Constitution of India

The appellant filed a regular second appeal alleging that the appeal was decided without framing a substantial question of law, relying on decisions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether, under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure as amended by the 1976 Amendment Act…

The appellants, owners of agricultural land adjacent to the Mazum dam, claimed compensation for loss of fruit‑bearing trees after the State of Gujarat released 60,000 cusecs of water from the dam during heavy monsoon rains. The respondents argued that the release was necessitated by an act of God and was in the public …

The appellant Gurnaib Singh was convicted for the death of his young wife Amarjeet Kaur, who allegedly committed suicide after being harassed for a dowry demand of Rs 50,000. The trial court and the Punjab High Court upheld a conviction under Section 3048 IPC (dowry death) and sentenced him to seven years' rigorous imp…

The petition challenged a Rajasthan High Court order that placed the entire liability for compensation on the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) and exempted the driver and owner of a 'Jugaad' vehicle. The Supreme Court examined whether a 'Jugaad' falls within the definition of "motor vehicle" under Sec…

The appellant L.K. Trust claimed that a concluded contract existed between it and EDC Ltd. for the sale of a mortgaged hotel property, arguing that the mortgagor (Falcon Retreat Pvt. Ltd., respondent No.3) had lost its statutory right of redemption under Section 60 of the Transfer of Property Act. The Supreme Court hel…

The appellant, an unmarried daughter, sought to increase her share in a joint Hindu family property after the Karnataka legislature inserted Section 6A into the Hindu Succession Act, granting daughters equal coparcenary rights. A preliminary decree in the partition suit had already fixed her share at 1/28th, but the fi…

Retired employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) challenged a Government Order that enhanced dearness allowance (DA) for serving employees by 14% but dearness relief (DR) for pensioners by only 11%, alleging violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The High Court held the differential rates …

The appellant, a long‑serving employee of a cooperative society, was recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the General Body for promotion to Society Manager, with a relaxation in educational qualifications due to his experience. The Registrar rejected the relaxation, citing lack of required qualificatio…

The borrower defaulted on a loan from UCO Bank, which led to an auction of four mortgaged properties; PHR Invent Educational Society (the appellant) was the highest bidder and paid the full consideration, after which the sale was confirmed and registered. The borrower filed a securitization application under the SARFAE…

Sri M. Narasimha Prasad, a Civil Judge (Junior Division) of Karnataka, was suspended on allegations of gross misconduct and subjected to departmental inquiries. The Full Court of the Karnataka High Court, after finding several serious charges proved—particularly pronouncing the operative portion of judgments without th…

The petitioner, a practising advocate, challenged a Bar Council of India (BCI) office order dated 1 November 2022 that allegedly halted the verification of advocates' educational qualifications and certificates of practice. The Court examined the BCI's concern that many advocates who had not submitted verification form…

The dispute arose between the Seth Group and the Mittal Group, partners in a joint venture (TFIPL) that owned land in Sector 89, Faridabad. The parties executed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) on 4 May 2015, allocating the External Development Charges (EDC) liability of Rs.59.05 crore between them, with the Seth Group…

The petitioners challenged the CBI's reliance on three documents that were allegedly taken without authorization from the Ministry of Defence and marked secret under the Official Secrets Act. The respondents argued that the review petition was untenable because the documents violated Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Se…

The dispute concerned the title to the Beaulieu estate in Bengaluru, originally conveyed in 1900 to the Dewan of Mysore on behalf of the First Princess of Mysore. Over the ensuing century, portions of the estate were acquired by the State and later transferred to private owners, including the appellant. In 2004 the Kar…

The Supreme Court examined the plight of two 15‑year‑old craniopagus twins, Saba and Farha, whose parents refused consent for any medical investigation or surgical separation. The petitioners sought a court order to compel investigations and, if necessary, surgery, invoking the twins' right to life and bodily integrity…

The petitioners, parents of individuals who died after receiving COVID‑19 vaccines, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking an independent medical board, protocols for early detection of adverse events and compensation. Similar petitions were filed in the Kerala High Court, which directed the Union to formulate …

The appellant, a descendant and trustee of the Srimati Radhika Sinha Institute and Sachchidanand Sinha Library, challenged the Bihar State Legislature's 2015 Act that compulsorily acquired the Institute and dissolved its trust. The High Court had upheld the Act, but the Supreme Court examined whether the legislation wa…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by minority shareholders of Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) who challenged the company’s reduction of share capital under s.66 of the Companies Act, 2013, alleging that the valuation and the notice were unfair and misleading. BTL had cancelled 28.4 million shares held by the appellan…

The petitioners, inspectors under the Central Excise and Customs cadre, challenged a circular dated 20 September 2018 that barred Inter‑Commissionerate Transfers (ICTs) after the 2016 Recruitment Rules came into force, alleging violations of Articles 14, 15, 16 and 21 of the Constitution and the Rights of Persons with …

The appellants, direct recruits selected as Assistant Engineers by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, challenged the seniority accorded to compassionate appointees in the 1 January 2004 seniority list, arguing that such appointments to Class II posts violated Articles 14 and 16 and the Nagpal judgment which rest…

The corporate debtor Ricoh India Ltd. initiated a corporate insolvency resolution process under the IBC, inviting resolution plans. Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd. (KIAL) submitted its plan on time, while Kalpraj submitted a belated plan which was later accepted by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) and approved by the NC…

The appellants, members of the West Bengal Home Guards, claimed that they were in the service of the State, performed duties akin to police constables and were therefore entitled to regularisation and pay parity with police personnel. The State and the Union of India contended that Home Guards are volunteers who receiv…

The husband Raj Kumar Rana married Rita Rathore in 1997, but they separated in February 1998 after the wife gave birth to a son and never returned to the marital home. The husband filed a divorce petition under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act on grounds of cruelty and desertion, which was dismissed by both the tri…

The appellants were convicted by the trial court and the Allahabad High Court for kidnapping and rape under IPC sections 363, 366 and 376 based largely on the testimony of the prosecutrix and her mother. The FIR was lodged eleven days after the alleged kidnapping, and the mother failed to file a missing report, raising…

The petitioners, convicted under Sections 363, 366 and 506 of the IPC for a kidnapping case, appealed to the Allahabad High Court, were granted bail and sought an early hearing of their criminal appeal. The High Court ordered the case to be released and listed before an appropriate bench, prompting the petitioners to f…

The appellant, a subordinate judge, was removed from service by the Governor on the recommendation of the Jharkhand High Court, which had dispensed with a departmental inquiry under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution. The judge challenged the removal, arguing that the High Court lacked authority to forgo an inquiry,…

The accused, Dr. Anand Rai, was charged under several IPC provisions and the SC/ST Act for allegedly taking part in a stone‑throwing scuffle at a public event. He sought discharge under s.227 CrPC, arguing that the SC/ST charges lacked essential ingredients such as the victim’s caste status and his knowledge of it. The…

The Union of India challenged the liability of several private companies, including Future Gaming Solutions, to pay service tax on the sale of paper and online lottery tickets for the Government of Sikkim. The High Court of Sikkim had set aside service‑tax notices issued under various amendments to the Finance Act, 199…

The petitioners challenged the appointment of an individual as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court, alleging that the collegium had not properly considered the candidate's suitability and seeking a writ of certiorari and mandamus to quash the recommendation and compel reconsideration. The Court examined whethe…

Ms X, an Additional District & Sessions Judge, was transferred mid‑term from Gwalior to Sidhi after a complaint by the District & Sessions Judge, allegedly following sexual harassment. She sought an eight‑month extension to allow her daughter to complete Class 12, but her representations were rejected without following…

Sharafat Ali, convicted under IPC sections 302 and 34 and sentenced to life imprisonment, applied for premature release after serving 17 years, 9 months and 26 days. The Uttar Pradesh government rejected his application on vague grounds of possible victim resentment and alleged extremist nature, without examining his p…

The Supreme Court considered Special Leave Petitions filed by the State of Uttar Pradesh and the Uttar Pradesh Avas Evam Vikas Parishad challenging High Court orders that applied the 6th Pay Commission benefits to the Parishad’s employees. The core dispute revolved around the earlier judgment in State of U.P. v. Preeta…

The respondent, a Junior Engineer of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was absent without authorization from 28‑08‑1995 to 31‑03‑1997 and submitted a medical certificate belatedly. A charge‑sheet under Regulations 6(1) and 6(2) was issued, the enquiry officer found the charges proved and the dis…

The case concerned the award of a hydro‑electric project contract by the Kerala State Electricity Board to K.P. Poulose at rates far above the probable amount, allegedly facilitated by Minister R. Balakrishna Pillai, a Board member and a close associate. The prosecution proved that the Minister, the Board member and an…

The appellant, Sri Indra Das, was convicted under Section 3(5) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for alleged membership in the banned ULFA organization, based solely on a confession to a police officer that was later retracted and uncorroborated. The Supreme Court held that a confession…

Arun Bhandari, an NRI, paid Rs.1.05 crore as part payment for a plot in Greater Noida on the basis of an agreement with respondents Savita Singh and Raghuvinder Singh, who later transferred the property to a third party. When the property was not delivered, Bhandari filed an FIR alleging cheating and criminal breach of…

Madhav Prasad Sharma, a police constable, was absent without authorized leave for 101 days and was subsequently terminated from service. He appealed the termination, which was rejected by the DIG, and then obtained a writ order from the High Court Single Judge quashing the termination on the ground that he had been sub…

Lt. Col. Suprita Chandel, a Short Service Commissioned officer in the Army Dental Corps, was denied a third chance for permanent commission after a 2013 amendment to the age‑relaxation rules. A batch of similarly situated officers successfully obtained a one‑time age relaxation and permanent commission from the Armed F…

Dr. Ajay Kumar Jain filed a miscellaneous application in a writ petition (W.P. (C) No.429/2020) that had been finally disposed of on 6‑8‑2021, seeking protection from alleged threats by a contemnor. The Supreme Court examined whether such a post‑disposal application could be entertained to revive proceedings or address…

The Supreme Court examined the case of two convicts sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a woman, focusing on the inordinate and unexplained delay in executing the death sentence. The convicts filed mercy petitions with the Governor of Maharashtra and the President of India, which were rejected after prolonged…

The Supreme Court considered appeals against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that struck down a domicile/residence‑based reservation provision in the prospectus of Government Medical College, Chandigarh for PG medical courses. The petitioners sought to uphold the reservation for candidates with a ‘Chandigarh back…

The wife filed a habeas corpus petition seeking the production and return of her minor daughter from the husband. The High Court dismissed the petition and directed the Family Court to decide the pending custody case. On appeal, the Supreme Court ordered the Family Court to dispose of the guardianship case on its merit…

The Uttarakhand Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2011 levied a market fee and development cess on any agricultural produce arriving in a notified market area for sale, storage, processing, manufacturing or other commercial purposes. Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd and other manufacturers, who…

The Union (Secretary, Department of Personnel) appealed against several High Court and CAT orders that had granted Data Entry Operator (DEO) Grade‑A employees the higher pay scale of Grade‑B on the basis of their qualifications or length of service. The Court examined whether the classification of DEO posts and the pay…

The Supreme Court examined a contempt petition filed by Rajeshwar Singh, an Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate, who alleged that respondents including Subrata Roy Sahara were intimidating him and attempting to derail the court‑monitored investigation into the 2G Spectrum scam. The petitioner invoked Arti…

The appellants Panney @ Pratap Narain Shukla and Channey @ Prabhu Narain Shukla were convicted for the murder of Shivdhari, who was killed by a bomb, a pistol shot and a neck cut during a land‑dispute. The trial court sentenced them to death, a decision affirmed by the High Court and upheld on appeal. In the Supreme Co…

The D.G.O.F. Employees Association, representing assistants and personal assistants of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) headquarters, sought parity in pay with similarly placed employees of the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and other central cadres, invoking para 3.1.9 of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) reco…

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of sections 95 to 100 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, alleging violations of Articles 14 and 21 and the denial of a hearing before a resolution professional is appointed. They argued that the resolution professional’s powers to seek information and the…

The Supreme Court examined the recruitment of Junior Office Assistants (IT) in Himachal Pradesh where the State had, after the application deadline, issued a relaxation order allowing candidates with diplomas from private institutions to be considered eligible. The petitioners argued that the relaxation was illegal bec…

The instant appeals arose from five suits between 1950 and 1989 over a 1500 sq yard land in Ayodhya, claimed by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram (Ram Janmabhumi) and by Muslims as the site of the Babri Masjid. The Allahabad High Court had directed a three-way partition of the disputed site, which the Supreme Court …

The National Institute of Medical Sciences University (NIMS) claimed that the State of Rajasthan had failed to respond to its repeated representations for the allotment of Khasra No. 526 and, relying on this silence, constructed extensive buildings on the land. The State, invoking the Jaipur Development Authority Act, …

The case concerned the Tamil Nadu Government's decision to relax the qualifying marks in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) by 5% for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and other disadvantaged groups. The petitioners challenged the relaxation on grounds of lack of statut…

The Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party challenged the 2002 amendment to Section 3 of the Jammu & Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957 and the corresponding amendment to Section 47(3) of the Jammu & Kashmir Constitution, which defer the delimitation of Legislative Assembly constituencies until after the f…

Monica Bedi and four co‑accused were convicted under the Indian Penal Code (sections 120‑B, 419, 420) and the Prevention of Corruption Act for a conspiracy to obtain a passport in an assumed name. Bedi argued that her conviction violated Article 20(2) of the Constitution because she had already been tried and sentenced…

The petitioners, three intending couples, had completed the embryo‑freezing stage of surrogacy in 2020‑2021, before the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 came into force on 25 January 2022. After the Act’s commencement, the statutory age limits (female ≤50, male ≤55) barred them from obtaining the eligibility certificat…

The appellants, three teachers appointed in 2015, were terminated in 2016 on the ground that they had not secured the required percentage of marks in their intermediate examination and that their graduation certificates were invalid. They contended that, as Scheduled Tribe candidates, they were entitled to a 5% relaxat…

The Supreme Court examined the meaning of “vacant land” under Section 2(q) of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, focusing on sub‑clause (i) and the conflict between the earlier Johnson two‑judge decision and the later Billimoria three‑judge decision. The appellants argued that land on which construction…

The petitioners, including Ms. Divya, applied for the 2022 Civil Services Examination (CSE) claiming reservation under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category but were rejected by the UPSC because they did not possess the required Income & Asset Certificate (I&AC) for FY 2020‑21 before the prescribed cut‑off dat…

The Supreme Court considered several interim applications challenging the suspension of licences for the sale of fireworks in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) that had been ordered to curb air pollution during Diwali. Petitioners sought a restoration of the complete suspension, while manufacturers and licenc…

The plaintiff (respondent No. I) entered into a genuine sale agreement on 18‑01‑1983 with defendants Nos.1‑5 for a house, paying Rs.1,000 as advance. Instead of executing the sale deed, the defendants sold the same house to defendant No.6 on 09‑02‑1983, relying on a purported earlier agreement dated 04‑01‑1983, which t…

The Supreme Court examined whether video conferencing could be used in matrimonial disputes under the Family Courts Act, 1984, particularly in transfer petitions. It held that Section 11 of the Act obliges the court to hold proceedings in camera if either party desires, and that allowing video conferencing on the conse…

The Supreme Court examined whether State entry‑tax statutes could levy tax on goods imported from abroad once they entered a local area for consumption, use or sale. It held that the import of goods ends when they cross India's customs frontier and are released for home consumption, after which the State has full compe…

The Staff Selection Commission advertised recruitment for Constable (GD) posts with an age limit of 18‑23 years, granting a three‑year relaxation to OBC candidates. Several OBC applicants, including Sajib Roy, availed this relaxation, failed to secure selection in the OBC quota, but scored higher than the last candidat…

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued multiple summons under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) requiring the appellants, Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira Banerjee, to appear in Delhi and produce documents related to a coal theft and money‑laundering investigation. The appellants challenged the s…

Former civil servants, scholars and activists filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a court order directing the Union Government to cancel existing licences and stop granting new licences for the export of arms and military equipment to Israel amid the Gaza conflict. The petitioners alleged violations of inter…

The respondent, already in judicial custody for ECIR No.10 of 2021, feared arrest in a separate case (CR No.806 of 2019) and applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC. The complainant objected, arguing that a person already in custody cannot seek anticipatory bail for another offence. The Bombay High …

The Supreme Court dismissed the respondent's Special Leave Petitions and granted the landlord nine months to obtain vacant possession of the premises, subject to an undertaking. The respondent failed to file the undertaking on time, filed multiple review and extension applications, and deliberately avoided personal app…

A minor, Sukhdeep Kaur, filed a consumer complaint alleging medical negligence by Chandigarh Nursing Home after a wrong diagnosis and treatment caused severe rashes. The District Forum awarded Rs 1 lakh compensation, which the nursing home appealed to the State Commission; the State Commission dismissed the appeal. The…

H.S. Sidhu and Devendra Bapna, both direct recruits as Assistant Directors, were promoted to Deputy Director, with Bapna senior to Sidhu. When a vacancy for Joint Director arose, the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) prepared a merit list under Rule 15(3) of the 1987 Rules, placing Sidhu ahead of Bapna based on hi…

The appellant, a practising advocate, was charged under IPC s.324. After failing to appear on 7 August 2002, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued a non‑bailable warrant (NBW) returnable on 31 October 2002. The appellant appeared on 12 August and the warrant was cancelled, but on 15 August the police insp…

The appellants, Nagbhai Najbai Khackar, challenged the inclusion of their "bid lands"—uncultivable waste lands used for grazing—within the ceiling limits of the Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling Act, 1960 as amended by Act 2 of 1974. They argued that the amendment unintentionally omitted the word "includes" in the def…

Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL) defaulted on a loan from IDBI Bank, prompting the bank to initiate a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC). Home buyers filed a writ petition alleging that the CIRP ignored their interests and sought a pro‑rata refund of the Rs 750…

The appellants, appointed ad‑hoc as Assistant Engineers in 1987 and regularised in 2001, challenged a seniority list that placed promotees (Junior Engineers promoted in 1995) above them, alleging that the promotions were void for lack of consultation with the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) as required …

Vijay Kumar Mishra and another, who had qualified for the Subordinate Judicial Service of Bihar, applied for the District Judge Entry Level (Direct from Bar) interview but were barred by the Patna High Court on the ground of Article 233(2) of the Constitution, which it interpreted to prohibit their participation in the…

Kavita Solunke was appointed as a teacher in an aided school in Maharashtra to a post reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, claiming to belong to the Halba tribe. Ten years later, a caste‑verification committee found that her father was a Koshti, a caste not listed as a Scheduled Tribe, and cancelled her caste certi…

The Tamil Nadu government enacted the Uniform System of School Education Act, 2010 to introduce a common syllabus and textbooks for all schools, which was upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court after certain provisions were struck down. After a change of government in 2011, the new administration hurriedly pass…

The case concerned lands in the Roerich estate that were exempted from Karnataka's Land Reforms Act, 1961 under Section 107 for linaloe cultivation. The State Government withdrew this exemption by issuing a notification under Section 110 of the Act in 1994, and later enacted the Roerich and Devika Rani Roerich Estate (…

The appellants, heirs of a zamindar, challenged a Gazette notification under Section 4‑A of the Kumaun and Uttarakhand Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1960 (KUZALR Act) that vested their 1,600 acres of forest land in the State on 1 January 1978. They argued that the vesting was unconstitutional, repugnant to …

The case concerned a service dispute between teachers and non‑teaching staff of a school that had been taken over by the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) and the employees who claimed that their service conditions should not be altered. The employees filed writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution, argu…

The case concerned an auction of land owned by Prestige H.M. Polycontainers Ltd., which was mortgaged to a bank and later assigned to ARCIL. The Tahsildar conducted the auction without observing the mandatory 30‑day notice period and issued the sale certificate and possession to the appellant, Al‑Can Export Pvt. Ltd., …

The appellant was awarded a PPP tender by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) to maintain two underpasses, but KMDA later cancelled the tender citing alleged technical faults and a policy change. The appellant challenged the cancellation via a writ petition, which the High Court upheld, holding the ca…

Transporters and tour operators filed a batch of 117 writ petitions under Article 32 challenging the levy of Border Tax/Authorization Fee by several State Governments, alleging that the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023 had abolished such levies. The petitioners claimed double taxation and argued that the…

The Supreme Court examined whether sales‑tax exemption/deferment granted to cement manufacturers under the Madhya Pradesh Commercial Tax Act, 1994, would continue to apply after the bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Madhya Pradesh into the reorganised State of Madhya Pradesh and the new State of Chhattisgarh. The C…

The case concerns the infamous Nirbhaya gang‑rape and murder, where the accused Mukesh was convicted and sentenced to death by the trial court, a decision affirmed by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Mukesh filed a review petition under Article 137 of the Constitution, alleging illegal arrest, police‑induced…

The petitioners, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Kumar Gupta, filed review petitions challenging the Supreme Court's order dismissing their criminal appeals in the Nirbhaya gang‑rape case. They raised numerous grounds, including the abolition of the death penalty, alleged errors in the assessment of eye‑witness testimony, the i…

The appellant, a former Lower Division Clerk, was implicated in an FIR filed in 2000 for alleged embezzlement of Rs.4,39,617 based on a CAG report. The police investigation stalled for over nine years because the original records were never produced, despite repeated orders. Meanwhile, a departmental inquiry in 2008 ex…

The State of Maharashtra issued a notification under s.95 CrPC ordering the forfeiture of every copy of the book "Shivaji – Hindu King in Islamic India" on the basis of an FIR alleging offences under s.153, s.153A and s.34 IPC. The High Court quashed the notification, holding it failed to state the grounds of the Gover…

Baksish Ahmad, a Border Security Force constable, was dismissed for contracting a second marriage without permission. He filed a statutory petition under Rule 28A of the BSF Rules, which was rejected, and subsequently filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution in the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Co…

The petitioners, a group of public‑spirited individuals, challenged the constitutionality of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which makes it mandatory for income‑tax assessees to quote their Aadhaar number while applying for a PAN or filing returns. They argued that the provision violated Articles 14 and 19(1…

The Wikimedia Foundation, as a defendant in a defamation suit filed by ANI Media, appealed a High Court order directing it to delete Wikipedia pages and discussion threads that commented on the court's proceedings, alleging that the order violated its freedom of speech and the sub judice principle. The High Court had h…

Mihan India Ltd (MIL) invited global tenders for the up‑gradation, modernisation, operation and maintenance of Nagpur Airport. GMR Airports Ltd (GAL) emerged as the highest bidder after negotiating a higher revenue‑share and MIL issued a letter dated 07‑03‑2019 accepting the revised proposal, which GAL acknowledged. De…

NIMS University and other petitioners filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a reduction in the eligibility percentile for admission to NEET Super Specialty courses and a mop‑up counselling round to fill 940 vacant seats. The Union of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and other respondents declined …

Bhola Kumhar was convicted under IPC section 376 and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine. The Chhattisgarh High Court reduced his term to 7 years rigorous imprisonment but the appellant remained in custody for over 10 years due to alleged default on the f…

The case arose from public interest litigation challenging the clinical trials of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine on adolescent girls in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, alleging irregularities and health risks. The petitioners relied on reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare (7…

Shivashakti Sugars Ltd obtained permission to set up a sugar factory in Saundatti, Karnataka, but the High Court held that the nearby Raibagh Sahakari factory was an existing sugar mill within 15 km, violating Clause 6A of the Sugarcane Control (Amendment) Order, 2006, and ordered the factory’s closure. On appeal, the …

The Supreme Court suo motu initiated contempt proceedings against Justice C.S. Karnan of the Madras High Court for repeatedly issuing letters and orders that alleged corruption and caste-based discrimination against numerous judges, including Supreme Court judges, and for publicly scandalising the judiciary. The Court …

The Gujarat government prepared a development plan in 1987 reserving a "green belt" for public housing. After ten years the reservation lapsed under Section 20 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976. The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority later framed a town‑planning scheme reserving the same l…

Kisan Shankar Kathore was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, but a voter filed an election petition under RPA s.100(1)(d)(i) and (iv) alleging that Kathore’s nomination was improperly accepted because he failed to disclose government dues, his wife’s bungalow and vehicle, and his interest in a partnership…

The dispute arose from a joint venture agreement in which the appellant, Chandran Ratnaswami, alleged that the respondent, K.C. Palanisamy, misappropriated Rs.75 crore and transferred assets improperly. The matter was finally resolved by the Company Law Board and upheld by the Madras High Court, which ordered repayment…

Malkit Singh, president of the Manimajara Vyaapar Mandal, filed a writ petition seeking the removal of fruit‑vendors, hawkers and other street sellers who were encroaching on public paths, roads and property in Chandigarh, alleging nuisance and traffic hazards. The High Court dismissed the petition and imposed costs, p…

The appellant, Shuvendu Saha, was involved in a tenancy dispute with the respondent‑2 complainant, which was settled in a civil suit that was subsequently dismissed. Despite the settlement, the complainant filed a criminal complaint leading to an FIR for offences under Sections 409, 417, 418, 419, 420 and 506(2) IPC an…

In the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, independent candidate Karikho Kri was elected from Tezu (ST) constituency. Nuney Tayang challenged the election, alleging that Kri failed to disclose three vehicles, a no‑dues certificate for government accommodation, and municipal/property tax liabilities, t…

The prosecution alleged that secret information received by an intelligence officer indicated that Accused No.4 would transport narcotics in an auto‑rickshaw, leading to a raid in which 1.45 kg of charas was seized from the vehicle and, subsequently, 2.098 kg was recovered from the house of Accused No.4 where Accused N…

The VVF Ltd. Employees Union filed a charter of demand in 2008 seeking wage revisions and various allowances for 146 workmen employed at VVF India Ltd.'s Sewree and Sion units. The Industrial Tribunal awarded relief on several demands but rejected the union's claims for pay‑scale revision, adjustments, and dearness all…

Two students from the Union Territory of Ladakh were allocated central pool MBBS seats at Lady Hardinge Medical College and Maulana Azad Medical College but were not admitted despite the allocations. They filed writ petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking directions for admission. The Court observed that…

The Bharatiya Janata Party (West Bengal) filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) to issue nomination forms electronically, allow email submissions, and provide police and para‑military protection, alleging that its candidates were barred from c…

Bajrang Bahadur Singh was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 2012 and subsequently entered into four contracts with the State. The Governor, under Article 192, declared Singh disqualified under Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, causing his seat to be declared vacant and a bye‑e…

The appellant, claiming ownership of a shop, filed a civil suit against the respondent‑tenant. The respondent filed a writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution seeking to quash the plaint and the suit proceedings. The Kerala High Court entertained the writ and set aside the plaint, imposing costs on …

The appellant, Premji Nathu, challenged the compensation awarded for his land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. After the Collector issued a notice under s.12(2) on 22‑Feb‑1985 without attaching a copy of the award, the appellant obtained the award later and filed an application on 8‑Apr‑1985 under s.18(1)…

The appellants were appointed as junior staff nurses on an "academic arrangement" basis under the 2009 SRO, and later sought regularisation under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act, 2010, which excluded such appointments via Section 3(b). The State argued that the exclusion was valid because …

The petitioner, Common Cause, a registered society, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a declaration that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, and for directions to recognize 'living wills' or advance directives. The case was referred to a Constitution B…

The petitioners, former Range Officers of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, claimed that a 1983 letter from the Director of Forest Education promised them direct recruitment as Assistant Conservators of Forest, invoking promissory estoppel. The Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal dismissed their applications…

The Allahabad High Court summoned the Principal Secretary (Finance) and the Principal Secretary (Medical & Health) to appear personally for allegedly failing to comply with its earlier judgment. R.S. Singh appealed the High Court's interim orders to the Supreme Court, arguing that such summons of senior officials are u…

The case concerned the custodial death of Mathura, who was taken into police custody, subjected to electric shock torture, and died shortly after release. The trial court acquitted the police officers, but the High Court convicted them under IPC sections 304 Part II and 330, relying on medical evidence of scrotal burns…

Eight persons were tried by a Sessions Court in Madhya Pradesh for murder and related offences under the Indian Penal Code. The High Court set aside their convictions, and the State appealed, but only four of the accused were impleaded as respondents in the appeal. The Supreme Court, in a 2008 judgment, reversed the ac…

The State of Haryana filed an appeal after the High Court, exercising its supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227, set aside the District Collector’s order directing Manoj Kumar to pay differential stamp duty on a commercial plot that had been sold at a price lower than the circle rate. The sale deed was executed fo…

The appellants Javed Masood and another were convicted for murder (Sec. 302 IPC) based primarily on the testimony of the deceased's brother (PW‑5), who lodged a Parcha Bayan. Independent witnesses, including the shop owner (PW‑6) and several police personnel (PW‑18, PW‑29, PW‑30), testified that the brother and other a…

The Supreme Court examined the recruitment of Class‑IV employees in Jharkhand where an advertisement dated 29 July 2010 failed to disclose the number of posts and reservation details, rendering it void under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The Court held that the advertisement was illegal and any appointments m…

Sampurna Behura filed a public‑interest writ petition under Article 32 seeking the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Acts of 2000 and 2015, alleging that many states had failed to establish or properly staff Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, Special Juvenile Polic…

The appellant, a government irrigation supervisor in Uttar Pradesh, was removed from service for contracting a second marriage while his first marriage was still subsisting, in violation of Rule 29(1) of the U.P. Government Servant Conduct Rules, 1956. He claimed that he had divorced his first wife before the second ma…

The respondent, a bank employee, was found guilty of financial irregularities, fraud and misappropriation and was punished with a reduction of pay after a departmental enquiry. The High Court set aside the punishment on the ground that the enquiry report had not been served to the employee, alleging a breach of natural…

The appellants bought a residential plot in an auction, paid 25% of the bid and took physical possession. Within a month they surrendered the plot, and the competent authority accepted the surrender, imposing a penalty of 2.5% of the premium under Rule 7‑A(1). After two years and six months the authority demanded an ad…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed against a High Court order that granted bail to the accused Anurudh and directed that a medical board determine the victim's age in all POCSO cases. The accused was charged under IPC sections 363 and 366 and POCSO sections 7 and 8 for allegedly abducting a 12‑year‑old girl. The High …

NBCC (India) Ltd., a micro‑small enterprise, entered into several construction contracts with the State of West Bengal and later filed a memorandum under Section 8 of the MSMED Act, 2006 after the contracts were executed. The enterprise then referred a payment dispute to the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Cou…

The assessees entered into contracts to provide motor vehicles, cranes and related equipment to ONGC and tank trucks to IOCL, and the tax authorities treated these arrangements as sales under Clause 29A(d) of Article 366, imposing sales tax and VAT. The assessees contended that the contracts were for services, not for …

Shyam Narayan Chouksey filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions to ensure public respect for the National Anthem, including a mandatory requirement that all cinema halls play the anthem before feature films and that audiences stand. The Supreme Court’s interim order of 30 November 2016 imposed such dir…

The case concerned whether SC/ST employees of public sector banks are entitled to reservation in promotions from one officer scale to the next. The banks relied on Office Memoranda dated 1‑Nov‑1990 and 13‑Aug‑1997, arguing that they only provided a concession and not reservation for Group‑A posts with a salary ceiling …

M/s. Kailash Nath Associates, the highest bidder in a Delhi Development Authority (ODA) public auction, deposited 25% earnest money (Rs 78 lakhs) and was later asked to pay the balance 75% with interest. ODA extended the payment deadline twice, but eventually cancelled the allotment and forfeited the earnest money, cit…

Major General H.M. Singh, the senior most Major General in the DRDO, was recommended by a Selection Board for promotion to Lieutenant General. As he was due to superannuate on 29‑Feb‑2008, the President granted two extensions of service under Army Rule 16A to allow his promotion to be considered. The Appointments Commi…

V.K. Naswa filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking Rs 10 crore each from Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare and others for alleged misuse and insult of the National Flag, and also asked the Court to direct amendment of the Flag Code of India, 2002. The petitioner had already lodged criminal complaints against the responde…

The appellant, a former Agricultural Officer, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC for misappropriating funds during 1992-1994. He argued that the prosecution in the 2003 cases was barred by double jeopardy because he had already been tried, convicted, or acquitted in three earlier cases (1999) …

The appellants, Junior Engineers of the Mechanical and Civil streams, challenged a seniority list that placed candidates from the Agricultural, Mechanical and Civil streams in the order the three separate select lists were received, contrary to the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants Seniority Rules, 1991 and the 2009 Su…

The appellants, sons of M. Krishna Reddy, claimed that 8 guntas of land in Survey No.13, which they alleged was left out of a 1971 acquisition by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), had been illegally allotted to other parties. They filed writ petitions seeking cancellation of those allotments, while earlier hav…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of notifications issued under Sections 2(2) and 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 that declared a green‑field stretch (C‑K‑S) as National Highways NH‑179A and NH‑179B and authorised land acquisition for the Chennai‑Krishnagiri‑Salem corridor. The Court held that Parliament, u…

The Election Commission of India withheld bye‑elections in the Vemulawada and Sircilla Assembly constituencies because an election petition challenging the previous election was pending. The petitioners challenged this decision before the Supreme Court, which examined the interpretation of Section 151A of the Represent…

The Supreme Court considered a reference to determine the criteria for an educational institution to be considered a minority institution under Article 30 of the Constitution, and whether the decision in Azeez Basha (which held that Aligarh Muslim University was not a minority institution because it was established by …

The petitioner, Siddamsetty Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., entered into two agreements to sell agricultural land with the respondents in 1997, paid a substantial portion of the consideration, and sought specific performance after the respondents refused to execute the sale deed. The trial court dismissed the suit, the High …

Three Bihar judicial officers were dismissed by a Full Court resolution that invoked clause (b) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution, dispensing with a departmental inquiry. The High Court had failed to record written reasons for dispensing with the inquiry, leading the Division Bench to set asid…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals concerning the conflict between the Architects Act, 1972 and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Act, 1987 over who has the final authority to approve and monitor architectural education institutions. The Court held that the 1972 Act, which specifically d…

The Supreme Court heard two writ petitions challenging the implementation of the Pre‑conception and Pre‑natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 and its Rules. The petitioners sought directions for stricter enforcement, a centralised civil‑registration database, training of officials, and al…

The appellant, Aymubkhan Noorkhan Pathan, was appointed as a senior clerk in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation under a Scheduled Tribe reservation based on a caste certificate that declared him a member of the Bhil Tadvi tribe. Respondent No.5, a general‑category citizen, alleged that the appellant, being a Muslim, …

The appellant was convicted and sentenced to death for murder, kidnapping, rape and offences under the POCSO Act based on four alleged pillars of evidence: a last‑seen‑together theory, CCTV footage, a confession‑derived disclosure statement and DNA profiling. The Supreme Court examined whether each of these pillars was…

The dispute arose over the appointment of a Junior Lab Technician at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, where the appellant was selected based on a merit list that allocated 85% weightage to the qualifying exam, 10% to work experience and 5% to an interview. The third respondent, who had scored higher in the qual…

The appeal concerned plots in Azamgarh where the appellants claimed ownership by adverse possession and payment of compensation, while the respondents sought expunction of the appellants' names from revenue records. The Consolidation Officer ordered expunction, the Settlement Officer later recorded the appellants as Se…

The National Federation of the Blind filed a writ petition seeking enforcement of Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, alleging that the Union failed to provide the mandated 3% reservation for persons with disabilities, especially the blind and low‑vision categories. The High Court directed modificati…

A Bangladeshi national was convicted under the Foreigners Act, 1946 for illegal entry into India and sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine. He filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution challenging the conviction and seeking relief from the Supreme Court. The Court examined whether it…

The appellant, Maya Devi, sought to enforce a decree for recovery of Rs.60,000 against the judgment debtor, Raj Kumari Batra, whose property was attached and sold at auction in 1978. The parties later entered a compromise whereby the decree‑holder would deposit Rs.35,000 and receive vacant possession, and the executing…

M/s Shikhar Chemicals challenged a decision of the Allahabad High Court that refused to quash a criminal complaint arising out of a civil money recovery dispute. The Supreme Court set aside the High Court judgment, remanded the matter for fresh consideration, and directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court t…

The appellants were convicted for murder under Sections 302 and 120B of the IPC based on the testimony of two alleged eyewitnesses – a police constable (PW‑12) and the first informant (PW‑11). The Supreme Court found that PW‑12, who had actually brought the weapons to the police station, never lodged a formal complaint…

The appellants, who were registered lottery dealers in Kerala, bought state lottery tickets in bulk at a discount and resold them to retailers on an outright basis, earning a profit. The Central Excise authorities directed them to obtain service‑tax registration and pay tax under the heading ‘business auxiliary service…

The Supreme Court examined an FIR registered under Sections 395, 504, 506 and 323 IPC alleging that the appellants assaulted the complainant, seized Rs.2 lakh and forced signatures on a stamp paper during a land dispute. The Court considered whether the FIR disclosed the ingredients of dacoity, criminal intimidation or…

The victim Husna filed FIR No.175/2022 alleging that several persons threatened her to withdraw an earlier FIR against her father‑in‑law. The appellant, Salib alias Salu, was not named in the original FIR but his name appeared for the first time in the informant’s further statement recorded under Section 161 CrPC. The …

The case arose from the murder of an advocate, for which several accused were tried. During trial the prosecution sought the production of decoding registers of cellular companies to link the accused’s location with cell towers, and to summon the nodal officers as witnesses under Sections 91 and 311 of the CrPC. The tr…

The respondent, a dependent of a government servant who died in harness, was appointed on compassionate grounds to a Class III Junior Assistant post in Uttar Pradesh, subject to acquiring a computer proficiency certificate and a typing speed of 25 wpm within a year as per Rule 5(1) of the 2014 Rules. He obtained the co…

The case concerned recruitment of Agricultural Field Officers by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) for Bank of India. The notification dated 17‑11‑2014 required a B.Sc. in Agro‑Forestry, but the two private respondents held B.Sc. in Forestry and were provisionally selected before their appointments we…

P.D. Goel, a District and Sessions Judge of Himachal Pradesh, was issued a notification by the High Court in 2005 stating that he stood retired as of 31 July 2005, i.e., at the age of 58, under the proviso to Rule 14 of the Himachal Pradesh Judicial Service Rules, 2004. He challenged the notification, and a Single Judg…

Petitioners Monica Kumar and her brother alleged that police officers, acting under the influence of a medical college chairman, assaulted them while they were serving a dasti notice and later harassed them by forcing them to withdraw cases, filing a false FIR and chargesheet. The Supreme Court, after examining multipl…

The Supreme Court reviewed a petition filed by Kamlesh Verma seeking a review of its July 6, 2012 order that quashed FIR No. RC 0062003A0019 against Mayawati, finding that the order was correctly based on the earlier judgment that the 18 September 2003 direction did not authorize a separate FIR on disproportionate asse…

The appellant, a District and Sessions Judge in Madhya Pradesh, was compulsorily retired in 2004 on the recommendation of the High Court Full Court, which cited adverse entries in his service record. He challenged the retirement before the High Court, obtaining a temporary reinstatement order from a Single Judge, which…

The appellant purchased a plot in 1978 and paid Rs.50,000 as earnest money. The vendors were contractually obliged to obtain sale permission and an Income Tax clearance, but failed to do so within six months, invoking Clause 9 to terminate the agreement and refunding the earnest money. The appellant protested the refun…

Amit Singh was convicted of multiple offences, including murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He filed a writ petition under Article 32, claiming that he was a juvenile (under 18) at the time of the offence on 1 May 1999, based on his birth certificate and school records showing a birth date of 10 May 1982. The …

The appellants, trustees of a trust, entered into sale agreements with the second respondent and his brother, which later led to a suit for specific performance. The suit was withdrawn after an out‑of‑court settlement, but the second respondent filed a criminal complaint alleging fraud and other offences. The appellant…

The dispute arose from a slum redevelopment project where the respondent, Samir Narain Bhojwani, alleged default by the appellant, Bombay Slum Redevelopment Corporation Private Limited, leading to arbitration and an award in favour of the respondent. The appellant challenged the award under Section 34 of the Arbitratio…

The State of West Bengal appointed Rajpath Contractors to construct a bridge, and an arbitral award dated 30 June 2022 directed the State to pay Rs.2.11 crore. The State received the award on the same day and filed a petition under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act on 31 October 2022, after the Calcutt…

The appellants challenged the recruitment of Prabodhak teachers in Rajasthan, arguing that Rule 13(v) of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Prabodhak Service Rules, 2008, which gave age relaxation to persons who had served in certain educational projects, violated Article 14 of the Constitution, and that the award of bonus m…

The appellant, a person with arthrogryposis, challenged the portrayal of persons with disabilities in the film ‘Aankh Micholi’, alleging violations of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) and the Cinematograph Act, 1952. He sought the inclusion of disability experts on the Central Board of Film …

The State of West Bengal appointed 24 Vice‑Chancellors in 2022, but the High Court held the State‑constituted Search Committee invalid for lacking a UGC‑nominated member, rendering those appointments unlawful. Subsequent attempts by the State to extend tenures and appoint interim Vice‑Chancellors were also challenged, …

Frank Vitus, a Nigerian national, was charged under Sections 8, 22, 23 and 29 of the NDPS Act. The Special Judge granted him bail but imposed two conditions: a certificate of assurance from the High Commission of Nigeria that he would not leave India and a requirement to drop a PIN on Google Maps to disclose his locati…

The State of Punjab filed a Special Leave Petition challenging a High Court order that barred recovery of excess pensionary payments made to the respondent, a white washer, on the ground that the employee had not committed fraud. The Supreme Court examined the apparent conflict between earlier decisions: Shyam Babu Ver…

The petitioners, holders of jenmi rights in Malabar, Kerala, challenged the State's demand for royalties on minerals extracted from their lands, arguing that they owned the sub‑soil. The Kerala High Court held that the minerals belonged to the State and dismissed the writ petitions. On appeal, the Supreme Court examine…

The appellant, Khazia Mohammed Muzammil, was appointed as a District Judge on probation under the Karnataka Judicial Services (Recruitment) Rules, 1983 and served for 3 years 10 months before being discharged on the ground of unsuitability. He claimed that, having completed the probation period without a specific exten…

The complainant filed an FIR alleging dowry demands, criminal breach of trust and illicit relations against Vijeta Gajra under Sections 498A and 406 of the IPC. Gajra sought to quash the FIR via a petition under Article 226 and Section 482 of the CrPC, arguing she was not a "relative" of the complainant or her husband.…

The appellant, a civil judge, was charged with possessing assets disproportionate to his known income and, during the departmental enquiry, was denied permission to engage a legal practitioner. He challenged the denial as a violation of natural justice and of M.P. Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rul…

The Sindhi Education Society, a linguistic minority school in Delhi, challenged a 1989 government circular that made reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in teaching posts a condition for receiving grant‑in‑aid under Rule 64(1)(b) of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973. The Society argued that, as a…

The appellant sought specific performance of a sale deed for 3.75 acres of land, and the trial court decreed payment of the balance consideration within a month or deposit in court. The appellant failed to pay or deposit until November 2020, while the respondent filed an appeal that was dismissed for non‑prosecution in…

Indian Railways sought open access to procure 100 MW of power and claimed it is a deemed distribution licensee (DDL) under the Electricity Act, 2003, thereby exempt from cross‑subsidy surcharge (CSS) and additional surcharge. The dispute centered on whether activities under sections 11(g) and 11(h) of the Railways Act …

The appellant State of Jharkhand sought to uphold the dismissal of Constable Ranjan Kumar, who was found to have obtained dual appointments in Jharkhand and Bihar police forces using forged documents and assumed a false identity. The respondent contested the dismissal, alleging lack of evidence, procedural irregulariti…

The appellant, a landlady, leased part of her commercial premises to HDFC Bank for nine years. The bank gave three months' notice to terminate the lease but failed to hand over vacant possession and did not pay use‑and‑occupation charges, while also not refunding the security deposit. The Rent Tribunal decreed eviction…

The appellants, who joined the Puducherry Electricity Department as Junior Engineers with engineering degrees, challenged the promotion of diploma‑holding engineers who obtained a degree during service and were immediately promoted under the degree quota. The issue was whether service rendered before acquiring the degr…

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) awarded a construction contract to Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., which included a price‑adjustment formula based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) old series. When the Ministry of Industrial Development stopped publishing the old series and introduced a …

The State of Jharkhand, represented by the CBI, appealed against the Jharkhand High Court’s order quashing several criminal cases arising from the fodder scam on the ground that the accused had already been convicted in one case, invoking Article 20(2) of the Constitution and Section 300 of the CrPC (double jeopardy). …

The petitioner, Cherukuri Mani, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the preventive detention of her husband under the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986. The Collector initially ordered detention and the State Government subsequently issued a single order extending the detention to twelv…

Two business groups that had entered into a joint venture fell out over shareholding and director appointments, leading to a cascade of more than 80 proceedings, including company law petitions, contempt suits and criminal complaints under Section 340 Cr.P.C. The Supreme Court noted the deadlock and, rather than adjudi…

National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO) had established two schools for the children of its employees and entered into management agreements with external trusts. The school staff filed writ petitions claiming they were employees of NALCO and entitled to parity of pay with NALCO's own workers. The High Court held that …

The Supreme Court examined the Union of India's 2012 Hajj Policy, focusing on the eligibility conditions for Private Tour Operators (PTOs) such as a minimum 250 sq ft office, Rs 1 crore turnover, and a Rs 25 lakh security deposit, as well as the family‑restriction clause, the constitutionality of the Hajj subsidy, and …

The appellants, Priya Gupta and Akanksha Adile, were admitted to the MBBS programme at Government Medical College, Jagdalpur on 30 September 2006 through a hurried process that ignored higher‑ranking candidates, allegedly due to favouritism (the father of the second appellant was the Director of Medical Education). The…

The victim, a college student, was staying with accused No.1 in Belgaum when accused No.2 (the appellant) allegedly attempted to outrage her modesty, assaulted her and administered poison, leading to her death. Multiple eyewitnesses saw the deceased being taken in a car by the accused, with police present, and later ob…

M/s Celestium Financial, a finance partnership, sued three borrowers for dishonouring cheques under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The trial magistrate acquitted the borrowers, finding the complainant had not proved a legally enforceable debt. The appellant sought special leave to appeal under Section 3…

The State of Tamil Nadu challenged the Governor's actions in withholding assent to 10 bills and reserving them for the President's consideration after the bills were repassed by the State Legislature. The Supreme Court examined the scope of the Governor's powers under Article 200 of the Constitution, including whether …

The appellant's vehicle was seized under the Gujarat Prohibition Act after the driver was found carrying liquor well beyond the permissible limit. The appellant filed a Special Criminal Application under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution with the High Court seeking the vehicle's release, without first invoking Secti…

The appellant was convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for issuing dishonoured cheques and also faced an FIR under Sections 406, 420 and 120B of the IPC for allegedly cheating a complainant after taking an advance for a laser cutting machine. Both parties initially agreed to settle the dispute …

The petitioners, a group of NGOs and individuals, challenged the 2020 amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, specifically sections 7, 12(1A), 12A and 17, alleging that the prohibition on transfer of foreign contributions, the requirement to open a single FCRA account with SBI, and the mandatory …

The Supreme Court considered applications filed by landholders from the villages Bas Khusla, Bas Haria and Dhana seeking clarification of the compensation awarded in Wazir v. State of Haryana, where the Court had fixed Rs 29,77,333 per acre for those villages. The landholders had already received Rs 37,40,000 per acre,…

The Supreme Court examined the selection of 1,983 Physical Training Instructor (PTI) posts by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). The Commission had initially announced a written test and interview criteria, later cancelled the written test and altered the short‑listing process without publishing new criteri…

The Supreme Court examined a writ petition challenging the Government's decision to allow migration of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum to a Unified License (UL) and the imposition of a Rs 1,658 crore migration fee and a 1% spectrum usage charge (SUC) on Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. The petitioners alleged that t…

The appellant, husband of a domestic worker who died from electric shock while operating a washing machine in the respondents' house, filed a private complaint under Section 304A of the IPC alleging negligent conduct by the employers. The High Court quashed the criminal proceedings, holding that the washing machine was…

The Supreme Court considered appeals by several coal traders (including S.J. Coke Industries) seeking a refund of excess amounts paid under a government‑mandated e‑auction scheme for coal, which had been declared ultra vires and void by the Court in the Ashoka Smokeless Coal case. The Central Coalfields Ltd. (CCL) oppo…

The petitioners, including Amit Shah, challenged the registration of a second FIR (dated 29‑04‑2011) and a fresh charge‑sheet (dated 04‑09‑2012) filed by the CBI in connection with the alleged fake encounter of Tulsiram Prajapati, arguing that it violated their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 20 and 21 and contra…

The Supreme Court considered two appeals filed by the Union of India against former and serving officers who sought promotion to Junior Administrative Grade‑I (JAG‑I) and the associated pay‑upgradation. The first appellant had voluntarily retired in 2010 and claimed that he was entitled to promotion and enhanced pay un…

The appellants, Krishna Lal Chawla and others, challenged a private complaint filed in 2018 by their neighbour (Respondent No.2) under Section 200 CrPC, which alleged offences arising from a 2012 altercation. The complaint was filed six years after the incident, despite a charge‑sheet already being filed against the co…