proviso of Rule 161(1)(a) of the Bombay Civil Services Rules, 1959, upon attaining the age of 55. He challenged the order, arguing that having attained the ran…

The case arises from the 2002 Gujarat riots following the Godhra train burning incident, in which the appellant's husband was killed in the Gulberg Society massacre. The appellant filed a complaint alleging a larger criminal conspiracy at the highest level of the state government, including the then Chief Minister, to …

The Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation (RSWC) issued a PPP tender for operating warehouses at 71 locations. Writ petitions challenged a tender condition and were dismissed by the High Court. After technical bids were opened, the successful bidders were identified and a letter of intent was issued, but the High Cou…

The State of Rajasthan appealed against the Rajasthan High Court’s order converting the murder conviction of respondent No.1 Islam under IPC Section 302 to a lesser offence under Section 304 Part‑II, on the ground that the High Court had erred in its appreciation of the evidence and its application of the fourth except…

The Rajasthan Judicial Service Officers Association filed a writ petition seeking a higher dress allowance and a kit‑maintenance allowance for judicial officers, challenging the State’s notification of a Rs 1,500 allowance every three years. The Rajasthan High Court directed the State to pay a lump‑sum of Rs 8,500 and …

S. Lalitha, a Doordarshan employee, received second and third financial upgradations under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) Scheme in 2010 and 2015. In 2016 she filed a representation seeking the second upgradation under the earlier Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACP) as of 2009 and the third upgradat…

Jitendra Kumar Rode, a former Assistant Commercial Manager of Northern Railway, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for accepting a bribe in 1995. The trial court’s record was subsequently lost, and only a partial, reconstructed set of documents was produced, which did not include essential witne…

Ms. Nisha Priya Bhatia, a Director in the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), complained of sexual harassment against senior officers, after which her identity was publicly disclosed and she attempted suicide. The government declared her "exposed" and "unemployable" and ordered her compulsory retirement under Rule 135 o…

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) published a first Ranked List (RL‑I) for Sub‑Inspector of Police (Trainee) in September 2013 and later issued several advices from it, the last on 11 November 2015. The appellants, empanelled in RL‑I, sought appointment to 93 Non‑Joining Duty (NJD) vacancies reported on 12 Ju…

The Union of India challenged the constitutional validity of clause (f) inserted by the Finance Act, 2001 into Section 43B of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which made deductions for leave‑encashment payable only on actual payment. Exide Industries argued that the clause violated the assessee's right to choose a mercantile …

The appellant, a member of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service (DHJS), challenged the constitutional validity of Rule 27 of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1970 and the High Court's Full Court resolutions that introduced a five‑year "very good" (A) Annual Confidential Report (ACR) grading requirement for promoti…

The Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association challenged Regulation 9(iv) and 9(vii) of the Post‑Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, alleging that the provisions barred states from creating a separate entry stream for in‑service doctors seeking postgraduate degree seats and were violative of Articles 14 and 19(…

The petition challenged a no‑confidence motion against the Pramukh of a Kshettra Panchayat on the ground that 13 of the 39 signatories had not taken the oath of office and therefore could not be counted, reducing the support to less than half of the 63 elected members. The Supreme Court examined the statutory definitio…

Mangalam Organics Ltd. challenged the Central Government’s decision not to issue a notification under Section 11C of the Central Excise Act, 1944, which would have exempted it from excise duty on rosins and turpentine manufactured using the Bhatti process. The appellant claimed that a general practice of non‑levy exist…

The petitioners, who had completed their MBBS/BDS degrees in Karnataka, were barred from appearing for the 2014 Post Graduate Entrance Test (PGET-2014) by a clause in the National Board of Examinations' Information Bulletins that required candidates to be of "Karnataka origin" as narrowly defined. They challenged this …

The case concerned the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat Service Rules which limited the number of Private Secretaries (PS) who could be promoted to Assistant Secretary and higher posts to ten at any given time, despite a statutory quota of 14:1 between Section Officers (SO) and PS. The PS challenged the validity of the Gover…

The respondent, a teacher appointed in 1977 with the requisite qualifications, was terminated in 1995 after a 1994 Government Order raised the qualification standards for teachers. The termination was challenged before the High Court, which quashed the order and awarded back wages, holding that the Government Order cou…

The Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation, a statutory corporation created under the Road Corporation Act, 1951, dismissed driver Mohar Singh for alleged misconduct and the dismissal was upheld by its appellate authority. Singh filed a civil suit in the Additional Munsif Court challenging the termination and t…

T. Nagappa was charged under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for the dishonour of a cheque. He applied to the magistrate, invoking Section 243 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (mistakenly cited as Section 293), seeking to have the cheque examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory to determine the age of…

Afaq Husain, a conductor appointed on an ad‑hoc, daily‑wager basis by the U.P. State Road Transport Corporation, was given a three‑month contract in 1976 and terminated thereafter with one month’s notice pay. He raised an industrial dispute in 1982; the Labour Court, assuming continuous service from 1972‑1976, held tha…

BabulaL Jain, an Accountant in the Madhya Pradesh Collectorate, was deputed to the post of Election Supervisor. An Office Memorandum dated 9 February 1999 stipulated that such transfers were to be treated as postings, with pay fixed at the lower post and not under Fundamental Rule 22(D) or 22(A) of the M.P. Civil Servi…

The appellants' land was acquired under the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act for a public development scheme, and the Land Acquisition Officer awarded them monetary compensation together with residential plots of 1,000 or 2,000 square yards. A tripartite settlement later reduced the compensation and confirmed the plot al…

Girdhar Shankar Tawade was tried for abetment of suicide under IPC s.306 and cruelty to a woman under s.498‑A. The prosecution relied on contradictory oral testimony of the deceased's brother and cousin, three letters written by the deceased, and a dying declaration. The trial court and the High Court convicted him on …

The case concerned L.D. Balam Singh, an Indian Army officer, who was tried by a General Court Martial under Section 69 of the Army Act for an offence punishable under Section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The High Court had set aside his conviction on the ground that the search and se…

The deceased Raj Karan was attacked with lathis by the accused Bishna and Balbir, sustaining fatal head injuries. Two relatives, Sukhchain Singh (PW‑1) and Jai Karan (PW‑2), witnessed the assault, took the victim to the hospital, and later gave statements that formed the core of the prosecution case. The trial court co…

The appellant, a CRPF officer, was deputed to the CBI and sought permanent absorption on the basis that he was a graduate. He failed to produce a graduation certificate and claimed that a degree was not required for someone of his standing, leading the CBI to doubt his integrity and repatriate him to his parent departm…

The case concerned the inter‑se seniority of Munsifs appointed under two different recruitment regimes in Bihar – the 15th Judicial Service Examination governed by the Bihar Judicial Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1955 and the ad‑hoc recruitment under the Bihar Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules, 1974. Thirty‑two resp…

K.C.P. Sinha, who had been employed by the U.P. State Mineral Development Corporation since 1977, was compulsorily retired in August 1988 under Rule 27(iv) of the corporation’s service rules, which permits retirement at age 50 with three months’ notice. He challenged the order, arguing that the rule was arbitrary, viol…

The State Bank of India (SBI) had issued two circulars, one in 1978 and another in 1983, prescribing reservations of 15% for Scheduled Castes and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes in promotions and allowing a carry‑forward of unfilled reserved vacancies for up to three years, after which they would lapse. The 1983 circular fur…

Daya Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1978. After his appeals and mercy petitions were rejected, a writ petition under Article 32 filed by his brother in 1986 was dismissed in October 1988. A fresh mercy petition filed in November 1988 led to a stay of execution, but the matter remained pending f…

R.E. Sharma, a senior Bihar government officer with a 30‑year exemplary record, was compulsorily retired under Rule 74(b)(ii) of the Bihar Service Code on the ground of public interest after turning 50. Sharma contended that the retirement was a punitive measure based on alleged financial irregularities, that he was de…

The Supreme Court examined the State of Maharashtra's policy for MBBS admissions in Bombay's municipal and government medical colleges, which allocated 70% of the remaining seats after the All India quota and Article 15 reservations to local Bombay students and 30% to students from elsewhere in the state. The Bombay Hi…

The Andhra Pradesh Christian Medical Educational Society, a registered body, claimed the right under Article 30(1) of the Constitution to establish a Christian minority medical college. It had no land, funds, hospital or other infrastructure, yet admitted 60 students to a first‑year MBBS course without obtaining the re…

The appellants, originally constables in the Calcutta Police, were promoted to officiating Sub‑Inspectors and later confirmed, but were placed below many directly recruited Sub‑Inspectors in the seniority list. They argued that seniority should be based on their continuous officiating service, not on the date of confir…

The State of West Bengal sought to acquire 73 acres of land for Calcutta Mineral Supply Company, which manufactured chemicals that saved foreign exchange. The acquisition was initiated in 1954 and completed in 1957, before the 1962 amendment to the Land Acquisition Act. The High Court quashed the acquisition, but the S…

Anil Kumar, convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, was released on emergency parole during the COVID‑19 pandemic by a High‑Powered Committee constituted under a Supreme Court order. He filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking to quash the Committee's decision that the parole period should not be …

The Supreme Court examined whether a person must show "active membership" to be convicted under Section 10(a)(i) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) after an association is declared unlawful. It held that the provision plainly punishes anyone who continues to be a member of a banned association, wi…

The case concerned railway casual labourers who, after years of service, were granted temporary status and later regularised. They claimed that the entire period of service after obtaining temporary status should count 100% for pensionary benefits, whereas the Union of India argued that only 50% of such service should …

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, alleging that it infringes the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) and is not saved by the reasonable restrictions of Article 19(2). They also contested the validity of Section 69A…

The Supreme Court was asked to clarify certain directions given in its 16 May 2008 judgment concerning the Indian Bank scam involving cooperative societies' fixed deposits (FDRs). The Court observed that, unlike the Bank of Baroda case, there was no Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the Indian Bank matters…

The petitioners, Tata Chemicals Ltd. and others, challenged the anti‑dumping duty imposed by the Customs Notification dated 27 October 1998 and the subsequent determination made by the Designated Authority under Rule 18 of the Customs Tariff (Identification, Assessment and Collection of Anti‑Dumping Duty on Dumped Arti…

Sub‑Post Master A. Sudhakar was charged with misappropriating Rs 5,000 received for a Kisan Vikas Patra. A departmental enquiry found him guilty of the first charge and part of a third charge and the Director of Postal Services, who was also his appointing authority, imposed compulsory retirement. Sudhakar appealed to …

The State of Kerala, after banning the sale of arrack in 1996, enacted the Kerala Abkari Shops Disposal Rules, 2002 which required that each toddy shop employ one former arrack worker. The rules (specifically Rules 4(2) and 9(10)(b)) were challenged by a federation of toddy‑tappers and toddy‑shop workers on the ground …

The workmen of Birla Textiles filed a contempt petition alleging that the management willfully disobeyed the Supreme Court's order in MC Mehta v. Union of India directing the shift of the factory to Baddi and the grant of certain benefits. The Court found that the factory was not fully functional and only 937 workmen c…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of several provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1947 (as amended in 1994) after the State of U.P. and others challenged the High Court's finding that definitions of 'village', 'Gram Sabha' and 'panchayat area' were ultra vires Articles 243(g), 243(b) and 24…

The Supreme Court considered appeals by teaching staff of P.S.G. College of Technology challenging a Madras High Court decision that the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976 and its Rules did not apply to the college. The college, a private engineering institution, had resolved that the Act and Rules were…

The State of Tamil Nadu permitted a private trust to start a self‑financing engineering college and granted it provisional affiliation. Later a High Power Committee found the college non‑compliant with conditions, leading the State and the University to issue show‑cause notices and cancel the affiliation. The trust cha…

Smt. Nilabati Behera filed a writ petition under Article 32 alleging that her son, Suman Behera, died in police custody due to injuries inflicted by police and that his body was later dumped on a railway track. The State of Orissa contended that the son escaped custody and was killed in a train accident, denying liabil…

The dispute concerned a 2000‑sq‑yard plot in Bombay whose title was claimed by the heirs of the original owner and by a private limited company that had purchased the shares of the heirs' company. After an eviction decree and a series of undertakings, the petitioners (Devida Yal Rolling Mills) claimed tenancy, while th…

The appellant‑tenant Vipin Kumar was evicted under Section 13(2)(iii) of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 for constructing a wall and door in the verandah of his demised shop without the landlord’s consent, which was held to have stopped the flow of light and air and thus materially impaired the buildin…

The University Grants Commission (UGC) Scheme of 1986 prescribed a superannuation age of 60 years for university teachers. The Government of Kerala adopted most provisions of the Scheme, including revised pay scales, but expressly retained a retirement age of 55 years for its teachers. A group of teachers filed petitio…

Leather Facts Co., a dealer in hides and skins that exported its goods, filed purchases using Form III‑A under the Uttar Pradesh Sales Tax Act because no specific form existed for export transactions. The Commissioner held that purchases made against Form III‑A were liable to purchase tax, whereas those against Form H …

Sher Singh and others were convicted of murder under IPC s.302/34 and sentenced to death in 1977. After the High Court upheld the sentence and the Supreme Court dismissed their Special Leave Petition, the petitioners filed writ petitions under Art.32 claiming that a delay of more than two years in executing the death s…

Lifecare Innovations Pvt. Ltd., a micro‑enterprise manufacturing a specialised liposomal drug, was repeatedly disqualified from government tenders because the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) imposed mandatory minimum turnover requirements that it could not meet. The petitioners argued that such clauses violated Articles 1…

The petitioner, a Superintendent of the High Court of Manipur, sought promotion to Assistant Registrar. The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) on 9 April 2021 denied her promotion, relying on Annual Confidential Report (ACR) grades for 2016‑17 ("Good") and 2019‑20 ("Good"). The petitioner argued that the 2016‑17 AC…

Jagdish Harijan, an Indian Railways employee, died leaving a son, Mukesh Kumar, born of his second wife. The Railway Board circular barred children of a second wife from receiving compassionate appointments, leading to the denial of Mukesh's application. The appellant challenged this denial, arguing it violated constit…

The State of Odisha blacklisted M/s Panda Infraproject Ltd. after a high‑level inquiry found the contractor responsible for the collapse of a ten‑metre flyover slab that killed one person and injured eleven. The contractor was served a detailed show‑cause notice, replied, and was subsequently debarred under the Orissa …

The Postal Department (Office of the Chief Post Master General) appealed against a High Court order denying concessional postage rates to Living Media India Ltd. The High Court had allowed the company's writ petitions, and the Department filed special leave petitions (SLPs) in the Supreme Court after a delay of 427 day…

The Additional Sessions Judge convicted Narayan Dutt, Manjit Singh and Prem Kumar for murder under the IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonment. While their appeals were pending before the High Court, they filed petitions under Article 161 of the Constitution seeking pardon from the Governor of Punjab, who granted i…

The SGPC applied under Section 7 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 to have the institution known as Gurdwara Sahib Gurdwara Bhagat Bhagwan declared a Sikh gurdwara. The Sikh Gurdwaras Tribunal initially held it to be a Sikh gurdwara, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court reversed that decision, finding the institution to b…

The State of West Bengal appealed against a Calcutta High Court order that had resumed land held by an intermediary under the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act, 1953. The appeals raised three questions: (1) whether the proviso to Section 6(3) of the 1953 Act remains effective after the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1…

Himmat Singh, a Head Constable, applied for voluntary retirement which was accepted on 24 August 2000. He later claimed to have withdrawn the application on the same day, alleged bias by the fifth respondent, and contended that the Lines Officer failed to make an entry in the police correspondence register as required …

The appellant supplied stone chips for a West Bengal construction project and was paid by post‑dated cheques issued by the respondent from its registered office in Kerala. The cheques were deposited in a West Bengal bank, bounced, and a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act was filed be…

Arjunlal Rajak was appointed as a daily‑wage chowkidar by the State of Madhya Pradesh without a written offer or compliance with recruitment rules. He worked in various departments, the last being the production division of the Forest Department, which was later abolished, and his services were terminated without obser…

Standard Chartered Bank and its officers challenged show‑cause notices issued under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA) alleging that Sections 50, 51, 56 and 68 were unconstitutional as they violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The Bank argued that FERA, being in the Ninth Schedule, should not …

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) issued advertisements for direct recruitment to Joint Manager and Deputy Manager posts. The Central Government, invoking Section 6(2) of the Food Corporation Act, 1964, issued directives prohibiting creation of new posts, filling vacancies by fresh recruitment and revising service co…

A senior District & Sessions Judge (the appellant) granted bail to two accused under Section 20(b)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The Patna High Court Single Judge cancelled the bail and harshly criticised the judge, alleging extraneous considerations, ignorance of Section 37, an…

The Allahabad High Court, through its Registrar, challenged a Division Bench judgment that declared Rule 4(a) of the Allahabad High Court Rules, 1951 ultra vires Article 215 of the Constitution because it required civil contempt matters to be heard by a single judge. The Supreme Court examined whether the rule conflict…

The non‑law graduate staff of the Kerala High Court sought redress for grievances, prompting the Chief Justice to amend Rule 16(d) of the Kerala High Court Service Rules, 1970. The amendment limited promotion of non‑law graduates to a maximum of eight posts, subject to age or service length, a capacity test, and a 1:1 …

S. Nagoor Meera, a Superintendent in the Collegiate Education Department, was convicted under IPC s.420 and the Prevention of Corruption Act s.5 and sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment. The High Court suspended the sentence and released him on bail. The Deputy Director issued a show‑cause notice seeking his dis…

The Collector of Central Excise, Madras filed statutory appeals against orders of the Customs, Excise and Gold Control Appellate Tribunal and sought condonation of delay for those appeals. A Single Judge of the Supreme Court dismissed the condonation applications under Order VI Rule 2(14) of the Supreme Court Rules, 19…

The Andhra Pradesh Revenue Subordinate Service Rules, 1961 provided for appointment of Deputy Tehsildars by direct recruitment or transfer, with seniority to be determined under Rule 33(a) of the General Rules. Direct‑recruit Deputy Tehsildars challenged the seniority accorded to them over promotee Deputy Tehsildars, b…

The petitioners, directly recruited Assistant Engineers, challenged the Chief Engineer's order that retrospectively regularised the temporary service of promotees from 1972‑75 to the Assistant Engineer cadre, alleging it violated the Andhra Pradesh (Roads and Buildings) Engineering Service Rules, 1967. The Court examin…

The petitioner, S Shobha, obtained a gold‑pledged loan from Muthoot Finance Ltd. and later filed writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution challenging the company's actions. The High Court entertained the petitions despite observing that Muthoot Finance Ltd. is a private company and not a "State" within Arti…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet on 15 October 2022 against 75 persons, including Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan, for alleged conspiracy, fraud and corruption involving DHFL. The respondents applied for default bail under the proviso to Section 167(2) of the CrPC, arguing that the char…

The appellant and respondent were married in 2004 and lived in Canada until 2011, when health and employment issues forced their return to India. The couple separated in February 2011, and the respondent thereafter refused to resume cohabitation, even after multiple summons and notices, effectively deserting the appell…

The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine filed a miscellaneous application seeking clarification and modification of the Supreme Court's 2018 directions on advance medical directives and withdrawal of life‑support treatment. The Court examined whether the procedural safeguards, especially the requirement of a Judic…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Assam Rural Health Regulatory Authority Act, 2004, which created a regulatory authority to register diploma holders in medicine and to regulate their practice in rural Assam. The Court held that the Act was beyond the legislative competence of the Assam State Legi…

The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by a next friend on behalf of Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug, sought a direction to stop feeding her, alleging she had been in a persistent vegetative state for 36 years following a brutal assault. The respondents, including the KEM Hospital and municipal authorities…

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of the proclamation dated 23rd May 2005 dissolving the Bihar Legislative Assembly under Article 356 of the Constitution. The Governor had reported that attempts were being made to cobble a majority through illegal means like horse-trading and allurements, and recom…

The claimant's son died in a motor vehicle accident and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs. 3,50,000 as compensation. The insurer, National Insurance Co., filed writ petitions under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution challenging the award, but the High Court initially dismissed the petition and later r…

The Constitution Bench examined whether the Parliament’s Tobacco Board Act, 1975 (under Entry 52 of List I) validly covers the sale of raw tobacco and whether State Agricultural Produce Markets Acts (under Entry 28/66 of List II) can levy market fees on tobacco. The Court held that the word “industry” in Entry 52 must …

The respondent challenged the election of the appellant, Tek Chand, alleging that the independent candidate Nikka Ram's nomination was improperly accepted because he was allegedly holding an office of profit and was a BJP/RSS activist whose votes allegedly cut into the respondent's tally, thereby materially affecting t…

The respondents, owners of sugar and distillery units, were levied water cess under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 and paid it under protest. After the Supreme Court in Saraswati Sugar Mills v. Haryana State Board held that sugar industries were not covered by Entry 15 of Schedule I, the…

The Supreme Court reviewed orders of the Patna High Court that were monitoring the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) probe into the Bihar scam. The Court clarified that the High Court's role is limited to ensuring that the CBI performs its statutory duty and must not pass on the merits of the accusations. It reaf…

The appellants challenged amendments to Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977 concerning reservation in promotion and the concept of backlog vacancies. The Supreme Court examined whether the first proviso added to Rule 8 could be applied retrospectively and whether the second proviso, which introdu…

Two members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, elected in 1991 as AIADMK candidates, were expelled from the party and labelled ‘unattached’ by the Speaker. They later joined the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK). The Speaker, invoking the Tamil Nadu Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defections) R…

The petitioners, representing several maths, challenged the constitutionality of Sections 50 to 55 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, alleging that the provisions interfered with the religious freedom of the Mathadhipathi under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitut…

The Pune Municipal Corporation acquired a two‑storey building for road widening under the Land Acquisition Act, compensated the owner and took possession, while tenants (appellants) occupied the premises under leave‑and‑licence agreements. After the agreements expired, eviction proceedings were successful, and the Supr…

The plaintiff (borrower) sued the suppliers, lenders and guarantor over a power‑plant project, invoking credit agreements that contained arbitration clauses. The lenders, particularly Svenska Handelsbanken (defendant No. 4), instructed their counsel not to appear or take any step in the main suit, limiting a power of a…

Anoop Jaiswal, a probationary officer of the Indian Police Service, was discharged by the Government of India after being deemed a ring‑leader responsible for a 22‑minute delay during a training exercise on 22 June 1981. The Director of the National Police Academy recommended discharge without conducting an enquiry, an…

The case concerned the promotion of eight Class II Assistant Engineers, all diploma holders, to the Class I cadre of Executive Engineers in the Haryana Public Works Department. The petitioners challenged the promotions, arguing that Rule 6(a) of the Punjab Service of Engineers (Class I) Rules required a university degr…

The Union of India, as the owner of land covered by an Old Grant, issued a notice to resume a 3.398‑acre property in Landour Cantonment occupied by Vijay Krishna Uniyal, who sued for a permanent injunction claiming ownership based on a 1980 sale deed and long possession. The trial court, the first appellate court and t…

The Supreme Court entertained a public interest writ under Article 32 challenging large‑scale out‑of‑turn allotments of government residential quarters in Delhi, alleged to be made on a ‘Special Compassionate Ground’ and constituting a housing scam. A three‑member Gupta Committee examined the allotments and categorized…

The Tamil Nadu government issued a loan‑waiver scheme that benefitted only small and marginal farmers, prompting a petition that the scheme violated Article 14 by arbitrarily excluding larger farmers. The Madurai Bench of the High Court held the classification arbitrary and directed the benefit be extended to all farme…

The case concerned the merger of Bihar's Subordinate Education Service teachers into the Bihar Education Service (Class‑II) following a 1977 notification and a 2006 state resolution. After multiple rounds of litigation, the Supreme Court held that the 7 July 2006 resolution was a lawful policy decision, not violative o…

The Union of India invited tenders for fresh fruit supply to its troops and accepted the tender of Col. L.S.N. Murthy (respondent No.2). After the respondent stopped supply in June 2000, the Union rescinded the contract, forfeited the security deposit and claimed expenses, leading to arbitration. The arbitrator held th…

The Supreme Court considered appeals by Sanjay Chandra and 16 co‑accused who were denied bail by the Special CBI Judge and the Delhi High Court in a telecom‑licence fraud case involving alleged loss of billions to the State. The appellants argued that the investigation was complete, the charge‑sheet filed, and there wa…

The case concerned a dispute over the demarcation of a Wakf estate created by a 1936 deed, which divided the property into 75% for the descendants (Wakf‑al‑al‑aulad) and 25% for religious purposes. A suit for demarcation was filed in the Calcutta High Court, which held that the demarcation was incorrect and that the Wa…

The Supreme Court heard a Special Leave Petition (CrL) No. 6568 of 2009 filed by Manoj Yadav against Pushpa @ Kiran Yadav concerning the grant of maintenance under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The issue arose because several states (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttar Prad…

The appellant, a teacher‑training college established in 1987, admitted students without statutory recognition and repeatedly sought state approval. After the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993 came into force in 1995, the college failed to apply for recognition under the Act. The State Government …

The respondent (M/S MSPL Ltd.) filed a suit for declaration and injunction against the petitioner (S.S. Minerals), which was decreed. The petitioner appealed and the first appellate court set aside the decree, dismissing the suit. The respondent then filed a second appeal under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedur…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Office Memorandum (O.M.) dated 11 May 2001, issued to clarify pension calculations, overrode the earlier O.M. dated 17 December 1998. The Court held that the later memorandum is merely a clarification and does not repeal the earlier instruction, which remains the governing policy.…

Deshraj was appointed on daily wages for specific work in the Public Works Department and filed a writ petition seeking regularisation. The Allahabad High Court, by a single judge, directed the creation of a supernumerary post and ordered payment of minimum pay scale, a decision later upheld by a division bench despite…

V.K. Srivastava, a salesman employed by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Karmachari Kalyan Nigam, was terminated and filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. The corporation contended that it was not a "State" within Article 12, rendering the petition non‑maintainable; the Allahabad High Court dismissed the peti…

The Government of Andhra Pradesh issued a 1967 Government Order (G.O.) that prescribed an ad‑hoc rule for retrenching temporary employees, giving preference to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) candidates over general‑category probationers and approved probationers. The High Court struck down the G.O. as viol…