Constitution of India

The appellant filed a review petition in the High Court after a special leave petition (SLP) against the High Court's judgment was dismissed by the Supreme Court without reasons. The High Court dismissed the review petition and the application for condonation of a 71‑day delay. The Supreme Court held that the delay sho…

The Supreme Court examined two questions arising from the selection of principals for aided/affiliated degree and postgraduate colleges in Uttar Pradesh. First, it held that the High Court was correct in quashing the appointment of a Divisional Commissioner as an enquiry officer because a parallel state inquiry would d…

The Supreme Court entertained miscellaneous applications seeking correction of certain phrases in paragraphs 10(a) and 77 of Justice B.V. Nagarathna's judgment in W.P. (C) No.59/2013, filed by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim. The Court observed that substantial amendments to the original writ petition had not…

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas allocated natural gas to Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) on the condition that IPCL lay its own pipelines. IPCL entered into a gas‑supply contract with GAIL (India) Ltd., a public sector undertaking, which contained clauses charging IPCL for "loss of transportatio…

The State of Andhra Pradesh, facing a sharp decline in revenue due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, issued Government Orders on 31 March and 26 April 2020 that deferred payment of salaries, wages, honoraria and pensions. A writ petition under Article 226 challenged the deferment, and the Andhra Pradesh High Court held that th…

The case involved the interpretation of Section 24 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and Section 31 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The main issue was whether non-deposit of compensation in court under Section 31(2) of the 1894 Act resu…

The Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the State Government to amend Section 118 of the Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, within ninety days so that non‑agriculturist Himachalis could purchase agricultural and non‑agricultural land. The State challenged this direction, arguing that it infringed upo…

Richa Mishra, an Excise Sub‑Inspector, applied for the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police and cleared all stages of the competitive examination, but was omitted from the final list because she exceeded the upper age limit of 25 years prescribed in the Chhattisgarh Police Executive (Gazetted) Service Recruitment an…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute arising from the Mysore Inam Abolition Act, 1954, where two inamdars applied for occupancy registration of land that the State had meanwhile granted to a teachers' association (Sangha) for house sites. The inamdars settled their suit with the Sangha, withdrew their claim, and later …

Ultratech Cement Ltd., which operates two cement plants in Gujarat, used heavy earth‑moving and construction equipment such as dumpers, loaders, excavators and dozers within its factory premises. The Gujarat State authorities directed registration of these machines and levied road tax under the Gujarat Motor Vehicles T…

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (State Commission) was asked to approve the procurement of 1,000 MW of power through a competitive bidding process. After negotiations, the Commission approved only 500 MW and adopted the tariffs of the lowest bidders, while the higher‑priced bids of L‑4 and L‑5 were reje…

C. Sivasankaran, an Ambassador-at-large of Seychelles, filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution claiming diplomatic immunity to avoid criminal proceedings in India. The Madras High Court rejected his claim, holding that he does not fall within the definition of a "diplomatic agent" under Article 1 of …

The petitioner, journalist Amish Devgan, hosted a televised debate on the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act and described the Sufi saint Pir Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti as an invader, terrorist and robber, leading to seven FIRs in different states under Sections 295A, 153A and 505(2) of the IPC. He sought quashin…

The respondent, a contract conductor with APSRTC, was terminated after a departmental enquiry and later re‑engaged on a fresh contract. He filed a writ petition under Article 226 seeking continuity of service and seniority from the date of termination to his re‑engagement, without monetary benefits, for the purpose of …

G. Kondal Rao, a contract conductor with APSRTC, was terminated after a departmental enquiry proved misconduct. He unsuccessfully challenged the termination through departmental and review mechanisms and then filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. The Single Judge of the High Court, relying mechan…

The appellant was summoned by a Chief Judicial Magistrate to give a voice sample to aid the investigation of an alleged recruitment scam. He challenged the summons on the ground that it violated Article 20(3) of the Constitution and that no statutory provision empowered a magistrate to order a voice sample. The Supreme…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Punjab and Haryana High Court could entertain applications under Section 482 of the CrPC and direct a CBI investigation after a criminal appeal had been finally disposed of. It held that once a judgment is signed, the court becomes functus officio and, under Section 362 CrPC, cann…

The State of Odisha issued an auction notice for a five‑year sand‑quarry lease; Shanti Construction Pvt. Ltd., the highest‑price bidder, was declared non‑responsive for not submitting an Income Tax Return for FY 2021‑22, while a lower‑priced bidder was declared successful. The dispute centered on the meaning of “previo…

The appellants, private landowners in Maharashtra, challenged revenue annotations and mutation entries that labelled their lands as private forests and vested in the State, arguing that the statutory requirements for acquisition were not fulfilled. The State contended that notices issued under Section 35(3) of the Indi…

The petitioners, original allottees of a group housing project in Greater Noida, challenged the Allahabad High Court's dismissal of their writ petition seeking restoration of a cancelled lease, identification of genuine allottees, and completion of construction. The Supreme Court observed that the dispute involved comp…

The Supreme Court examined the dispute between State Bank of India and other creditors (petitioners) and the consortium of Murari Lal Jalan and Florian Fritsch (respondent SRA) over the implementation of the approved resolution plan for Jet Airways. The core issue was whether the Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) of Rs.…

The appellants challenged the Rajasthan High Court’s decision to fix a 75% cut‑off for the translator recruitment, alleging that it altered the eligibility criteria after the recruitment process had begun. The Supreme Court examined when a recruitment process starts and ends, the constitutional doctrine that the "rules…

The appellant, Hariprasad, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly poisoning Bisahu Singh by mixing a herb in liquor, based largely on the deceased's dying declaration and a forensic report that arrived a year later. The Supreme Court examined whether the more than one‑year delay in filing the FIR was fatal t…

The appellant, Mohd. Abdullah Azam Khan, was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 2017, but the election petitioner challenged his eligibility on the ground that he was under 25 years of age at the time of filing his nomination. The dispute centered on conflicting birth dates shown in two birth certific…

The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 amended Articles 15 and 16 of the Indian Constitution to empower the State to provide up to 10% reservation for 'economically weaker sections' (EWS) of citizens, excluding Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the non-creamy layer of Other Backward Classes.…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act’s amendment that shifted property tax assessment from rateable value to capital value, and the accompanying Capital Value Rules of 2010 and 2015. It held that the rules allowing the Commissioner to factor in future development potential (su…

E. Bapanaiah, a depositor, filed a contempt petition against K.S. Raju, promoter director of Nagarjuna Finance Ltd., alleging wilful breach of an undertaking given to the Company Law Board (CLB) to repay deposits. The High Court division bench set aside the conviction and sentence imposed by a single judge, finding Raj…

Dr. S. Rajaseekaran filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking comprehensive road‑safety measures, especially for pedestrians, helmet use, lane discipline and vehicle lighting. The Court examined the statutory framework under the Motor Vehicles Act, Road Regulations and related rules, and considered extensive data …

The plaintiff, Syeda Arifa Parveen, claimed ownership of 24 acres of agricultural land on the basis of being the sole daughter of Khadijabee and of an oral gift (hiba) of 10 acres made by her mother. The trial court rejected the oral gift but granted her a 3/4 share of the remaining land, while the Karnataka High Court…

The respondent, N. Murugesan, was appointed Director‑General of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) on a five‑year tenure through direct recruitment, with a clause that re‑appointment would depend on suitability. As his tenure ended, he sought extension, claiming that his appointment was a regular post and that…

The petitioners, Union of India and others, appealed against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that directed the Department of Posts to reformulate its regularisation policy and to sanction posts for part‑time contingent sweepers (Safai Karamcharies) employed at a Chandigarh post office. The respondents‑applicants …

The petitioners challenged the occupation of the Kalindi Kunj‑Shaheen Bagh stretch, including the Okhla underpass, by protesters opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, arguing that it violated their right to protest under Articles 19(1)(a) and (b). The Delhi High Court dismissed the writ without specific directions, p…

The petitioner, Salam Samarjeet Singh, was the sole candidate to clear the written examination for the District Judge (Entry Level) post under the Manipur Judicial Service Rules, 2005, but was declared unsuccessful in the viva‑voce because the High Court, shortly before the interview, resolved that a minimum of 40% mar…

G.L. Batra, then Additional Secretary of the Lok Sabha, was appointed Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) under Article 316 of the Constitution. The State Government initially relaxed Regulation 6 of the HPSC (Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1972, fixing his remuneration at Rs.7,500 per month, …

The Supreme Court examined whether cooperative societies registered under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969 are "public authorities" under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 and thus bound to disclose information. The Court distinguished statutory bodies from bodies merely governed by statutes…

The appellant, Samjuben Gordhanbhai Koli, was convicted by a trial court and the conviction was upheld by the Gujarat High Court. She appealed to the Supreme Court seeking remission of the remaining portion of her sentence. The Supreme Court held that remission or commutation of a sentence is a power vested exclusively…

Vasudha, married to Laxman Ram Mane, drowned in a river about one and a half years after her marriage. The prosecution alleged that the husband, aided by his sisters, harassed her and maintained an illicit relationship with a woman named Pragati, leading to her suicide. The trial court convicted the husband under Secti…

The case concerned the seniority of direct‑recruit officers of the Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) vis‑à‑vis promotee officers. The direct recruit, R.K. Kushwaha, argued that his seniority should be fixed from the date of the requisition (23‑Oct‑2007) under the principle laid down in N.R. Parmar, whi…

The respondent, a manager of Punjab National Bank, was charged with serious irregularities and subjected to a departmental inquiry under the bank's 1977 service regulations. The disciplinary authority found him guilty on three charges and, despite the inquiry officer’s finding on the fourth charge, imposed removal from…

The appellant, M. Chandra, was elected from a Tamil Nadu assembly seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, but the election petitioner challenged her eligibility on the ground that she was a Christian and not a member of the Hindu Pallan Scheduled Caste. The High Court shifted the burden of proof onto the appellant to demon…

The appellant alleged that the respondent borrowed Rs. 2 lakh and issued a cheque as security, which later bounced for insufficient funds, leading to a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The trial court acquitted the respondent, finding contradictions in the appellant's testimony, lack of ev…

The Supreme Court granted the petitioner absolute interim anticipatory bail on 8 December 2023, ordering his release on bail if arrested. Despite this, the police remanded him to custody on 13 December 2023, and the magistrate failed to release him after the remand period, resulting in an illegal detention of about 48 …

The Supreme Court suo motu took up an order dated 17 July 2024 issued by Justice Rajbir Sehrawat of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which the judge made gratuitous observations about previous Supreme Court orders while hearing a contempt proceeding. The Court examined whether such remarks undermine the authority …

The Hari Krishna Mandir Trust, holding Plot No.473‑B3 and an adjoining private road, sought correction of a Town Planning Scheme that erroneously recorded the road as owned by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The High Court dismissed the trust's writ petition, holding that the land had vested in PMC under Section 88 o…

The Puducherry SC People Welfare Association, representing Scheduled Caste residents of the Union Territory, challenged two Government Orders dated 5 August 2005 that limited reservation benefits in promotion, employment and professional courses to SCs of "origin" of Pondicherry. The High Court dismissed the writ petit…

Chandreshwar Pathak was temporarily appointed as a police constable in 1988 by the Inspector General of Police without any advertisement or selection process. After a departmental review, a show‑cause notice was issued in 2003 and his services were terminated. He challenged the termination before the Patna High Court; …

The father, a Class III employee of MGB Gramin Bank, died while in service on 19 April 2006 and his son applied for a compassionate appointment on 12 May 2006 under the 1983 scheme. While the application was pending, a new compassionate appointment scheme came into force on 12 June 2006, with clause 14 providing that a…

The petitioners Vikram Singh, Jasvir Singh and a third accused were convicted under Sections 302, 364A, 201 and 120B of the IPC and sentenced to death, with the death sentence of the female co‑accused later commuted to life imprisonment. They filed review petitions challenging the Supreme Court’s 2010 judgment on groun…

The petitioner sought a declaration that the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's efforts to establish Dar-ul-Qaza courts and issue Fatwas constitute an illegal parallel judicial system and that such Fatwas are unenforceable under the Constitution. The Court examined whether Dar-ul-Qaza is a court of law and whether a…

The case concerned promotion of Motor Vehicle Inspectors to District Transport Officer (OTO) in Rajasthan. The State had amended the 1979 Rajasthan Transport Service Rules in 1992, deleting the qualifying examination requirement and clubbing vacancies from 1983‑84 to 1993‑94, promoting candidates without merit‑based ex…

The State of Rajasthan appealed the acquittal of Abdul Mannan, Afzal and Abdul Zabbar for the murder of two persons during a communal riot, where a mob of 50‑60 entered a house and 8‑10 armed assailants inflicted fatal injuries. The trial court convicted them under IPC sections 302/149, 148, 324/149 and 449, but the Hi…

The Supreme Court examined a large batch of appeals arising from land acquisition proceedings in Karnataka concerning the liability to pay interest on solatium under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The key issue was the interpretation of "closed execution" in Gurpreet Singh v. Union of India and whether the limitation …

The Banerji family claimed that, apart from 1‑1‑10 bighas of land excluded by the Uttar Pradesh Avas Evam Vikas Parishad Act, the remaining portion of their Plot No. 1002 had been acquired for a development scheme (Yojana No. 7) and that no compensation had been assessed. The State and the Parishad argued that the land…

The case arose from the double murder of Aarushi Talwar and her domestic servant Hemraj in Noida in May 2008, for which a First Information Report was filed by the victim's father, Dr. Rajesh Talwar. The investigation was taken over by the CBI, which later submitted a closure report citing insufficient evidence. Dr. Ra…

The appellants Jindal Steel issued a work order to Bansal Infra and obtained an unconditional bank guarantee to secure an advance payment. After alleged delays, quality deficiencies and termination of the contract, the appellants threatened to encash the guarantee unless a debit balance was paid. Bansal filed a Section…

The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation and other bank staff unions challenged Section 17(2)(viii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Rule 3(7)(i) of the Income Tax Rules, 1962, alleging that they amounted to an excessive delegation of the essential legislative function to the Central Board of Direct Taxes and that the…

The appellant, Amanatullah Khan, challenged the inclusion of his minor children and wife in a police "History Sheet" that alleged his bad character, arguing that there was no adverse material against them. The Delhi High Court dismissed his writ petition under Article 226 and Section 482 of the CrPC, prompting an appea…

The petitioners, private tour operators (PTOs) who had qualified for the 2015 Hajj quota but missed out in the draw of lots, applied for registration and allocation of quota for the 2016 Hajj. The Ministry of External Affairs rejected their applications on the ground of non‑compliance with clauses (vii), (x), (xi) and …

The petition challenged Section 4(3) of the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981, as amended in 2016, which grants former Chief Ministers a lifetime right to government accommodation. Earlier, the Supreme Court had struck down the 1997 Rules that provided similar benefit…

The case concerned seniority disputes in the Punjab Police Service DSP cadre between promotees and direct recruits. The Supreme Court examined whether the earlier judgment in Paramjit Singh, which held that the quota rule must apply both at recruitment and at confirmation, should be followed or displaced by the later C…

The Supreme Court examined whether the traditional events of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and bull‑ock cart races in Maharashtra violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA Act) and the Constitution’s fundamental duties. Relying on affidavits and reports from the Animal Welfare Board of India, the Court fou…

The Bihar State Government Sec. SCL. Teachers Association, representing BSES teachers, sought enforcement of a Supreme Court‑mandated merger of the Bihar Subordinate Education Service (BSES) with the Bihar Education Service (BES). Although the Court had restored the 2006 merger resolution and quashed a 2007 notificatio…

The case concerned the integration of Leprosy Inspectors into the Tamil Nadu Health Department as Health Inspectors Grade I. The State issued G.O. No. 320 (1997) re-designating Leprosy Inspectors as Health Inspector Grade IB and later G.O. No. 382 (2007) attempted to grant them seniority and pay but placed them at the …

The appellants challenged the validity of Section 32‑A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which bars suspension, remission or commutation of any sentence awarded under the Act. The High Court had upheld the provision, denying the appellants any remission. The Supreme Court examined whether the…

The case involved a violent land dispute in which twenty‑four accused, including the appellants, attacked a group working on disputed land, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. The trial court convicted twenty‑one accused under Sections 302, 149, 148 and 323 of the IPC, a decision affirmed by the High Court. O…

The petitioners challenged the applicability of the Orissa Municipal Act, 1950 to Sundargarh district, a Scheduled Area, after the commencement of Part IX‑A of the Constitution. The Court held that Part IX‑A does not apply to Scheduled Areas unless extended by Parliament, which it has not been, and therefore the Act re…

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had been directed by the Supreme Court in 2011 to identify regular practitioners for voting rights under the "One Bar One Vote" principle. While the Implementation Committee was carrying out this task, the SCBA held a General Body Meeting on 16 January 2012 that passed resolutio…

Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. (RNRL) and Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) entered into a Scheme of Arrangement under the Companies Act, 1956, based on a family Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ambani brothers. RNRL sought enforcement of gas supply terms from RIL, alleging that the Gas Sales Master Agreemen…

The Secretary of the Cannanore District Muslim Educational Association, a minority institution, sought permission to run a Higher Secondary school after the Kerala government abolished pre‑degree courses and allowed colleges with high schools to add classes up to the 12th standard. Although the Council of Ministers had…

In 2004 the President, on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, removed the Governors of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Goa. A public‑interest writ petition was filed challenging the removals and seeking to read limitations into Article 156(1) of the Constitution. The Court held that the petition was maint…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of Rule 16(2) (and sub‑rules 3‑5) of the Civil Services Examination Rules, which allow meritorious candidates belonging to reserved categories (MRCs) who are placed in the general merit list to migrate to the reserved pool at the time of service allocation. The petitioners argued…

The appellant, Gautam Satnami, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC based largely on a 'last‑seen' testimony, recovery of a blood‑stained axe and his driving licence, and alleged motive. The High Court affirmed the conviction, but the Supreme Court examined whether the circumstantial evidence formed a complete…

The West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd. advertised 30 Junior Engineer posts, including one unreserved vacancy reserved for persons with disability‑low vision (UR‑PWD‑LV) and five posts for OBC‑A. Respondent No.1, a PWD‑LV candidate, applied for the unreserved post and scored 55.667 marks, while Responde…

The petitioners, owners of two flats in Mumbai, allowed the Police Department to occupy the premises temporarily in 1940 without any written requisition order. The police paid a nominal rent until 2007 and then stopped, prompting the petitioners to file a writ petition under Article 226 seeking possession of the flats.…

The appellant, a college professor, was charged under Section 153-A of the IPC for WhatsApp status messages protesting the abrogation of Article 370 and wishing Pakistan a happy Independence Day. He sought a writ petition to quash the FIR, which the Bombay High Court dismissed. The Supreme Court examined whether the me…

The respondent filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act alleging that the appellant borrowed Rs.7 lakhs and issued a cheque which was dishonored. The appellant was convicted by the trial court, and the conviction was upheld by the Sessions Court and the High Court. The Supreme Court conside…

Two brothers inherited agricultural land in Himachal Pradesh; one brother sold his share to Babu Ram, prompting the other brother to seek a prohibitory injunction claiming a preferential right under Section 22 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. The trial court dismissed the suit, but the appellate court held that Secti…

The respondent, a part‑time Masalchi appointed in 1989, claimed regularisation of his service after completing ten years, relying on Government Order (GO) No. 22 dated 28‑02‑2006 which directed regularisation of full‑time daily‑wage employees. The High Court Single Judge extended the benefit of that GO to the responden…

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) investigated complaints that the Eastern India Motion Picture Association (EIMPA) and the Coordination Committee of Artists and Technicians of West Bengal Film and Television Investors threatened television channels to stop telecasting a Bengali‑dubbed version of the serial ‘Ma…

The Delhi High Court, in a public‑interest writ, ordered manufacturers of drugs and cosmetics (other than life‑saving drugs) to display symbols indicating whether the product contained vegetarian or non‑vegetarian ingredients. The petitioners challenged this order, arguing that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules do …

The State of Uttar Pradesh sought to acquire 25.89 hectares of agricultural land in Murchha village for the construction of a district jail, issuing notifications under Sections 4 and 17 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 on 21 August 2008 and dispensing with the Section 5A hearing on the ground of urgency. The land‑own…

The petition sought permission to discontinue life‑supporting treatment for Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug, a 60‑year‑old woman in a persistent vegetative state for 37 years following a violent assault. The Court examined medical evidence, concluding that she was not brain‑dead and retained minimal brain‑stem activity, but …

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) issued a 1983 advertisement reserving houses for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Chandigarh, a Union Territory (UT) where no Presidential Order under Article 342 had identified any STs. Tarsem Lal, a resident of Chandigarh for twenty years but recognized as an ST on…

The case concerned recruitment of 4,000 ITI Helper (Trainee) vacancies in Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO). After a series of litigations, the Madras High Court’s Division Bench entered a compromise order appointing 84 candidates based on a settlement, not on merit or statutory rules. S…

Mrs. X, a 22‑year‑old woman, was about 24 weeks pregnant when a medical board diagnosed her fetus with bilateral renal agenesis and anhydramnios, conditions that rendered the fetus non‑viable and posed a risk to the mother's physical and mental health. She filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seek…

Bharat Petroleum advertised for retail outlet dealerships; the appellant was ranked first with 78.04 marks and respondent No.7 second with 77.75 marks. Respondent No.7 complained that the appellant's land was under a partition suit and that the appellant had not received a Letter of Intent, leading the High Court Singl…

Eight legal heirs sold a Delhi property to Kuldeep Singh in 1980, with the balance consideration to be paid after obtaining permission from the Land & Development Officer. A minor heir, Rajinder Kumar, challenged the agreement, and Kuldeep Singh filed a suit for specific performance which was decreed ex parte in 1984 a…

The appellant, convicted of culpable homicide amounting to murder for a 1994 incident, claimed he was a minor at the time of the offence, asserting a plea of juvenility under s.9(2) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Despite earlier courts treating him as an adult based on a bank‑accou…

The appellant sought execution of a final decree in a partition suit, while the first respondent objected under Section 47 CPC, claiming the decree was void for lack of territorial jurisdiction. The executing court dismissed the objection, holding that such a jurisdictional challenge must be raised at the earliest oppo…

United Riceland Ltd., a dealer engaged in purchasing and dehusking paddy for export, was assessed purchase tax for the assessment year 1990-91 under the Haryana General Sales Tax Act, 1973. The dealer challenged the assessment, arguing that the exemption under Section 9(1)(b) should remain effective until the amendment…

The suit concerned tenancy of premises in Goa, where the plaintiffs (respondents) sought declaration of tenancy and possession against the defendants, including the legal representatives (appellants) of a deceased defendant. The appellants filed an additional written statement after being impleaded, which the trial cou…

The State Trading Corporation (STC) entered into a tripartite agreement with Global Steel Holding Ltd. (GSHL) and Global Steel Philippines Inc. (GSPI) for the sale of steel coils, which later gave rise to settlement agreements under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. GSHL and GSPI defaulted on the settlement p…

The Supreme Court examined the legality of resolutions passed by various Bar Associations refusing to represent certain accused persons in criminal cases. It held that every individual, irrespective of the nature of the alleged crime, has a constitutional right to be defended and that it is the lawyer's duty to accept …

The appellant, Mihir Rajesh Shah, was arrested for a fatal hit‑and‑run involving his BMW, but the police failed to provide him with a written copy of the grounds of arrest as required by Article 22(1) of the Constitution and Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The High Court upheld the arrest de…

The Supreme Court examined the demolition of Manoj Tibrewal’s ancestral house, which had been declared part of a national‑highway widening project. The State authorities demolished the house after only a public “munadi” announcement, without any written notice, without disclosing the extent of encroachment, the width o…

Lombardi Engineering, a Swiss design consultancy, entered into a contract with Uttarakhand Vidyut Nigam Ltd for a hydro‑electric project, which was later transferred from UPDCC to the respondent. After the respondent terminated the contract, Lombardi invoked the arbitration clause in the General Conditions of Contract,…

The minor daughter of Jitesh Sharma challenged the High Court's order that reduced the maintenance awarded by the Family Court from Rs 20,000 to Rs 7,500 per month. The Supreme Court observed that the High Court had not required the parties to file the uniform affidavits of disclosure of assets and liabilities prescrib…

The Supreme Court heard appeals arising from the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) of Jaypee Infratech Ltd., a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd., after IDBI Bank filed a petition under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and home buyers sought clarification on their voting share in…

The appellants, a trust operating a hall on land allotted by the Cochin Devaswom Board, challenged the Board's unilateral increase of the annual licence fee from Rs.227.25 to Rs.1,50,000 and the subsequent demand for arrears. The High Court upheld the fee increase but, beyond the scope of the writ petition, directed th…

Vinishma Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a company with experience supplying sports kits in several Indian states, challenged a tender issued by the State of Chhattisgarh for supplying sports kits to government schools because the tender required bidders to have supplied goods worth at least Rs.6 crore to Chhattisgarh governme…

The Supreme Court examined the definition of "respondent" in Section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which limited it to an "adult male person". The Court held that this restriction bore no rational relation to the Act's purpose of protecting women from all forms of domestic violence a…

Two senior District and Sessions Judges of Himachal Pradesh filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the High Court Collegium's failure to reconsider their names for elevation, despite a Supreme Court Collegium resolution directing such reconsideration. They alleged that the High Court Chief Justice acted alo…

The case concerned a two‑year‑seven‑month‑old girl whose mother died in an unnatural death. The child had been in the care of her maternal aunts and grandparents since she was 11 months old. The father, who had been arrested and later released on bail, filed a habeas‑corpus petition before the Madhya Pradesh High Court…

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) issued a 2017 notification repatriating employees on deputation to their parent cadres in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC). The employees challenged the repatriation, and the High Court initially stayed the orders, directing them to repo…

The appellants, mother and brother of Ranjana Diwan, alleged that her death in 2016, officially recorded as suicide, was suspicious due to six ante‑mortem injuries and possible influence by her husband, a senior judicial officer, over the police investigation. They filed a writ petition under Article 226 seeking a fair…

NHPC Ltd. provides free bus transport for its employees and their children in Himachal Pradesh. The State assessed passenger tax on this service under the Himachal Pradesh Passengers and Goods Taxation Act, 1955, which the High Court had held did not apply to gratis transport. The State later enacted the Himachal Prade…

The Supreme Court heard petitions filed by 512 convicts serving life sentences in Uttar Pradesh seeking premature release. The state had issued a Standing Policy on premature release on 1 August 2018, which was amended on 28 July 2021 to impose a condition that a life‑convict could be considered for release only after …

The Union of India and others entered into a road‑construction contract with M/s Puna Hinda, which contained an arbitration clause for dispute resolution. After completing the work, the contractor submitted a final bill of Rs 23.68 crore, claiming payment for certain bills that the government alleged were already settl…

The Supreme Court of India considered the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, which criminalized 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature' with any man, woman, or animal. The petitioners challenged the provision insofar as it criminalized consensual sexual acts between adults o…

The case arose from a complaint alleging that a senior police officer, V. Dinesh Reddy, had amassed disproportionate assets, which was later claimed to be forged and signed by a fictitious MP. An investigation led to a charge sheet against Umesh Kumar under IPC sections 468, 471, 120‑B and 201, and the appellant sought…

The Kurwai Nagar Panchayat constructed a bus stand on its own land and, invoking powers under the Madhya Pradesh Municipalities Act, imposed a parking fee of Rs 20 per day or Rs 600 per month on vehicle owners. The fee was challenged through a writ petition, which the High Court dismissed, but a Division Bench later se…

Four CRPF personnel survived an ambush on 13 March 1999 in which five members of their escort vehicle were killed. They were charged with disobedience of orders, gross misconduct and cowardice, and a departmental inquiry found them guilty, leading to their dismissal. The appellants challenged the inquiry on grounds of …

The Supreme Court examined whether the Biennial Cadre Review (BCR) scheme of the telecom department, which upgraded the pay scale of the senior 10% of Grade III employees without creating new posts, attracted reservation provisions under Articles 16(4) and 16(4A) of the Constitution. The Court distinguished upgradation…

The petitioners, Geeta Devi & Ors., challenged the Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court's order dismissing their appeal against a single High Court judge's decision that had rejected a miscellaneous appeal arising from a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal award. The central issue was whether such an intra‑court appea…

The Supreme Court examined applications concerning the eco‑sensitive hill station of Matheran, Maharashtra, where heavy monsoon rains were causing soil erosion on the main access road and hand‑pulled carts were being used for transport. The petitioners sought permission to lay paver blocks on the Dasturi Naka–Shivaji M…

The Tamil Nadu government launched the "Ungaludan Stalin" welfare scheme, naming it after a living political leader. An opposition Member of Parliament filed a representation before the Election Commission under Clause 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, and subsequently a writ petition…

The Peoples Rights and Social Research Centre (PRASAR), a Delhi‑based NGO, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking relief for the widespread occurrence of silicosis among workers in mining, construction, stone‑cutting and sand‑blasting industries. The petition alleged violations of fundamental rights under Artic…

The petitioner, Nikhil Himthani, who completed his MBBS in a Uttarakhand medical college without entering through the State PMT, secured the 60th rank in the NEET‑PG for Uttarakhand and sought admission to a postgraduate medical seat. The State of Uttarakhand issued an Information Bulletin prescribing eligibility claus…

Cicily Kallarackal filed Special Leave Petitions challenging Kerala High Court judgments that entertained writ petitions against orders of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). The Supreme Court examined two issues: (1) whether a High Court can entertain writ petitions under Article 226 against N…

Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a declaration that the term “Chief Justice” in the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 should be read as a collegium of the five senior judges, thereby limiting the Chief Justice of India's sole authority to allocate cases and constitute benches. The C…

The appellants, Sirajul and others, were summoned in a criminal complaint under Section 307 IPC filed by respondent No.2, a co‑accused who had been convicted in a cross‑case relating to the same 1992 incident. The complaint was lodged in 2008, sixteen years after the alleged offence and more than a decade after the cro…

The Supreme Court examined whether a letters patent appeal could be filed against an order of a Single Judge that arose from civil court proceedings or other tribunals. It held that orders of civil courts are only reviewable under Article 227 of the Constitution and therefore are not amenable to writ jurisdiction under…

The respondents, who had worked as part‑time contingent casual labourers in the Central Excise Department for 8‑14 years, sought regularisation and a relaxation of the age limit for recruitment to the post of Sepoy. The Central Administrative Tribunal directed the department to relax the age limit, and the High Court m…

The Nagaland Senior Government Employees Welfare Association challenged the Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment (Second Amendment) Act, 2009, which mandated retirement after 35 years of service or upon attaining age 60, whichever came first, alleging it was arbitrary, irrational and violative of Articles 14, 16 …

Lt. Col. Ajay Wahi, an officer of the Army Medical Corps, sought premature retirement on medical grounds and was granted voluntary retirement. He claimed a disability pension, which was denied under Regulation 50 of the Army Pension Regulations that bars any disability pension for officers who retire voluntarily. Wahi …

The appellant’s husband, Rajesh, who runs a lending firm, was declared a ‘notorious goonda’ and detained under Section 3(1) of the Kerala Anti‑Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 based on a police recommendation citing several criminal cases. He was already on bail in those cases, and the detaining authority did n…

The Supreme Court examined appeals challenging the High Court's order on six disputed Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) questions. It evaluated the correctness of answer keys for Questions 56 and 77, upheld the High Court's answer for Question 78, and found that Questions 88, 115 and 116 were either improperly framed or…

The appellant, Jatinder Kumar Sapra, sought a decree of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, alleging ill‑treatment by his wife, while the wife alleged cruelty by the husband. Both the Family Court and the Punjab & Haryana High Court dismissed his petition under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu M…

The petitioners challenged the Bihar Superior Judicial Service Rules, 1951 and the Gujarat State Judicial Service Rules, 2005 for prescribing minimum qualifying marks in the viva voce interview for district and civil judges, alleging violation of the All India Judges (2002) decision, Articles 14 and 16, and procedural …

The appellant, a former Uttar Pradesh judicial officer who retired voluntarily and joined the Central Administrative Tribunal, was subjected to a departmental enquiry for alleged misconduct in awarding excessive compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, allegedly favouring subsequent purchasers. The enquiry found ch…

The Chief Election Commissioner (EC) sought an order restraining the media from reporting oral remarks made by the Madras High Court, which alleged that the EC was "singularly responsible for the second wave of COVID‑19" and should face murder charges. The High Court’s oral observations were not part of its written ord…

The petitioners, Classical & Vernacular (C&V) teachers appointed under the 1998 Haryana service rules, were deemed converted to Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) under Rule 9(5) of the 2012 Rules and claimed promotion to the post of Elementary School Headmaster. The High Court held that the conversion made them members o…

The father filed a writ of habeas corpus seeking custody of his 1½‑year‑old daughter who had been looked after by the child's maternal aunt and uncle after the mother’s death and the father's prolonged illness. The High Court ordered the child be handed over to the father, granting the writ. The appellants challenged t…

The Supreme Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Subrata Roy Sahara challenging an order dated 4.3.2014 directing his arrest and detention for non-compliance of earlier orders to refund money collected through Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures (OFCDs). The Court held that the two Sahara companies flouted orde…

The Supreme Court examined the Karnataka Government Order of 29‑April‑1994 that mandated mother‑tongue or Kannada as the medium of instruction in classes I‑IV of all government‑recognised schools. The Court clarified that ‘mother‑tongue’ in Art. 350A refers to the language of the linguistic minority group, to be determ…

The Court examined whether a composite contract for the manufacture, supply and installation of lifts constitutes a "sale of goods" or a "works contract" for tax purposes under Article 366(29A)(b) of the Constitution and related sales‑tax statutes. The petitioners argued that the installation component made the contrac…

The Union of India appealed against Hindustan Zinc Ltd. challenging the company's claim of Modvat/Cenvat credit on inputs used to produce sulphuric acid and other chemicals that were cleared to fertilizer plants at nil duty. The issue was whether Rule 57CC of the Central Excise Rules, which mandates separate accounting…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Section 6‑A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (inserted by Section 26(c) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003), which required prior approval of the Central Government before the CBI could inquire into or investigate alleged offences u…

The petitioners, owners of residential houses in Mukundur village, claimed that seepage from a canal had caused damage to their homes and sought a mandamus directing the Land Acquisition Collector to complete acquisition proceedings as per a government letter. The High Court had ordered the Collector to pass awards, bu…

The appellants were initially engaged as Voluntary Health Workers on a nominal honorarium and were later absorbed as Primary Health Workers by the Chief Medical Officer without following the prescribed recruitment procedure. After serving for about fifteen years, they were terminated on the ground that their original a…

The case concerned an FIR registered on 18 October 2022 alleging assault, criminal intimidation and related offences against eight persons, including Sajal Bose, his wife Nabina Bose and Chandidas Joardar. The High Court quashed the proceedings against two co‑accused but refused to grant the same relief to the three ap…

The Supreme Court examined a public‑interest writ petition filed by Save Mon Region Federation alleging that the Arunachal Pradesh government had repeatedly awarded public‑works contracts through non‑tender methods, favoured firms linked to the Chief Minister and other officials, and failed to maintain proper procureme…

The Goa Public Service Commission advertised for Junior Scale posts, conducted a computer‑based screening test, a written examination and an oral interview, and fixed a cut‑off of 26 out of 40 marks (60%) for the interview. Respondents who cleared the written test but failed to meet the interview cut‑off challenged the…

Pradeep Oil Corporation was granted land by the Government under the Government Grants Act to erect petroleum storage tanks and related structures. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi assessed property tax on the tanks, treating them as "buildings". The corporation argued the grant was a lease, making the corporation li…

A Medical Officer employed by Coal India Ltd and posted at its subsidiary Eastern Coalfields Ltd assaulted his senior officer and other staff, leading to disciplinary proceedings that resulted in his dismissal by the subsidiary's CMD. The dismissal was challenged in the Calcutta High Court, which quashed the order and …

The appellant, a public‑spirit organization, challenged the State of Madhya Pradesh's reservation and allotment of 20 acres of Nazul land to the Shri Kushabhau Thakre Memorial Trust (later respondent No.5) on the ground that the process violated Article 14 of the Constitution. The land was allotted without any public a…

The appellants, a contractor and a store manager, were charged with offences under Sections 304 Part II, 304A, 182 and 201 read with Section 34 of the IPC for the deaths of two employees who were electrocuted while working on a sign board using an iron ladder. They filed discharge applications under Section 227 of the …

The Assam government advertised 104 constable posts in 2014, conducted selection in 2016, and after a change of political regime, the incumbent PCCF highlighted serious anomalies, leading the government to cancel the select list. Two writ petitions challenged the cancellation and a fresh advertisement; the Gauhati High…

Sadhana Chaudhary, a former Additional District Judge of Uttar Pradesh, was dismissed from service on the ground that she had allegedly awarded excessive compensation in two land acquisition cases, which the enquiry committee deemed "shocking blunders" and indicative of extraneous considerations. The High Court upheld …

The appellant Vihaan Kumar was arrested on 10 June 2024 for alleged offences under the IPC, but he was not informed of the grounds of his arrest as required by Article 22(1) of the Constitution and Section 50 of the CrPC. The High Court held that the information given to his wife and the entry in the police diary did n…

The complainant alleged dowry demands, mental and physical harassment by her husband and in‑laws, and implicated the appellant Geddam Jhansi (her mother‑in‑law’s sister) and her son Geddam Sathyakama Jabali as pressurising her to obey her husband’s wishes. The High Court declined to quash criminal proceedings under Sec…

The State of Punjab appealed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s acquittal of Gurpreet Singh and three co‑accused under sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Amarjit Kaur. The trial court had convicted them based on the eyewitness testimony of the victim’s husband and daughter, the reco…

Petitioner Rajkumar sought enforcement of the Supreme Court’s earlier directions in Rashidul Jafar for premature release of life‑imprisoned convicts, alleging that Uttar Pradesh had not considered eligible prisoners despite the existence of the Uttar Pradesh Prisoners (Release on Probation) Act, Rules and a Standing Po…

Bir Singh (complainant) advanced a Rs 15 lakh loan to Mukesh Kumar (accused) and received a cheque which was dishonoured for insufficient funds on two occasions. After a statutory notice went unanswered, a criminal complaint under Sections 138 and 139 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 was filed. The trial court c…

The appellant's land was reserved for a primary school under a development plan and a purchase notice was served under Section 49 of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, 1966. The State Government confirmed the notice and the appropriate authority filed an acquisition proposal within the period prescribed by Sec…

Respondents 1‑3 instituted a suit for specific performance of a sale of immovable property. They later filed an application (P‑2) and a joint statement (P‑4) claiming a compromise and seeking dismissal of the suit, but subsequently respondent 1 filed an affidavit (P‑5) alleging that he had never filed the suit and that…

The appellant, a former promoter and non‑executive chairman of Amtek Auto Ltd., was arrested in July 2024 on allegations of massive bank fraud and money‑laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Despite cooperating with the investigation and being the sole accused taken into custody among 28…

The petitioners challenged the Punjab government's alteration of the sports‑quota admission criteria for MBBS/BDS courses, which expanded the "zone of consideration" from Classes XI‑XII to include Classes IX‑X after applications had been filed. They argued that the mid‑stream change was arbitrary, violated Article 14’s…

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) conducted an open auction for a 3,150‑sq‑m industrial plot, fixing a reserve price of Rs.25,600 per sq m. Golden Food Products India submitted the highest financial bid of Rs.29,500 per sq m, which was accepted as the highest bid. The GDA later cancelled the bid, citing that si…

The Bihar Road Construction Department issued recruitment advertisements in 2019 for Assistant Engineer posts under the Bihar Engineering Services Class‑II Recruitment Rules, 2019. The written examinations were held in March 2022 and provisional merit lists were published in June‑July 2022. After the merit lists were i…

The Union of India filed a transfer petition under Section 25 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 to move a disciplinary case filed by Alapan Bandyopadhyay before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Kolkata bench to the Principal Bench in Delhi. The Delhi Principal Bench allowed the transfer, but the Calcut…

The appellant, Bhaven Construction, entered into a contract to manufacture and supply bricks that contained an arbitration clause. It unilaterally appointed a sole arbitrator, who dismissed Respondent No.1's Section 16 challenge to his jurisdiction. Instead of using the statutory remedy under Section 34, Respondent No.…

The trial judge in two dowry‑death cases recorded the acquittal of the accused in the order sheet but did not pronounce a judgment in open court, nor was any typed judgment signed or dated. A complaint led the High Court to investigate and find that no judgment existed on record, resulting in the judge's suspension and…

Krishna Kant Pandey, employed by Pepsico India Holding Pvt. Ltd., was terminated after serving in various supervisory roles, most recently as Fleet Executive. He claimed that he was a "workman" under Section 2(z) of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and that his termination violated Section 6 of the Act.…

The case concerned the administration of the Sri Sabhanayagar Temple at Chidambaram, claimed by the Podhu Dikshitars, a Smarthi Brahmin community, as their religious denomination. The High Court had earlier dismissed the State's order appointing an Executive Officer under the Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endow…

The case arose from the murder of a young girl, Arushi, and a domestic help, Hemraj, where the CBI filed a closure report. The father of the deceased filed a protest petition, leading the Special Judicial Magistrate to take cognizance of offences under Sections 302/34 and 201/34 IPC against Dr. Rajesh Talwar and Dr. Nu…

The appellant, a cooperative society registered under the Jharkhand Self‑Supporting Cooperative Societies Act, sought exemption from stamp duty on a land transfer to its members under Section 9A of the Stamp (Bihar Amendment) Act, 1988. The State, through a memorandum issued by the Principal Secretary, Department of Re…

The Supreme Court was asked to decide the validity of Rule 5 of the 1997 Central Excise Rules, which was challenged on the grounds of being ultra vires of Section 3A of the Central Excise Act and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. The Division Bench, however, diverted attention to a different issue concerning…

The respondent sued the appellants for specific performance of two agreements to sell a share of land, having paid earnest money but no deed was executed. The trial court dismissed the suit, but the first appellate court set aside that decree and ordered specific performance. The appellants appealed, arguing that the a…

The petitioners filed writ petitions under Article 32 seeking a judicial definition of the phrase “originally inhabitants of the State of Assam” in Clause 3(3) of the Schedule to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issues of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, and directions on how such persons should be id…

The appellant applied for the post of District and Sessions Judge (Entry Level) under the Andhra Pradesh State Judicial Service Rules, 2007 and was placed on the select list, but was not appointed because he was under 35 years of age. He challenged the decision before the High Court, which held that the 35‑year minimum…

The Supreme Court of India, in a nine-judge bench decision, addressed two major constitutional questions. First, it held that Article 31C, to the extent it was upheld in Kesavananda Bharati, remains in force after the 42nd Amendment was struck down in Minerva Mills, as the amendment was a substitution and its invalidat…

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, which created a board to regulate standards, teacher qualifications and examinations in madrasas, was struck down by the Allahabad High Court on the ground that it violated secularism and Articles 14 and 21A of the Constitution. The petitioners challenged the High…

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) advertised for 2,211 Technician Grade‑II posts requiring a Certificate of 80‑hour Course on Computer Concepts (CCC) to be produced at the interview. Candidates who produced the CCC certificate at the interview were selected and issued appointment letters on 14 July 2015. A Hi…

The appellant, Shanti Devi, sought to revive a writ petition filed by her late husband, a retired Coal India employee, challenging the stoppage of his pension and a demand for repayment of over Rs 8 lakhs. The earlier petition for refund of a smaller amount had been dismissed by the Patna High Court on the ground of la…

The State of Kerala issued notifications prohibiting the sale of computerized and online lottery tickets while permitting paper lotteries, which the All Kerala Online Lottery Dealers Association and others challenged as discriminatory under Section 5 of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998. The petitioners argued that …

The Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation (KSEDC), a wholly‑owned public sector undertaking, allotted a 0.25‑acre plot to Kumaon Entertainment for IT‑related activities on a lease‑cum‑sale basis, with a tentative price of Rs 1 crore per acre and a provision that the final price would be fixed later. The a…

The Burdwan Development Authority acquired land for a satellite township under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and entered into an unregistered MoA with Bengal Shrachi for public‑private partnership development. The Reference Court enhanced compensation payable to landowners from Rs 5.8 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per acre, prom…

The widowed petitioner Premlata applied for a compassionate appointment under Rule 5 of the Dying‑in‑Harness Rules, 1974, after her husband, a Class‑IV messenger in the Uttar Pradesh Police Radio Department, died. Her first application for an Assistant Operator post was rejected for lack of eligibility, and a subsequen…

The petitioner, a former employee of Kuruppampady Service Co‑operative Bank, challenged his compulsory retirement through a series of proceedings, including a writ petition, writ appeal and a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in 2015, all of which were dismissed. He later filed a review petition in the Kerala High Court aga…

The case concerned attachment of properties under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944 in a large‑scale fraud involving the father of the appellants, who died before trial, and his son Ravi Sinha, who was convicted in one case and faced trial in another. The State sought to make the interim attachment orders ab…

The State of Maharashtra appealed a decision that allowed a co‑accused to cross‑examine an approver whose pardon, granted under Section 307 of the CrPC, was later forfeited by a certificate under Section 308. The Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme of Sections 306, 307 and 308, holding that forfeiture of the pa…

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. was disqualified from two tenders issued by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) on the ground that its concession agreement with the Visakhapatnam Port Authority had been terminated. The termination, however, is the subject of an ongoing arbitration. The company sought re…

The appellant, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, was charged with alleged irregularities in a foreign investment clearance and money‑laundering offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act (PMLA). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) produced a sealed cover containing doc…

Dr. Ashwani Kumar, a former Law Minister, filed a miscellaneous application seeking a Supreme Court direction to Parliament to enact a comprehensive law against custodial torture, invoking the UN Convention against Torture and arguing that such torture violates Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court noted that the m…

Larsen & Toubro Ltd., a contractor, executed works contracts and assigned portions of the work to registered sub‑contractors who paid sales tax on their own turnover. The issue was whether the payments made to these sub‑contractors should be included in L&T's total turnover for computing turnover tax under Section 6‑B …

The Union of India challenged the quashing of charge sheets issued to senior income‑tax officers under Rule 14(3) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1965, arguing that the Finance Minister's approval for initiating disciplinary proceedings under Rule 14(2) also sufficed for the char…

The respondent, a former Munsif in the Bihar State Judicial Service, was dismissed, reinstated, and later suspended, after which he was posted as an Additional Munsif. He repeatedly sought promotion to higher judicial posts on the basis that his juniors had been promoted between 1971 and 1978, filing numerous writ peti…

The Bihar State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation entered into contracts with rice millers for paddy procurement and included an arbitration clause. Allegations of massive fraud and misappropriation of public funds led to criminal FIRs, charges under the Penal Code, and recovery proceedings under the Bihar & Orissa P…

The Odisha State Financial Corporation (OSFC) financed a bleaching powder unit that defaulted, leading to its possession of the unit and subsequent litigation. Respondent Vigyan Chemical Industries sued the defaulting borrower and later impleaded OSFC, claiming repayment with interest calculated under the repealed Inte…

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi challenged the Lieutenant Governor’s notifications nominating ten experts to the Delhi Municipal Corporation, arguing that the power must be exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 239AA(4). The Court examined the constitutional…

Quick Heal Technologies Ltd. sold antivirus software on CDs together with a license key and free updates to end‑customers. The Revenue argued that the transaction comprised two components – sale of the CD (goods) and provision of updates (service) – and that service tax should be levied on the entire consideration desp…

The Central Government appealed against a High Court order that directed it to pay interest on solatium to Raj Devi from the date she was deprived of possession (16‑06‑1990). The Government argued that, per Gurpreet Singh v. Union of India, interest on solatium could only be awarded from the date of the Supreme Court’s…

The Cochin Port Trust sought to recover ground rent and demurrage for containers that remained unclaimed by consignees after customs clearance, arguing that the steamer agents should not be liable beyond the 75‑day limit set by the Tariff Authority. The Supreme Court examined whether the passage of title, endorsement o…

The appellant, EXL Careers, filed a suit for recovery in a Gurgaon civil court despite an exclusive jurisdiction clause in a franchise agreement that designated Delhi courts as the sole forum. The Gurgaon court returned the plaint under Order VII Rule 10 of the CPC, and the High Court ordered its transfer to Delhi, dir…

The petitioners challenged the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019, which inserted clauses 15(6) and 16(6) permitting a 10% reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and public employment. They argued that the amendment violated the basic structure of the Constitution…

Abu Salem, an accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, was extradited from Portugal to India in 2005 on the assurance that he would not face the death penalty or imprisonment beyond 25 years. After his return, the Designated Court framed additional charges beyond those covered by the extradition, which Abu Salem argued …

The Supreme Court examined whether a liberty granted to approach the High Court for review, after an earlier Special Leave Petition (SLP) was dismissed, automatically places the matter in the escalation matrix and permits filing a fresh SLP. The Court held that Order XLVII Rule 7 of the CPC bars an SLP against an order…

The dispute arose from a representation agreement between D.M.C. Management Consultants Ltd. and Integrated Sales Service Ltd., which contained an arbitration clause. After the arbitrator awarded US $6.9 million against DMC, the award was sought to be enforced against non‑signatory parties, including Arun Dev Upadhyaya…