Constitution of India

The case arose from a dispute over the management of a society‑run school where Ram Autar Shukla (petitioner) claimed to be the duly elected manager and Arvind Shukla (respondent) contested the same. After a series of orders by the Assistant Registrar and the High Court, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court's judgme…

The respondent, a Selection Grade Superintendent of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, had his superannuation extended by two years (re‑employment). During this period he was charged with embezzlement, suspended and a charge‑sheet was issued. After the re‑employment period he was allowed to retire, but a disciplinary e…

The appellant, a decree‑holder in a pre‑emption suit, was required to deposit the purchase price and costs in court. He deposited the full amount except for a shortfall of 25 paise, which he later paid after obtaining permission, claiming a bona‑fide mistake. The executing court condoned the shortfall, but the first ex…

The petitioner, a prison inmate, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a permanent mechanism to ensure free and timely legal aid for prisoners and to address overcrowded, unhygienic prison conditions. The Court examined the constitutional mandate under Articles 21 and 39‑A, the Legal Services Authorities Act, …

The Supreme Court of India, in a 9-judge bench reference, addressed the scope of Entry 8 of List II of the Seventh Schedule (intoxicating liquors) and its interplay with Entry 52 of List I (industries controlled by the Union). The case arose from a challenge by the State of Uttar Pradesh against a High Court decision t…

Shobha Sinha, an Assistant in the Bihar Government, was dismissed for alleged misconduct in a departmental enquiry concerning a bitumen allotment proposal. The High Court Single Judge set aside the dismissal, citing procedural flaws such as non‑supply of documents and lack of witness examination, and directed the gover…

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) allotted an industrial plot to the respondent, who was required to pay 25% of the price upfront and the balance in six instalments. After paying only the first instalment, the respondent defaulted; HUDA issued a show‑cause notice under section 17(3) of the HUDA Act, a pena…

The case concerned seniority of forest service officers appointed as promotees in excess of the statutory quota for direct recruits under the Civil Services (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, 1982. M.S.L. Patil, an Assistant Conservator of Forests, argued that his seniority should be calculated from his regular appointme…

The Anamalai Club held a licence for 28.70 acres of government land for sports and recreation. The State of Tamil Nadu terminated the licence under Section 3 of the Government Grants Act, 1895 and resumed possession with police assistance on the same day, without issuing a notice under the Tamil Nadu Public Premises (E…

Harish Balkrishna Mahajan was appointed on a temporary, monthly basis as a Medical Officer in the Central Government Health Scheme from August 1982 to August 1987 during a doctors' strike. After his termination he approached the Central Administrative Tribunal, which ordered the Union of India to regularise his service…

The landlord, a retired university comptroller, claimed status as a "specified landlord" under the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act and obtained a decree for eviction of the tenant. The High Court accepted this claim and granted the landlord one month to take possession, subject to the tenant filing an undertakin…

The appellant, a borrower, defaulted on a loan from The Federal Bank and the bank classified the loan as a Non‑Performing Asset, invoking SARFAESI provisions. The High Court ordered the appellant to pay Rs.2 crore immediately and the balance in twelve instalments, which the appellant challenged by a Special Leave Petit…

Navika Kumar, the anchor of a Times Now debate aired on 26 May 2022, faced multiple FIRs and criminal complaints in various states. She filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking quashing of the FIRs, their transfer to the IFSO unit of Delhi Police, a stay on any coercive action, and the clubbing of the cases. The …

Canara Nidhi Ltd. advanced a Rs.50 lakh loan secured by mortgage and a demand promissory note, which the borrower M. Shashikala failed to repay, leading to an arbitral award of Rs.63.82 lakh. Shashikala filed an application under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 to set aside the award and sought…

The Supreme Court examined whether a final anti‑dumping duty could be levied for the period between the expiry of a provisional duty and the issuance of a final duty notification. The Court held that Rule 20(2)(a) of the Anti‑Dumping Rules must be read in harmony with Rules 13 and 21 and with WTO Agreement Article 10.2…

The case concerned a single clerk post in a U.P. Intermediate College governed by the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921. The college's regulations required that 50% of sanctioned posts be filled by promotion, with a note that a single post would be deemed as one when calculating the 50% quota. The petitioner argued…

The Supreme Court examined petitions filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties challenging the authenticity of nearly 99 police encounters in Mumbai between 1995 and 1997, which resulted in about 135 deaths. The Court was asked to direct the State of Maharashtra to investigate these encounters, register FIRs, and…

The appellant, a lecturer in Sociology, claimed seniority over two other lecturers for appointment as ad hoc principal of an inter college. The High Court, while examining the seniority dispute, also questioned the validity of the appellant’s earlier appointment, deeming the 4 February 1991 order of the District Inspec…

Bajrangi Rabidas joined a private colliery in 1970 as Mining Sirdar, his date of birth being recorded as 2‑April‑1946 in the service book and Form ‘B’. Later he claimed his true date of birth was 2‑April‑1948, relying on a Matriculation Certificate that he had not produced at the time of appointment, and sought rectifi…

The petitioners, led by Ram Jethmalani, sought a writ directing the Union of India to recover unaccounted money of Indian citizens held in foreign banks and the Court had earlier appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by two retired Supreme Court judges. The Union of India filed Interlocutory Application N…

The appellant, Sadhwi Pragnya Singh Thakur, was alleged to have been arrested on 10 October 2008 in connection with the Malegaon bomb blast and claimed that she was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, violating Article 22(1) and 22(2) of the Constitution, and that the charge‑sheet was filed after the 90‑d…

The State of Uttar Pradesh challenged M/s Mohan Meakin Breweries Ltd. for levying excise duty and additional duty on alleged excess manufacturing and bottling wastage of beer. The High Court had directed the State to recompute the stock of beer under Rule 53 of the UP Brewery Rules and Section 28A of the UP Excise Act,…

The landlords (Jai Singh and others) filed an eviction suit under Section 14(1)(b) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 alleging that the Delhi Transport Corporation (OTC) had sublet the premises to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) without written consent. The Additional Rent Controller (ARC) and the Additional …

Shahu Shikshan Prasarak Mandal & Anr. filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution challenging an order of an industrial tribunal, alleging arbitrariness, unreasonableness and perversity. The Bombay High Court Single Judge dismissed the petition as non‑maintainable, and the Division Bench dismissed the s…

The workman, Mohd Shafiq Khan, participated in a strike on 2 May 1980 and was suspended along with two co‑workers, Chunnu and Vakil. While the latter two accepted the charges, tendered unqualified apologies and were subsequently released without further action, Khan contested the charges and did not apologise. The Indu…

The Punjab University Calendar contained Rules 5, 8 and 10 reserving certain posts in women’s colleges – principal, teacher and hostel superintendent – for women only. A writ petition challenged these provisions as violative of Articles 14, 15(3) and 16 of the Constitution. The Punjab and Haryana High Court held the ru…

The appellants, senior judicial officers of Uttar Pradesh, were ordered by the Allahabad High Court to retire compulsorily at age 58 after a screening committee found them unsuitable to continue in service. They challenged the order, contending that Rule 2 of the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Officers (Retirement on Superannu…

The respondent, appointed as a Development Officer on probation by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), was terminated on 22 May 1986 under Regulation 14(4) of the LIC Staff Regulations, which allows discharge without notice or cause during probation. He challenged the termination before the Karnataka High Court,…

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (successor to ESSO) stored petroleum products in Okha Gram Panchayat and paid octroi on the portion consumed locally. The Panchayat claimed octroi on all goods imported, added excise duty to the valuation, and denied refund for goods exported after two months, arguing that Rule 32 create…

The appellant, a tenant, was required under Section 39 of the U.P. (Urban Building Regulation of Letting Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972 to deposit arrears, interest and costs within one month to avoid eviction. He deposited Rs 1,944 instead of the required Rs 2,048 due to a calculation error, leaving a shortfall of Rs 10…

Reliance Petrochemicals Ltd. obtained consent from the Controller of Capital Issues to issue a large public debenture offering and sought a transfer of multiple pending writs to the Supreme Court under Article 139A. The Court ordered the issue to proceed without hindrance and vacated earlier injunctions. The Indian Exp…

The appellant, a registered dealer, purchased poppy seeds on a Form ST‑17 declaration stating they were for "resale within the State" and subsequently resold them in Bhawani Mandi. The Commercial Tax Officer held that because the resales were sales in the course of inter‑State trade, they could not be treated as "resal…

The petitioners, sentenced to death for murder, challenged the constitutionality of Section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which mandates execution by hanging, alleging it is cruel, barbarous and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court examined whether hanging constitutes a cruel or degrading …

The Supreme Court was asked to decide whether two graves on a disputed plot in Varanasi could be shifted to alleviate recurring sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni communities. The Court held that moving the graves was not irreligious nor a violation of Sunni fundamental rights, as Articles 25 and 26 of the Const…

The appellant, Shajan Skaria, an online news editor, published a YouTube video alleging misconduct by the complainant, an MLA belonging to a Scheduled Caste. The complainant filed a complaint under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(u) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Sp…

The appeals challenge the Special Judge’s order on charge (24‑12‑2021) and charge‑framing order (03‑03‑2022) against Karnataka Emta Coal Mines Ltd (KECML) and its former MD for alleged conspiracy to illegally sell coal washery rejects. The Court examined whether the CBI’s investigation was predicated solely on the 2013…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutionality of the Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 and its 2016 amendment in a dispute between the Union of India and M/s. Ganpati Dealcom Pvt. Ltd. The Court held that Section 3(2) of the 1988 Act, which created a strict‑liability offence without mens rea, is manifestly arbi…

The petitioners sought immediate elections to the State Bar Councils, arguing that the terms of the incumbent members had expired. The Bar Council of India (BCI) contended that elections could not be held until a verification process to weed out fake lawyers was completed, as mandated by the Advocates Act, 1961 and the…

The respondent, G.R. Rama Krishna, was an Assistant Engineer (Mechanical) in Andaman Lakshdeep Harbour Works who had served partly on an ad‑hoc basis and was regularised only in 2005. The UPSC advertised the post of Executive Engineer (Mechanical) for direct recruitment, stating that no departmental candidate satisfied…

The appellants challenged a Karnataka High Court order that had expanded the scope of a writ petition concerning the selection of assistant teachers and had issued directions affecting persons who were not parties to the proceedings. The High Court had upheld the Administrative Tribunal's view on rural weightage and th…

Durga Prasanna Tripathy married Arundhati Tripathy on 5 March 1991. The wife left the matrimonial home in October 1991 and the parties lived apart for about 14 years. The husband filed a petition for divorce under Section 13(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act, alleging cruelty and desertion. The Family Court granted the decr…

The appellant, Nayudu Srihari, and fourteen others were charged with the murder of Nagulu, a member of a rival faction, based solely on the testimony of PW‑1. The trial court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the conviction, despite inconsistencies in PW‑1's statements, the fact that his parents testified he was…

The appellant, a District & Sessions Judge, was denied extension of service beyond age 58 and challenged the decision in a writ petition. The High Court, on the Chief Justice's direction, filed a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) against the single judge's order, which was admitted and eventually decided by a Division Bench.…

The appellant, Papaiah, purchased five acres of agricultural land that had been assigned to Scheduled Caste persons under Mysore Land Revenue Code Rule 43(8) in 1940. The sale deed was executed in 1958, but the Karnataka Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978 declares a…

Padmanabha Chettiar executed a will in 1924 granting his property to himself for life, then to his wife Dhanalakshmi Ammal for life, thereafter to his daughter Rajalakshmi Ammal, and finally to her male children. The question before the Supreme Court was whether the daughter obtained an absolute estate or merely a life…

The appellant, brother of T.A. Sirajudeen, challenged his sibling's preventive detention under sections 3(1)(iii) and 3(1)(iv) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA). The detenu had been caught with smuggled gold biscuits in November‑December 1986, but the de…

The Punjab Public Works Department invited tenders for a high‑level bridge. The lowest bidder, Om Prakash Baldev Krishan, was told by the Executive Engineer that his tender was accepted and was asked to sign a pending agreement within ten days, but no agreement was ever executed and the acceptance was not made in the n…

The Supreme Court examined two appeals by government servants, Nyadar Singh and M.J. Ninama, who had been punished with "reduction in rank" under Rule 11(vi) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, to posts lower than those to which they were directly recruited. The appellants co…

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Sinha, an associate professor of Plastic Surgery, challenged his junior placement to Dr. P.K. Verma in the appointment order of September 29, 1978, claiming seniority based on a longer teaching tenure. The Patna High Court had excluded the period from 2 January 1964 to 28 June 1966, treating it as ex…

P.C. Gupta applied in 1968 for a stage‑carriage permit on a route covered by Draft Scheme No. 72 of 1965, which had been published under section 68‑C of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 but not yet approved or published as an approved scheme under section 68‑D. The Regional Transport Authority kept his application pending …

The Uttar Pradesh Government approved a draft scheme under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 to allow its State Transport Undertaking to operate stage carriages on the Saharanpur‑Delhi inter‑state route, excluding all other operators. The scheme, published in 1959, was challenged by 50 operators; the Allahabad High Court in…

The dispute concerned ownership of a 2‑18‑10 bigha parcel of land in NOIDA, jointly purchased in 1997 by Reddy, Sudhakar and Vishnu. Reddy later sought to establish sole ownership by filing separate suits and a writ petition, suppressing the earlier joint‑ownership litigation, and obtained a High Court order declaring …

Kishorchandra Rathod challenged the reservation of the Bardoli Legislative Assembly constituency for Scheduled Castes, which was effected by Delimitation Commission Order No. 33 dated 12‑12‑2006 under the Delimitation Act, 2002. The Gujarat High Court dismissed his writ petition, relying on Article 329(a) of the Consti…

A.S. Pharma Pvt. Ltd. filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 against Nayati Medical Pvt. Ltd. The respondents offered to settle and applied to compound the offence under Section 320 of the Cr.P.C., but the trial court dismissed the application. The Delhi High Court then exercised it…

The case concerns a challenge to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approval dated 18.10.2022 and the consequent decision dated 25.10.2022 for the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11. The petitioners argued that the approval suffered from procedural abnormalities, violated the righ…

The respondent, a physically challenged Scheduled Caste employee of the Bihar State Electricity Board, claimed that his promotion to Joint Secretary, granted on 5 March 2003, should be backdated to 29 July 1997 when a vacancy allegedly arose. The Board argued that no vacancy existed at that time and that promotion is e…

The Supreme Court examined a petition seeking a fresh NEET (UG) 2024 examination on the grounds of a question‑paper leak in Hazaribagh and Patna and alleged systemic deficiencies in the conduct of the exam. The Court noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation had identified about 155 beneficiaries of the leak, but …

The Supreme Court examined a public interest litigation filed by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan challenging the repeated issuance of Section 144 orders that effectively banned all public meetings, dharnas and peaceful protests in Central Delhi, and the National Green Tribunal's order banning demonstrations at Jantar Ma…

The dispute arose from a 2005 Memorandum of Understanding for the sale of shares, where Clause 12 referred to "Mediators/Arbitrators" making decisions on breaches. The appellant contended that Clause 12 constituted an arbitration clause under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The Court examined Clauses 6, 8, …

Dr. Rajeev Dhawan filed a criminal contempt petition alleging that statements made by VHP officials and published in the Indian Express and Khabardar India scandalised the Supreme Court while it was hearing the Ayodhya reference. The Court initially issued notices to the alleged contemners and ordered contempt proceedi…

The case arose from the suicide of a 21‑year‑old woman, Sunita, who alleged that the accused, Amit, had exploited her sexually after promising marriage and threatening to expose her. The trial court convicted Amit under IPC s.306 (abetment of suicide) and s.376 (rape), sentencing him to life imprisonment for the latter…

The State of Madhya Pradesh had leased land to Nerbudda Valley Refrigerated Products Company and later permitted a change of use subject to payment of lease rent. The company applied to the Nazul Officer for a No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) without paying the rent, and the officer rejected the application. The company …

Pawan Kumar and Balwinder Singh (Binder) were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of a taxi driver whose body was found in a hotel room. The prosecution relied solely on circumstantial evidence that the accused hired the taxi, stayed in the hotel with the driver, and…

The plaintiffs, sons of a borrower, sued to declare the sale deeds executed by their father null and void, alleging that the transactions violated Section 49 of the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act because the father had an outstanding loan to the Rampara Seva Sahakari Mandali. The trial court found no evidence of il…

The case concerned the constitutional validity of the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy (5th Amendment) Act, 1976, which replaced Chapter III of the 1964 Tenancy Act with Chapter IIA, vesting land in tenants-in-possession for a price and removing landlords' limited right of personal cultivation. Landlords challen…

The wife of a man detained under the National Security (Rajasthan Conditions of Detention) Order, 1984 filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking transfer of her husband’s detention from Bharatpur, Rajasthan to Punjab, better jail amenities, cessation of solitary confinement, and regular visits. The Supreme Court h…

The petitioners challenged Maharashtra's ban on selling tickets of lotteries organized by the Indian Red Cross Society (Dadra and Nagar Haveli branch) that were authorized by that Union Territory's administration. They argued that the Bombay Lotteries (Control and Tax) and Prize Competition (Tax) Act, 1958, which exemp…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of Rule 3(d) of the Andhra Pradesh Police Service Rules, 1966, which grants credit for past service in Category III when an officer is appointed to Category II, thereby affecting seniority. Deputy Superintendents of Police who were directly recruited or transferred challenged the…

Organo Chemical Industries failed to remit provident‑fund and family‑pension contributions and was assessed damages of Rs 94,996.80 under s. 14B of the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The petitioners challenged the provision on the ground that it violated Art. 14 by giving the Regional…

The deceased, a 20‑year‑old CA final student, was killed when his roommate's car struck a truck that had been left stationary on a dark road without any warning lights or signs. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal held that the negligence lay with the truck driver for leaving the vehicle unattended, and awarded Rs 81,21…

The Kerala Government issued two notifications under Section 4 of the Kerala Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1980, restricting bottom‑trawling by mechanised boats during the monsoon period and prescribing technical specifications for vessels allowed to fish beyond territorial waters. Mechanised boat owners challenged th…

Engineers India Limited, acting as consultant for the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), advertised a tender for a Kerosene Recovery Processing Unit in newspapers across India, including West Bengal. NICCO, a company with its registered office in Calcutta, learned of the tender, submitted its bid and subsequent rev…

Razia Umar Bakshi was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) by the Gujarat Government. The detention order and its grounds were written in English, a language she did not understand, and no translation or explanation in a language she k…

The Old Jalukai Village Council (appellant) claimed that the Kakiho Village (respondent No.1) was being recognized on land that ancestrally belonged to it, and it had objected to the public notice issued in 2009. The State of Nagaland had proceeded with recognition despite the objection, citing an inter‑district bounda…

K. Umadevi, a permanent teacher in the Tamil Nadu government, had two children from a first marriage before joining service and later remarried, becoming pregnant with her first child of the second marriage. She applied for maternity leave under Fundamental Rule 101(a), which limits leave to women with fewer than two s…

The Kerala High Court invited applications for 70 Munsif‑Magistrate posts and conducted written and oral examinations, prescribing minimum cut‑off marks of 35% (written) and 30% (oral). Several candidates, including K.H. Siraj, failed to meet the oral cut‑off and challenged the select list, alleging violation of reserv…

The case concerned the inter‑se seniority of Executive Engineers in the Central Public Works Department who had been promoted from the grades of Assistant Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer. The petitioners challenged the Executive Engineers, Central Engineering and Central Electrical Engineering Service (Group …

The appellants, selected in the 2003 recruitment for Civil Judge (Junior Division) in Chhattisgarh, were directed by the High Court on 2 May 2012 to be appointed and to have their seniority reckoned from the date of appointment. The State delayed their appointment until 8 July 2013, after which the appellants were plac…

Three ad‑hoc Additional Deputy Commissioners (Additional Sessions Judges) appointed to Fast Track Courts in Arunachal Pradesh sought regularisation under the proviso to Rule 7 of the Arunachal Pradesh Judicial Service Rules, 2006. The High Court had directed the State to commence a consultation process for their absorp…

The Supreme Court heard public‑interest writ petitions filed by Common Cause and other societies seeking a mandamus to restrain the Union and State governments from using public funds for advertisements that promote political personalities or parties. The petitioners alleged that such advertisements violate Articles 14…

The Union of India filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s judgment in Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores Ltd. v. State of Karnataka, alleging that it was not given a chance to be heard because the special leave petition was not served and that the judgment misquoted the Expert Committee’s report. The petitio…

The appellants challenged the constitutional validity of the phrase "promoting insurgency" in Section 2(1)(e) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, arguing that the State legislature lacked competence and that the provision conflicted with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004. The…

The Coimbatore District Central Co‑operative Bank disciplined 53 employees who continued an illegal strike, prevented others from returning to work and were found guilty in an ex‑parte disciplinary inquiry. The Labour Court, acting under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, upheld the punishment of stoppage of in…

The State of Orissa appealed against the High Court's acquittal of eight accused of rape and murder of Chhabirani. The husband (PW‑1) witnessed the gang‑rape and murder at a river bed and, despite police inaction, lodged an FIR. The trial court convicted all eight under Sections 302 and 376 IPC read with Section 34, al…

The State Government detained Smt. Shaik Hasmath Beebi under Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, and the detention was confirmed by an advisory board. The detenu applied for temporary release under Section 15 of the same Act on 27 April 2000; the application was received on 2 M…

The appellant, Prabhudev Mallikarjunaiah, filed a nomination as a Scheduled Caste (Beda Jangamma) candidate for the Bidar‑1 (SC) Lok Sabha seat in 1991. The Returning Officer rejected his nomination, holding that he belonged to the Veerashiva Lingayath community, not the Beda Jangamma caste listed in Presidential Notif…

The dispute involved about 20 acres of agricultural land owned by Trimbak Bhikaji Patil (respondent) and cultivated by Pundlik Krishna, Keshao Krishna and Zipra Wanchhu (appellants) since 1951, who claimed protected‑lessee status under the Berar Regulation of Agricultural Leases Act, 1951 and the Bombay Tenancy and Agr…

The Supreme Court examined the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1975 to resolve a dispute between promotee judges and directly recruited judges over seniority and the validity of certain rule provisions. It held that the 236 officers who were serving as Additional District and Sessions Judges on 5 April 197…

The petitioners challenged the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 1974, which removed a landlord's right to resume tenanted land for personal cultivation, omitted protective provisions for certain classes, created tribunals with members of unspecified qualifications, and barred advocates from appearing before them…

K.S. Mahalingam, a customs examiner, was charged with misconduct and dismissed after an inquiry. He appealed, and the Madras High Court Single Judge quashed the dismissal, holding that no second show‑cause notice was given before the penalty and that the inquiry report was not supplied. The Division Bench agreed and or…

K.C. Joshi was appointed as Store Keeper in the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and, after completing his probation, was placed on the regular establishment. He was an active trade‑union worker and, following union actions, his services were terminated on 29 December 1967 with one month’s pay in lieu of notice, t…

The appellants, Junior Engineers recruited in 1973, sought promotion to Assistant Engineer under the Telegraphic Engineering Service rules. The 1966 Rules required a qualifying departmental examination after five years of service, but the 1981 Rules introduced a qualifying‑cum‑competitive exam and a note that the first…

The Supreme Court entertained a writ of habeas corpus filed by Sebastian M. Hongray seeking the production of two missing persons, C. Daniel and C. Paul, who were alleged to be unlawfully detained. The respondents – the Union of India, the Ministry of Defence and the commanding officer of the 21st Sikh Regiment – faile…

The Supreme Court considered review petitions filed under Article 32 seeking to overturn its earlier decisions in S.G. Jaisinghani and the two Gupta cases concerning the seniority and quota rules for Income‑Tax Officers (Class I, Grade II). The petitioners argued that the Court had wrongly treated Rule 4 of the 1945 Re…

Kamlesh Rani Bhatla, an Assistant Teacher, resigned on 22 March 2012 to contest a municipal election; her resignation was accepted on 29 March 2012. After losing the election, she applied on 21 April 2012 to withdraw her resignation, but the application remained pending for years. She filed a writ petition, and the Del…

Two service officers (appellants) were not parties to original applications filed before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) by the respondents. The High Court allowed the appellants to be impleaded in a writ petition challenging the CAT's judgment and set aside that judgment. The appellants then appealed to the …

The respondents, officers of the Uttar Pradesh State Civil Service, claimed that the quinquennial cadre review of the IAS for Uttar Pradesh was due in April 2003 and that the review conducted in August 2005 should be given retrospective effect so that they could be considered for promotion. The Union of India and the C…

The petitioner filed a writ petition under Articles 226 and 136 of the Constitution seeking quashing of an FIR (Crimes No.1133/2007) alleging offences under Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 409 and 218 of the IPC. The High Court refused to quash the FIR but directed that bail would be considered if the petitioner surrender…

A Panama‑registered vessel carrying Ukrainian crew entered Indian territorial waters without authorization and was arrested by the Coast Guard. The Customs Department seized the cargo and later confiscated the vessel under the Customs Act, 1962. The chief officer and other crew members filed applications seeking paymen…

The appellants were convicted under Sections 3(1)(iii), 3(1)(v) and 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. They appealed, contending that the Special Court – a Court of Session designated under the Act – could not take cognizance of the offence suo moto and register t…

The appellants, former drivers and conductors of the Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation, served for 30‑40 years as temporary employees and retired before 9 June 1981. A 1981 notification amended Article 177 of the J&K Civil Service Regulations to grant pension to temporary servants with at least 20 years …

The petitioner was detained under the Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985 on the basis of several isolated incidents, including a 1993 shooting, alleged harbouring of an offender, assaults on a businessman and a witness, and possession of an unlicensed revolver. He challenged the detention order, arg…

The petitioners filed a writ petition in the Allahabad High Court challenging the requirement to approach the Uttar Pradesh Public Services Tribunal (UP PST) for a service dispute, arguing that the Tribunal could not grant interim relief. The State contended that the Tribunal provided an alternative remedy, rendering t…

The Bihar Government enacted Ordinances and later the Bihar Private Educational Institutions (Take Over) Act, 1987 to nationalise private educational institutions in phases, selecting the Lalit Narayan Mishra Institute as the first institution. The Institute (as a society) and its registrar, Dr. Jagadanand Jha, challen…

Arjun Chaubey, a senior clerk in the Northern Railway, was served with twelve charges of gross indiscipline, many of which related to the Deputy Chief Commercial Superintendent (Respondent 3). After submitting explanations, Respondent 3 himself evaluated the explanations and dismissed Chaubey under Rule 14(ii) of the R…

The Supreme Court examined petitions filed by the Superintendent of Bhagalpur Central Jail, who claimed his suspension by the Bihar Government was a mala fide attempt to prevent him from complying with the Court’s order to file an affidavit regarding the blinding of under‑trial prisoners. The Court noted that the suspe…

Sunil Samdaria challenged the appointment of two retired district judges as Additional Judges of the Rajasthan High Court, arguing that the appointments violated Article 224 because they were for less than two years and that the retirees were ineligible under Article 217(2)(a) as they were not holding a judicial office…

The appellant, Ladli Construction Co., entered into a contract to build 240 houses for the Punjab Police Housing Corporation, but failed to meet the schedule and the contract was rescinded. The parties' agreement contained an arbitration clause (Clause 25A) naming the Corporation's Chief Engineer as arbitrator. The con…

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu writ petition, examined the midnight police raid on a sleeping crowd at Ramlila Maidan on 4-5 June 2011, where police used teargas, lathi charge and brick‑batting after revoking permission for a yoga camp and a fast led by Baba Ramdev. The Court found that the order under Section 1…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed to the Supreme Court under Article 136 against the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal of Guru Charan, Sunil, Pramod and Brahma Pal for the alleged murder of Ramesh Narain and Jitendra (Guddu) and the murderous assault on Nathu Singh. The trial court had convicted the accused under IPC …

Narata Singh, a former work‑charged employee of various Punjab State departments (Irrigation & Power, Bhakra Dam, Beas Dam) from 1952 to 1978, was retrenched and later joined the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) as a work‑charged employee in 1982, regularised in 1984 and retired in 1990. He sought to have his earl…

The case arose from a long‑running dispute over ownership of certain lands originally sold by Kalyana Sundram Iyer. K.S. Setlur claimed title by adverse possession, asserting that tenant Shyamala Raju had attorned to him in 1946 and that he had been in possession for more than twelve years, a claim upheld by the Karnat…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Kerala government's notification dated 27 May 2000, which accepted the Narendran Commission report on identifying the ‘creamy layer’ among Other Backward Classes. The petitioners, Nair Service Society, argued that the notification violated the Supreme Court’s earlier direc…

Popcorn Entertainment applied to CIDCO for a plot to build a multiplex; CIDCO allotted the plot, the appellant paid the full price and a lease agreement and commencement certificate were issued. CIDCO later cancelled the allotment, invoking Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act (public policy) and the lack of a tender.…

The appellants, Ram Prasad Rai and others, challenged the legality of a land acquisition proceeding under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, alleging that their land was to be taken by the State of Bihar. While their writ petition (CWJC No. 3232/2004) was pending, another writ petition and a public‑interest litigation, fi…

The Intellectuals Forum filed writ petitions challenging Government Orders that alienated the bed lands of the historic Peruru and Avilala tanks in Tirupati to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, the Tirupati Urban Development Authority and the A.P. Housing Board for housing projects. The High Court dismissed the petiti…

Private educational societies sought to establish engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh. They obtained approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) but were denied permission under Section 20 of the Andhra Pradesh Education Act, 1982 because the State deemed the local area already saturated. The…

Sidheshwar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd., a cooperative sugar manufacturer, claimed a rebate under Notification No. 132/82 for excess sugar production in May‑September 1982, calculating average production over three years (including two years of nil output) as 11,009.67 quintals. The revenue authorities ignored the two…

Kusum Ingots and Alloys Ltd., a company, issued post‑dated cheques to Pennar Peterson Securities Ltd. The cheques were dishonoured, a statutory notice was sent, and the payee filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. Before the 15‑day notice period expired, the company was declared "sick" b…

Diueet Singh was detained under Section 3(1) of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA) after customs seized a large amount of foreign currency. The State Government sent a report under Section 3(2) to the Central Government, which was considered by the Joint Sec…

The appellant, Wali Mohammed Khan (by legal representatives), claimed possession of a house built in a graveyard that was originally permitted for conducting Fateha and providing tobacco to Fakirs. The permission created a public Wakf, making the house an accretion to the Wakf property and placing the appellant and his…

The appellants, former Deputy Collectors of the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Service, were excluded from the 1987 IAS promotion list and obtained a Tribunal order directing the creation of 14 supernumerary IAS posts. The Government of India issued notifications on 15‑12‑1993 (amending the Cadre Strength Regulation) and 1…

The Delhi Judicial Officers Association sought a writ directing the Union of India to place all members of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service on a uniform pay scale of Rs.5900-6700, invoking the principle of equal pay for equal work. The Delhi High Court granted this relief, but the Union of India appealed, arguing that…

The appellants, employees of the subordinate offices of the Directorates of Agriculture in Punjab and Haryana, sought a direction that they be treated on par with Directorate employees by maintaining a common seniority, arguing that their qualifications, pay scales and selection processes were identical. The High Court…

The petitioners, comprising trade unions, a law‑students' society and two individuals, sought quashing of the Karnataka Government's 12‑March‑1982 notification and directions to regularise about 50,000 daily‑rated and monthly‑rated employees as regular government servants with equal pay. They argued that the employees,…

The appellant, S.K. Choudhury, claimed that the Laskar community of Tripura was historically treated as a Scheduled Tribe and should continue to enjoy reservation benefits. He relied on two pre‑independence circulars and a census report to argue that the Laskar class formed part of the “Deshi Tripura” group, which he s…

The Supreme Court examined whether Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers classified under Category B Group II of the 1957 Punjab Government circular were entitled to the higher pay scale solely on acquiring higher academic qualifications such as B.A., B.T. or B.Ed., without the additional requirement of JST/JAV professio…

The wife obtained a decree of dissolution of marriage on grounds of cruelty and appealed the decree, which was dismissed by the High Court on 16 July 1986. The husband subsequently contracted a second marriage on 17 August 1986, and the wife filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) under Article 136 of the Constitution wit…

Haji Mastan Mirza was first detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and subsequently under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1973 (COFEPOSA). A show‑cause notice under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976…

The petitioner, a former chairperson of Maduravoyal Town Panchayat, purchased a parcel of land in 2011 that included a road earmarked for a sewerage line under a 2001 local body resolution. While the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board laid the sewer main on the adjoining stretches, it left a 110‑metre s…

The petitioners, senior Rajasthan Administrative Service officers, challenged the validity of a 2011 notification granting consequential seniority to SC/ST employees, alleging it violated Supreme Court directions in M. Nagaraj and Suraj Bhan Meena. The High Court had held the notification void and in contempt, but the …

The petitioners challenged the interpretation of Article 233 of the Constitution concerning the eligibility criteria for appointment of District Judges by direct recruitment. They argued that a candidate who has completed seven years of practice as an advocate should remain eligible even if he/she is in Union or State …

The Supreme Court entertained a writ petition filed by Common Cause and others under Article 32, alleging that the then Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Shri Ranjit Sinha, had abused his authority by meeting accused persons in the coal block allocation cases without the presence of investigating officer…

The appellant, C.P. Subhash, the General Manager of SNP Ventures, filed a criminal complaint alleging that senior managers of Gorden Woodroff Ltd. forged two 1922 sale deeds to fraudulently claim title over land he possessed. An FIR was registered under IPC sections 468 and 471, but the respondents obtained a quashing …

The appellants sought appointment to two vacant Physical Education Teacher posts after a 1998 recruitment, claiming they were entitled under the merit list prepared that year. The recruitment rules granting bonus marks were declared unconstitutional by the Rajasthan High Court in 1999, and the Supreme Court in Kaushal …

Vishnu Dev Sharma challenged the seniority list of government employees, alleging that he was placed below juniors. The Allahabad High Court dismissed his writ petition summarily, stating only that the seniority was given from the date of confirmation and that no illegality was seen, without providing any reasons. The …

The appellants, employees of the Kerala Government Press Subordinate Services, were threatened with reversion of their promotions after the Kerala High Court Full Bench upheld the constitutionality of a 1:1 promotion ratio between diploma‑holders and certificate‑holders, overruling an earlier decision (Daniel) and affi…

The appellants, lessees of two granite quarry leases in Karnataka, operated the quarries and exported granite after the Supreme Court’s interim orders allowing renewal of leases and issuance of transport permits, even though the underlying leases had been quashed by the High Court. After the Supreme Court dismissed the…

In the 2000 Haryana Legislative Assembly election, two candidates, Kamal Sharma and Bachan Singh, both claimed to be the official Congress candidate for the Safidon constituency. Both filed Form B with the Returning Officer; Bachan Singh’s Form B, submitted later, rescinded the earlier notice in favour of Kamal and was…

The Karnataka Government appointed Vatal Nagaraj as Chairman of a One Man Commission to study the problems of Kannadigas in border areas and accorded the post cabinet rank with a budgetary allocation of Rs.5 lakh for expenses. When Nagaraj filed his nomination for the Karnataka Legislative Council, the Returning Office…

The Tamil Nadu Government issued a order reserving 50% of postgraduate medical seats for in‑service medical officers and the remaining 50% for non‑service (private) candidates, each category being filled on inter‑se merit within that group. In‑service candidates challenged the scheme, arguing that the reservation shoul…

The Supreme Court had ordered the closure of Mohan Meakin's plant on 1 April 1993 for failure to meet anti‑pollution standards. The company’s managing director and CEO operated the plant from 7‑11 April and later obtained a consent from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board on 21 April, restarting operations despit…

The petitioners, sons and wards of Delhi police personnel, applied for constable posts and relied on a 3 October 1981 order of relaxation issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police. They were denied training because their brothers had already been recruited and because the relaxation had not been granted by the Admini…

Arun Kumar Roy was appointed as a temporary Stores Officer in the Zoological Survey of India on 30 July 1975, with a two‑year probation that was later extended by one year. On 27 July 1978 he was terminated during the extended probation, the termination order stating that he was entitled to one month’s salary in lieu o…

The Kerala State Government declared raw cashew nut an essential article under the Kerala Essential Articles Control (Temporary Powers) Act, 1961 and issued a procurement and distribution order. Petitioners processing cashew nuts challenged the declaration under Article 32, arguing that raw cashew nut is a "foodstuff" …

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985, which gave the Central Government exclusive authority to represent all victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy in litigation against Union Carbide. The Court held that the Act was a valid exercise of …

The Supreme Court examined several writ petitions challenging state notifications that granted sales‑tax exemptions to new manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states. The petitioners, dealers of imported cinematographic and electronic goods, claimed the exemptions discriminated against them in violat…

The appellant landlord sought relief against a tenant's revision petition under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, contending that the notice of ejectment issued on 24 July 2015 was valid. The dispute centered on whether the Uttar Pradesh State amendment of 1954, which changed the notice period from fif…

The appellant, an Additional District and Sessions Judge, appealed to the Supreme Court seeking expungement of adverse remarks recorded by the Delhi High Court in its order dated 2 March 2023. The remarks criticized the appellant’s conduct in rejecting an anticipatory bail application and directing inquiries against po…

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted eight kilograms of foreign gold allegedly smuggled by the Jalan brothers, who were arrested and placed in judicial custody. While they remained in custody, the Detaining Authority under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1…

In 1965 gold worth 240 kg was seized from the appellant's father's house under the Defence of India Rules, 1962 and confiscation proceedings were initiated. The Rules were later repealed by the Gold Control Ordinance, 1968, which was subsequently repealed by the Gold Control Act, 1968, creating a statutory fiction that…

The appellant, a former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate, alleged that respondents deliberately suppressed material facts about a mistaken Interpol notice, causing him to remain in judicial custody for 36 days. He filed a criminal contempt petition under Article 215 of the Constitution, claiming the respo…

The Bihar Hill Area Lift Irrigation Corporation (BHALCO), a government company of Bihar, was transferred to the newly created Jharkhand Hill Area Lift Irrigation Corporation (JHALCO) after the bifurcation of Bihar under the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000. Employees of the erstwhile BHALCO filed writ petitions seeking a…

Manoj Yadav challenged a High Court order granting his wife maintenance of Rs.4,000 per month under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, contending that a Madhya Pradesh amendment capped maintenance at Rs.3,000. The Supreme Court granted the husband time to challenge the constitutional validity of the state amen…

The respondent, a clerk in the Postal Department, was initially appointed as an open category (OC) employee but later obtained promotions to posts reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) by falsely claiming ST status on his school certificate. After a show‑cause notice, he admitted he did not belong to the ST community, lea…

The appellant challenged the detention of his brother under the Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1985 by filing a second habeas corpus petition after an earlier petition had been dismissed. The respondents argued that the doctrine of res judicata barred the second petition because it raised the same gr…

The appellants, appointed on daily wages by the Indore Development Authority for a project, later received salary, PF and leave benefits and sought regularisation of their service after the project ended. The High Court dismissed their claim, holding that the appointments were not made to sanctioned posts and were void…

The Tamil Nadu Government had granted an exemption from purchase tax on sugarcane to sugar mills in the cooperative and public sectors in 1975. In 1988 it withdrew the exemption for mills exceeding a turnover ceiling and made the withdrawal retrospective to April 1988. Bannari Amman Sugars Ltd. and related mills, which…

The case arose from a writ petition before the Madhya Pradesh High Court alleging arbitrariness in the award of a contract for the purchase of intravenous fluids, where the appellant, Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd., was accused of supplying sub‑standard fluids containing fungus. The High Court, upon finding letters indicat…

The State of Tamil Nadu appealed a Special Tribunal order that granted a ryotwari patta to a religious institution over land cultivated by numerous tenants. The Court first held that, under Article 136, it could entertain the appeal even though the State had not previously appealed the Tribunal's order. It then examine…

The Bihar State Housing Board allotted a quarter to respondent No.4 on a hire‑purchase basis, making the allottee a tenant until the final instalment is paid. Respondent No.1 forcibly occupied the first floor, prompting respondent No.4 to complain to the Sub‑Divisional Magistrate (respondent No.3), who issued a show‑ca…

The dispute concerned recruitment to the statutory posts of Welfare Officers under Rule 72 of the Mines Rules. Coal India Ltd. adopted a policy that one‑third of the posts be filled by internal candidates and the remaining two‑thirds by external candidates, with a common written test for all applicants. The company fir…

The State of Tamil Nadu enacted the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Harijan Welfare Schemes Act, 1978 to acquire land for Harijan welfare projects. The Act was challenged as unconstitutional, alleging violations of Articles 14, 19 and 300A of the Constitution and lack of protection under Articles 31A and 31C. The Ma…

The Supreme Court considered appeals filed by Dena Nath and others against National Fertilizers Ltd. The issue was whether failure by a principal employer to obtain registration under Section 7 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, or by a contractor to obtain a licence under Section 12, would ca…

The petitioners, existing stage‑carriage operators, challenged the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988’s liberalised permit regime (sections 71, 72 and 80) on the ground that it violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution by allowing unlimited new entrants on the same routes. They argued that intra‑region permits were n…

The President referred three questions to the Supreme Court concerning the Cauvery water dispute, the Karnataka Cauvery Basin Irrigation Protection Ordinance (later Act No.27 of 1991), and the powers of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The Court held that the Karnataka Ordinance was ultra vires the Constitution bec…

Kailash Nath, a retired Executive Engineer, was charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act for the purchase of sign boards in 1979; the FIR was filed in 1985, three years after his retirement and six years after the alleged misconduct. He challenged the FIR invoking the third proviso of Rule 2.2(b) of the Punjab Ci…

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 14M, 17(c), 17(1) and 21B of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955 as amended by the 1972 and 1977 Amendment Acts, alleging that the amendments were confiscatory, violated Articles 14, 19 and 31C, and were not covered by the Ninth Schedule. The Court e…

The respondent, a Civil Judge on probation, was terminated after two inquiries—one discreet and a subsequent preliminary inquiry—without being informed of the charges or given a chance to be heard. She challenged the termination, alleging violation of Article 311(2) of the Constitution, which requires a fair hearing be…

The Supreme Court heard an appeal against the Madras High Court's approval of amended bye‑laws of the Madras High Court Advocates' Association, which had been made while removal suits against the President and Secretary were pending. The appellant challenged the High Court's jurisdiction to interfere in the Association…

A writ petition challenged the selection of Panchayat Secretaries and alleged irregularities involving the former Rural Development Minister, Nirmal Singh Kahlon. The High Court, after a prima facie finding of fraud, directed an inquiry which led to a Vigilance Department FIR and charge‑sheet. The Court then ordered th…

The appellants, who were Gramin Oak Sewaks (rural postal workers), contested elections to the Nagar Panchayat of Sardulgarh. Their candidature was challenged under Section 11(g) of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994, which disqualifies any person holding an office of profit under the Government. The central…

The son of the petitioner was injured in a firearm attack and a case was registered under IPC s.307. The investigating officer submitted a final report excluding the accused on the basis of an alibi, prompting the petitioner to file a writ petition under Art.226 seeking a fair investigation. The High Court directed the…

A writ petition was filed by Balakrushna Behera seeking a mandamus directing Utkal University of Culture to complete the selection and appoint him as Lecturer in South & South East Asian Studies. The High Court ordered the university to complete the selection and publish the result, which was done, but the appointment …

Escorts Ltd. and other assessees challenged the Finance (No.2) Act, 1980 amendment that gave retrospective effect to clause (iv) of Section 35(2) of the Income‑Tax Act, 1961, arguing it allowed a double deduction for scientific‑research expenditure and violated Articles 14, 19(1)(g) and 300A of the Constitution. The Co…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of purchase‑tax provisions in three State sales‑tax statutes: Section 15B of the Gujarat Sales Tax Act, Section 3‑AAAA of the Uttar Pradesh Sales Tax Act, and Section 6‑A of the Andhra Pradesh General Sales Tax Act. The petitioners argued that these provisions amou…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a Special Leave Petition seeking cancellation of bail granted to the accused, Mir Usman, in a rape case, alleging that the trial court had adjourned the victim's examination for four months after she fell ill, thereby conducting the trial piecemeal. The Supreme Court exam…

The State of Kerala ordered the demolition and reconstruction of the Palarivattom flyover after a High Level Committee, comprising senior engineers, accepted Dr. E. Sreedharan's recommendation that a new structure would guarantee a 100‑year service life, despite earlier reports from IIT Madras suggesting repair with ca…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that directed State Governments to reconsider the appointments of chairpersons and members of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and to lay down guidelines for such appointments. The Court held that under the National Green T…

Shiveshwar Narayan, a judicial officer, sought extension of his retirement age from 58 to 60 years. An Evaluation Committee, appointed by the Patna High Court, found he lacked potential for continued useful service, and the Full Court of the High Court unanimously accepted this finding, denying the extension. Narayan c…

Golden Chariot Airport held a licence to operate a restaurant at Mumbai Airport, which was initially for three years and later extended twice. The licence holder claimed the licence was irrevocable based on alleged oral assurances and sought to prevent eviction after the licence expired. The Supreme Court held that the…

The petitioners, former senior police officers and a public interest group, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions to the Union and State governments to enact a new Police Act replacing the colonial Indian Police Act, 1861, and to implement comprehensive police reforms. They argued that the existing …

Suresh Pal, appointed as a conductor with the U.P. State Road Transport Corporation in July 1988, was found on 28 July 1989 to have allowed twenty passengers to travel without tickets, constituting misappropriation of fare. A domestic enquiry led to his dismissal effective 5 January 1990, which was upheld by the Indust…

The Central Government, relying on expert opinion, issued a notification on 3 November 1988 under Section 26A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, to prohibit the manufacture and sale of fixed‑dose combinations of corticosteroids with any other drug for internal use, citing public‑health risks in asthma treatment. Sever…

Maniyeri Madhavan, a journalist, alleged that Kerala police assaulted him and his newspaper office and sought an impartial investigation. The Kerala High Court directed a Deputy Inspector General to investigate, but the investigation stalled and the Supreme Court, exercising its Article 142 jurisdiction, ordered the CB…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of a series of notifications fixing the price of levy sugar under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Sugar manufacturers contended that the Government had not taken into account the four factors prescribed in Section 3(3C) – minimum cane price, manufacturing cost, taxes and a r…

Somasundram Viswanath, an officer of the Defence Accounts Service, was not promoted after the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) met on 7 August 1986; one member, the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, was absent. He challenged the DPC's recommendation before the Central Administrative Tribunal, arguing that the Commi…

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of ad‑valorem court‑fee provisions without an upper limit in the Karnataka Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1958, the Rajasthan Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1961 and the Bombay Court Fees Act, 1959, arguing that such levies amount to a tax, violate Articl…

The Madhya Pradesh Government, under the Essential Commodities Act, replaced its 1960 scheme of running fair‑price shops through retail dealers with a 1981 scheme that appointed agents, giving preference to consumers' cooperative societies, to distribute foodstuffs at fair prices. Petitioners challenged the scheme as v…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the acquisition of a 1,596.40 sq. m. parcel of land owned by the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount (a public trust) under the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971. The High Court had set aside a public notice and an order approving the ac…

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) created two separate cadres – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for scientists and Technical Service (TS) for technical staff – each governed by distinct service rules. A 1999 scheme granted scientists two advance increments upon acquiring a Ph.D., but technical staf…

The appellants, who were employed as Junior Accountant, Accountant, Upper Division Clerk and Lower Division Clerk to manage the Special Frontier Force's Compulsory Saving Scheme Deposits (SSD) Fund, claimed pensionary benefits under the 6th Central Pay Commission and the Revised Pay Scale Rules, 2008. Their service, sp…

Girish Gandhi, facing 13 FIRs across six states, obtained bail in all cases but could not furnish the multiple sureties required by each bail order. He petitioned the Supreme Court under Article 32 seeking to have the personal bond and a single set of sureties, already furnished in two cases, deemed sufficient for the …

The appellant, Maitreyee Chakraborty, was appointed as Assistant Professor in Law on a lien vacancy at Tripura University and served continuously from January 2017. The university’s employment notice stipulated that such appointments would be regularized upon vacation of the lien and satisfactory performance. After the…

The petitioner, a Scheduled Caste candidate, applied for the post of District Judge under the Manipur Judicial Service Rules, 2005 and cleared the written examination with the required 50% marks. Before the viva‑voce interview, the Full Court of the Manipur High Court issued a resolution fixing a 40% cut‑off for the in…

Swati Priyadarshini was appointed on a contract as Assistant Project Coordinator under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan in October 2012. After receiving several show‑cause notices alleging lateness, failure to report on a hostel and other alleged inefficiencies, the State of Madhya Pradesh decided on 30 March 2013 not to exten…