Indian Evidence Act, 1872

The State of U.P. appealed against the Allahabad High Court’s acquittal of Raghubir Singh (A‑2) in a murder‑kidnapping case involving the death of a six‑year‑old boy, Ashok. The trial court had convicted both accused, Manpal Singh (A‑1) and Raghubir Singh, under IPC sections 364, 302 and 34 based on the testimony of th…

The appellants Dhanabal and his brother were convicted of murder under IPC s.302 read with s.149 for the killing of their sister‑in‑law Rasayal. The conviction relied heavily on the testimony of PW‑1, 2, 3 and 5, whose statements were recorded in the committal court, later transcribed under CrPC s.288 and, for some, al…

The dispute concerned the auction of a 10,000 sq. m. government plot in Powai, Mumbai, advertised by MHADA on 17‑Nov‑2004. Jaykrishna Industries Ltd. (appellant) was the highest bidder and its bid was provisionally accepted with a 25% deposit paid. The respondent, Popcorn Properties Ltd., obtained a High Court order al…

The appellant, Surinder Singh, was convicted under Sections 3048 and 498A of the IPC for the death of his wife Anita, who died by burns within 94 days of marriage. The prosecution alleged that the husband and his family were dissatisfied with the dowry received and repeatedly harassed Anita, demanding Rs 60,000 for the…

The State of Andhra Pradesh prosecuted V. Vasudeva Rao, an Assistant Controller, for demanding a bribe to prevent his transfer and for accepting the money, which he claimed was a hand loan. A trap was arranged, the accused was caught with the money, and the complainant died before he could be examined. The trial court …

The deceased, Smt. Kailash, was married to Sat Pal and allegedly subjected to harassment by her mother‑in‑law (Smt. Shanti) and another relative for not providing a scooter and television as dowry. She was found dead under unnatural circumstances within seven years of marriage, and the accused were charged under IPC se…

The appellant was charged with murder, attempt to rape and related offences after the deceased was found dead in a pool of blood. The trial court acquitted him, finding the prosecution's key witness (PW1) unreliable and noting the non‑examination of material witnesses and the absence of a fingerprint report. The High C…

The appellant Subramanya was charged with murdering Kamalamma along with co‑accused Gowri and Seetharam Bhat. The trial court acquitted all three, but the Karnataka High Court convicted Subramanya under IPC s.302 and sentenced him to life imprisonment, relying on an extra‑judicial confession by Seetharam, motive, and d…

The appellant, Md. Anowar Hussain, was convicted by the Sessions Court and the Gauhati High Court for murdering his wife, Samina Begum, based on circumstantial evidence and a post‑mortem report showing asphyxia due to throttling. The appellant claimed the victim died of an illness in hospital and that he had left home …

The appellant Ramanand (alias Nandlal Bharti) was convicted and sentenced to death for allegedly murdering his wife and four children, based largely on circumstantial evidence comprising a discovery statement of the murder weapon, extra‑judicial confessions to two witnesses, alleged motive stemming from an extramarital…

A dispute over panchayat elections led Arumugam (A‑1), Shanmugavel (A‑2) and Subbiah (A‑3) to attack their brother Vairamuthu with a spike, an aruval and a stick, causing his death. The trial court convicted A‑1 under s.302 IPC and the High Court upheld the conviction. On appeal, the accused argued that the testimony o…

The appellant, Sidhapal Kamala Yadav, a prisoner, was convicted of murdering co‑prisoner Dilip Sitaram Chaudhary in a hospital ward. He pleaded the defence of unsoundness of mind under Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code, claiming he was incapable of knowing the nature of his act. Two psychiatrists who examined him tes…

The appellants Bur Singh and others were convicted for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC for the killing of Surjan Singh. The prosecution relied on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses who were relatives of the deceased. The appellants argued that the witnesses were interested and that the doctrine…

The accused (respondents 2 and 3) were tried for offences under Sections 147, 452, 364, 302/149 and 201/149 of the IPC. Two prosecution witnesses, PW‑3 (Bhopalaram) and PW‑5 (Nandaram), had been examined and cross‑examined in the trial court and later again as witnesses before a Juvenile Court, where they gave statemen…

The deceased was poisoned with brandy allegedly mixed with a toxic substance by the first accused (A-1). The prosecution claimed that the appellant, A-2, the deceased's former wife, instigated A-1 to commit the murder, leading to convictions under Section 302 read with Section 109 of the IPC. On appeal, the Supreme Cou…

Baldev Singh and his father were convicted by a Special Court for murder (Sec. 302 r/w Sec. 34 IPC) and for possession of an unlicensed weapon. The Supreme Court examined the evidence, including the FIR, eyewitness statements and post‑mortem report, and found that the injuries inflicted were not sufficient to constitut…

On 7 November 2003 a large mob in Ahmedabad assaulted several persons, burnt a two-wheeler and an auto‑rickshaw, and snatched the gold chain of PW‑2. The appellant, accused No.6, was identified only by PW‑2’s testimony given two years later, without any identification parade and amidst a crowd of 50‑100 people. The tri…

The appellant, Rupesh Manger, was charged with murdering his grandfather using a sharp-edged weapon. He pleaded insanity, and the trial court, after considering psychiatric reports indicating acute psychotic disorder and abnormal behavior at the time of the offence, acquitted him under Section 84 of the IPC. The High C…

The appellants – the husband and his in‑laws – were convicted for dowry harassment that allegedly led to the suicide of the wife, Tuli Shah, by alleged consumption of poison. The trial court, and subsequently the High Court, held that despite the post‑mortem and viscera reports being silent on the exact cause of death …

M/S. Shivali Enterprises entered into an agreement to sell land to the respondents, receiving Rs.1,50,000 of the Rs.1,65,000 purchase price and taking possession, while the respondents were required to obtain an Income‑Tax Clearance certificate and have the revenue records mutated before execution of the sale deed. The…

The case arose from the loss of two pistols during a T‑90 tank conversion exercise of the 71 Armoured Regiment at Pokhran. The accused soldiers, Neeraj Kumar Dhaka and Sandeep Kumar, were convicted by a District Court Martial for theft and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and dismissal. The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT…

The Supreme Court examined appeals arising from the acquisition of 561.38 acres in Haryana where the High Court had fixed compensation at Rs.1.46 crore per acre by applying a 15% cumulative annual increase and relying heavily on the Swaran Singh judgment. The Court held that such reliance was improper because prior awa…

Manjit Singh and Paramjit Singh were convicted for the murder of Jagmohan Singh and the attempted murder of Amarjot Singh after a gang fired on a tractor following a political dispute. The appellants challenged the convictions on five grounds, chiefly that two material witnesses were not examined, that the maxim falsus…

The appellant, Ashwani Kumar Saxena, was convicted of murder under IPC s.302 r.w. s.27 Arms Act and appealed, claiming he was a juvenile at the time of the offence (19‑Oct‑2008). He produced school mark‑sheets and the school admission register showing a birth date of 24‑Oct‑1990, while the trial court relied on ossific…

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 12(5), 12(6), 15(5) and 15(6) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which prescribe the eligibility criteria for appointing Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners. The petitioner argued that the provisions were vague, lacked specifi…

Ajitsingh Harnamsingh Gujral was convicted of murdering his wife and three children by dousing them with petrol and setting them alight. The trial court and the Bombay High Court sentenced him to death. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the circumstantial evidence, including the accused's last sighting with the vic…

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted Parthu for the murder of his wife Lali, who died from severe burn injuries after allegedly being doused with kerosene and set alight by him. The prosecution relied on two dying declarations recorded by police officers, with a doctor present who attested the victim's thumb impression an…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of seven accused in a murder case arising from a Naxalite attack in 1983. The key issue was whether identification of an accused for the first time in court, without a prior test identification parade or corroboration, could support a conviction, especially when the accused wa…

The appellant, a widow who had undergone a kidney transplant, filed an eviction petition under Section 14 of the Bihar Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1982, alleging that the respondent, her employee, occupied the premises as a tenant and was in arrears. The respondent sought leave to defend, denying …

The appellants Sukhdev Yadav and others were convicted under IPC s.302 for the murder of Ram Dev Singh Mukhiya. The prosecution relied on five eye‑witnesses who placed the incident near Mahavir Modi's house, a mango tree, or a field, while a defence witness claimed a different location. The appellants argued that these…

The State of Himachal Pradesh alleged that accused growers and officials conspired to inflate the quantity of scab‑affected apples procured for destruction, thereby cheating the government. The prosecution’s case rested entirely on the testimony of the District Horticulture Officer, who was presented as an expert on th…

The appellants were convicted under Sections 302, 302/114 and 498-A of the IPC solely on the basis of the deceased's dying declaration. The Supreme Court examined whether the dying declaration was reliable, focusing on the requirement that the declarant be conscious and in a fit state of mind, which must be certified b…

The State of Kerala appealed against the Kerala High Court’s order quashing an FIR that alleged offences under Sections 182, 194, 195, 195A and 306 of the IPC based on a suicide note left by the deceased, a senior investigating officer. The Supreme Court examined whether the suicide note established a prima facie case …

The dispute concerned the inclusion of Rajni Kant and Anjani Kumar as heirs of the late Chandra Deo Singh in land records (khata) under Section 9A(2) of the U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953. The respondents claimed they were legitimate children born out of a long‑standing live‑in relationship between the deceas…

The State of Rajasthan charged Rajaram under Section 302 IPC and Section 27 of the Arms Act for the murder of five persons. The trial court convicted him, relying mainly on extra‑judicial confessions to two witnesses (PW‑3 and PW‑4) and on circumstantial evidence such as his presence at the scene, suspicious conduct, b…

The petitioner, a former Indian Navy captain, was detained in 1988 on suspicion of carrying atomic and defence secrets and was prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act and the Atomic Energy Act after consent from the Attorney General and authorisation from the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Department of Atomic Energy…

The case involved a fatal assault on Sivarami Reddi (Sivanna) by a group of accused persons amid a long-standing enmity. Three eye‑witnesses, who were relatives of the deceased, filed a written complaint and identified the assailants; the trial court convicted several accused under Sections 148 and 302 read with 149 IP…

The case concerned the murder of Urmila Devi, aged 19, who was strangulated and her body subsequently burnt. The trial court convicted her husband, Ramesh Prasad Misra, under IPC sections 302, 201 and 498‑A and sentenced him to death, while his mother was convicted under sections 201 and 498‑A; the Allahabad High Court…

The State of Uttar Pradesh charged Laloo and three others with the murder of Babu Jaleshwar Singh on 24 September 1974. The prosecution relied on the testimony of three eye‑witnesses (PW1‑3), corroborative statements of PW5 and PW6, medical evidence of a fatal neck wound, and a First Information Report (FIR) prepared b…

Three naval personnel (AK Singh, UK Singh and DK Singh) were accused of a bank robbery at the Andhra Bank counter in INS Virbahu. The Court Martial convicted AK and UK, dismissing them with disgrace, while the Armed Forces Tribunal later affirmed their convictions based on eyewitness testimony of the bank manager (PW‑1…

The accused Mustkeem, Nandu and Arun were convicted for the murder of Ram Pal Yadav under IPC s.302/34 and the Arms Act based largely on circumstantial evidence, hostile eyewitnesses, and weapons recovered after the accused’s disclosure. The Supreme Court found that key witnesses had turned hostile, statements were ret…

The case involved six police officers who were convicted under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC for the killing of three civilians in a purported police encounter. The prosecution relied solely on circumstantial evidence, chiefly the testimony of two constables (PW 7 and PW 8), forensic reports and the recovery of the vi…

The case concerned a large‑scale fraud in which imported fertilisers were allegedly lifted from ports but not delivered to government godowns, with dealers and government officials accused of colluding to obtain false transport‑charge certificates. The trial court acquitted the accused, but the Andhra Pradesh High Cour…

The Supreme Court examined the murder of Urshia Bahri and her two children, for which Suresh Chandra Bahri, Gurbachan Singh and Raj Pal Sharma were convicted under Sections 302, 120B and 201 of the IPC. The prosecution relied on the testimony of an approver, Ram Sagar Vishwakarma, whose statement was found trustworthy …

The plaintiffs filed a partition suit claiming a half‑share in the coparcenary property of the Kattukandi Edathil family, asserting that the first plaintiff was the legitimate son of Damodaran and Chiruthakutty. The defendants denied that a marriage existed between Damodaran and Chiruthakutty and contended that the pla…

The appellant, Veerendra, a cousin of the victim’s mother, was found to have raped and strangled to death an eight‑year‑old girl, the daughter of his cousin sister. While in police custody he disclosed the location of the body, which was recovered from a dilapidated building. Post‑mortem and forensic reports confirmed …

The appellant was married to the deceased who, within months of marriage, faced severe dowry harassment by him and his family, leading to a first suicide attempt and later a settlement that failed to stop the abuse. The wife eventually committed suicide by hanging, and the husband, his mother, and two brothers were cha…

Rangammal appealed against a decree that included her share of a property in a partition suit filed by her cousin Kuppuswami. The plaintiff relied on a sale deed dated 24‑02‑1951, allegedly executed by the appellant's de‑facto guardian while she was a minor, to claim title. The Supreme Court held that the burden of pro…

Santosh, a married woman, died from severe burns after allegedly being set alight with kerosene by her husband, brother‑in‑law (Puran Chand) and aunt‑in‑law. A dying declaration was recorded by a First Class Judicial Magistrate after a doctor certified her mental fitness. The trial court convicted all three under IPC s…

The appellant Subramaniam was charged with murder (s.302 IPC), dowry harassment (s.498A IPC) and a dowry prohibition offence (s.4 DP Act) after his wife was found dead in their home. The trial court acquitted him, but the High Court convicted him for murder, relying on the fact that the couple lived together, the alleg…

The appellant Narayanamurthy was convicted by the Karnataka High Court under Sections 498A and 3048 of the IPC for the alleged dowry death of his wife Jagadeshwari. The prosecution alleged that the accused and his parents harassed the deceased for not providing dowry and that she committed suicide by self‑immolation. T…

The appellants were convicted of murder and related offences under Sections 147, 148, 149 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code based solely on the testimony of the deceased's brother, an interested witness. The brother claimed the accused fired at the victim from behind while he was running, but the post‑mortem report show…

The tenant, Nathu Ram, occupied a shop owned originally by Banarsidas. After Banarsidas died, his widowed daughter‑in‑law, Anar Devi, claimed ownership and sought possession of the shop for the bona‑fide requirement of starting a business for her sons, invoking clause (b) of Section 23A of the Madhya Pradesh Accommodat…

B.S. Hari, a Commandant in the Border Security Force, was convicted by a General Security Force Court for allegedly permitting the smuggling of acetic anhydride across the India‑Pakistan border and was sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment, a fine and dismissal from service. The conviction rested mainly on the …

G.C. Pandya, a former Deputy Engineer of the Gujarat Maritime Board, was disciplined and censured in 2002 and superannuated as Superintending Engineer. He sued for a declaration that the departmental enquiry and punishment were illegal and sought promotion to Chief Engineer effective 1 January 2002. The Board did not f…

The case arose from an FIR alleging that the accused raped PW4 on 30 May 1992. After a protracted trial (1994‑2004), the accused sought to recall the victim for further cross‑examination under Section 311 of the CrPC, claiming that the parties had settled the dispute outside court and that the informant could not ident…

Dr. Karan Singh, son of the former Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir, claimed that 563 heirloom articles in the state Toshakhana were his private property. After a 1983 representation to the Ministry of Home Affairs was rejected, he filed a writ petition which was partially allowed by the High Court, declaring 42 items his. …

Meesala Ramakrishnan was convicted of murdering his wife by setting her on fire. The principal evidence was the victim's dying declaration, which she could not speak and therefore communicated through nods and gestures recorded by a magistrate. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether such a declaration, made by …

The plaintiff and his brother executed a registered gift deed in 1981 transferring land to the appellant, the appellant's son. Neither the plaintiff nor his brother contested the deed for about 22 years; the appellant filed a partition suit in 2001, in which the plaintiff was a defendant. In 2003 the plaintiff filed a …

The appellant, Bhagwan Tukaram Dange, and his father were convicted of murdering Dange's wife by beating, dousing her with kerosene and setting her on fire while intoxicated. The prosecution's case relied on two dying declarations recorded by a head constable and a special judicial magistrate, both corroborated by the …

The appellant Vipin Jaiswal was convicted under Sections 3048 and 498A of the IPC for the death of his wife, who died from burn injuries. The prosecution alleged that the wife was subjected to cruelty and dowry harassment, citing a demand of Rs.50,000 for a computer six months after marriage. The appellant claimed the …

The appellant was accused of murdering his wife after she resisted repeated dowry demands for a television, fridge and cooler, which were accompanied by beatings and harassment. The trial court acquitted the accused, citing a 51‑hour delay in filing the FIR and inconsistencies in the witnesses' statements. On appeal, t…

Namdeo, who had a long-standing dispute with his neighbour Ninaji over livestock, attacked Ninaji with an axe on the night of 25 October 2000, inflicting a fatal head wound. Ninaji’s son Sopan, who was present in the courtyard, witnessed the assault in electric light, chased the assailant and later gave testimony; a ne…

In the 2000 Bihar Assembly election for Sitamarhi, petitioner Hari Shankar Prasad lost to Shahid Ali Khan by 35 votes. The Returning Officer rejected 90 ballot papers marked with a distinguishing‑mark stamp, deeming them invalid, despite a directive from the Election Commission that such ballots should be counted if th…

The appellant, the mother‑in‑law of the deceased, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for allegedly burning her daughter‑in‑law. The prosecution's case rested on four dying declarations made by the victim, three of which identified the appellant as the assailant. The trial court dismissed these statements, de…

The appellant, a bank manager, was convicted of murdering his two minor children, his sister‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law in June 2010, motivated by his disapproval of his sister‑in‑law’s relationship. The trial court sentenced him to death, a judgment affirmed by the Karnataka High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court exam…

Mahadeo Krishna Naik, a bus driver for Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was dismissed after a fatal accident in 1996. The Labour Court upheld his dismissal, but the corporation later obtained a Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT) award that placed sole blame on the lorry driver, a fact it failed…

The appellant Vinod @ Nasmulla was convicted under IPC sections 395 and 397 and Arms Act section 25 for a dacoity involving a bus robbery on 28 September 1993. The prosecution's case rested on a dock identification by a police constable (PW‑9) and the alleged recovery of a country‑made pistol at the time of his arrest,…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by Telestar Travels Pvt. Ltd. and its directors challenging the adjudication order under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) that found them guilty of dealing in foreign exchange without RBI permission and of using a paper company, Bountiful Ltd., to route funds. The Court held…

The appellant Gopal was charged under Sections 498A and 306 IPC for allegedly subjecting his wife to cruelty that led to her death by asphyxia 22 years after their marriage. The trial court acquitted him on both counts, but the Rajasthan High Court convicted him under Section 498A, holding that the cruelty provision ap…

The State of NCT of Delhi sought to compel the accused, Ravi Kant Sharma and others, to be supplied with the "gists" of statements recorded by the investigating officer during interrogation. The trial court held that such gists amounted to statements under Section 161(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and must b…

The Supreme Court examined whether excise duty was payable on intermediate pharmaceutical products manufactured by Cadila Laboratories and whether the Revenue could invoke the extended limitation period under Section 11‑A of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944. The appellants argued that the intermediates were in a c…

The appellant, Anil Kumar, was convicted under various IPC sections for assault and murder after a violent incident in which the victim's brother and other family members were attacked. The appellant challenged the conviction on four grounds: that the FIR scribe, who was a relative of the complainant, should have been …

The State prosecuted S.J. Chaudhary for murder and offences under the Explosive Substances Act, seeking to introduce the testimony of a typewriter expert to identify the machine that produced a disputed document. The trial court and the Delhi High Court excluded the expert's opinion, relying on the earlier Supreme Cour…

The plaintiffs sought a declaration of title over land based on two sale deeds dated 3 September 1968 and 29 September 1968, the first executed by plaintiff 2 as an attorney of the original owner who allegedly executed a power of attorney (PoA) in East Pakistan. The trial court and the first appellate court dismissed t…

The appellant Madhu and his co-accused Sibi were convicted for robbery and murder of Padmini Devi based largely on confessional statements to police and circumstantial evidence. The Supreme Court held that the confessions were inadmissible because they did not lead to the discovery of any unknown fact, violating Sectio…

Umesh Kamat was convicted under Section 396 IPC for a night dacoity in which an inmate was killed. The conviction rested solely on the testimony of three eyewitnesses (PW1, PW3, PW4) who identified him in a test identification parade held seven weeks after the incident, despite the dacoits wearing masks. The Supreme Co…

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation filed a special leave petition challenging the High Court’s order that quashed prosecution of Pawan K. Saraf for alleged adulteration of compounded asafoetida under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The trial court had relied on a Public Analyst’s report finding the sampl…

The State of Rajasthan appealed the acquittal of Bhup Singh, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Chawli, based on her dying declaration and ballistic evidence. The High Court had set aside the conviction, holding that the dying declaration was invalid because it was recorded in Hindi rather than the Bagri language…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal by the State of Rajasthan against the acquittal of six accused in a double murder case. The trial judge had interjected during the cross‑examination of an injured eyewitness (PW‑3) to clarify a confusion, which the High Court held improper. The Supreme Court held that under Section …

The appellant was convicted of raping and murdering a three‑year‑old girl and was sentenced to death, a sentence confirmed by the High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court. The appellant filed review petitions, which were initially dismissed but later restored after the Supreme Court’s decision in Mohd. Arif alias Ash…

Kashmir Kaur and another were convicted under Section 3048 IPC (dowry death) read with Section 34 IPC and Section 498A IPC for the death of the deceased woman, which occurred 11 months after her marriage. The prosecution proved that the victim was repeatedly harassed and tortured by her mother‑in‑law, brother‑in‑law an…

The case arose from a 1992 altercation in Ajmer that resulted in the death of Idris and injuries to several persons, leading to two FIRs (cross‑FIRs). The trial court convicted four accused (Yasir, Khalil, Akil and Farukh) under Sections 302 and 324 read with Section 34 of the IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonmen…

Tarsem Singh was convicted under Section 3048 of the IPC for the death of his wife Amriko, alleged to have been caused by dowry‑related cruelty. The prosecution alleged harassment for insufficient dowry and childlessness, but the FIR and evidence did not show any demand for dowry made "soon before" her death. The Supre…

The case involved two cross‑FIRs arising from a violent clash in Simultand village where the deceased Nagender Nath Das was killed and several others injured. The complainant alleged that the accused assaulted him and his relatives, while the accused claimed they acted in self‑defence against the deceased’s alleged att…

The respondent, a peon employed since 1974, was dismissed in 1984 for multiple instances of misconduct including unauthorized absences, late attendance, leaving the premises without permission, and falsifying the muster roll. He sought reinstatement with continuity of service and full back wages before the Labour Court…

Ram Devi, a 75‑year‑old widow, executed a will on 30‑March‑1962 in favour of Shamsher Singh, an agnate five degrees removed, disinheriting her two surviving daughters. After her death in 1990, Shamsher Singh sued the daughters (appellants) to set aside a mutation order in their favour, claiming he had looked after the …

The appellant Keshav was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly murdering his brother‑in‑law, based on motive, the fact that they were last seen together, an extra‑judicial confession to the victim’s wife, discovery of blood‑stained clothes and a knife. The Supreme Court examined whether these circumstances sati…

The United States requested the extradition of Sarabjit Rick Singh on drug‑trafficking and money‑laundering charges, and the Indian government directed an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate to conduct an enquiry under the Extradition Act, 1962. Singh challenged the magistrate’s order, arguing that the documents s…

The case involved the murder of Biswanath Dutta, allegedly committed by his brother Aloke Nath Dutta to facilitate the sale of family property. Aloke Nath made an extra‑judicial confession admitting to the killing, while co‑accused Mrinal Dutta gave a judicial confession that was later retracted, alleging police tortur…

The brothers Shreedhar Govind Kamerkar (appellant) and Yesahwant Govind Kamerkar (respondent) entered into a partnership in 1971 that was dissolved in 1977. The dispute concerned whether the tenancy rights to a premises in Navalkar Building, used for the Deepak Provision Store and later for Shree Medico, formed part of…

The case concerned the acquisition of 19.87 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh and the award of compensation for the land and palmyrah and cashew trees standing thereon. The Sub‑Judge enhanced the land compensation to Rs 55,000 per acre and increased the per‑tree rates, but retained the original count of 1,000 big and 500…

The case involved a dispute over agricultural land that led Prakash Dhawal Khairnar (Patil) to murder his brother, mother, sister‑in‑law and five other relatives. The prosecution relied on strong circumstantial evidence—motive, blood‑stained clothing, a shoulder injury, eyewitness identification, and the confessional s…

M. Narsinga Rao, a manager of a milk chilling centre, was charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for accepting a Rs.500 bribe from a contractor. He was caught in a trap set up by the Anti‑Corruption Bureau, but the key witnesses turned hostile after a four‑year delay, claiming the trap was fabricated. The…

The case involved Col. AnilteJ Singh Dhaliwal, an army officer convicted by a General Court Martial on four charges relating to alleged false statements, fraud, and omission in reporting losses. He appealed to the High Court, which quashed the Court Martial’s findings on the basis that key evidence – a letter (Ex Q‑10)…

The appellant, husband of Karnail Kaur, was charged under Section 304B of the IPC for dowry death after his wife died of poisoning within seven years of marriage. The prosecution proved that the wife had complained of dowry demands for a scooter and refrigerator on 25 June 1991, and she died on 30 June 1991, establishi…

Gowramma, a married woman, died from severe burns after allegedly being doused with kerosene by her husband Anjanappa. She gave a dying declaration implicating him, which was recorded by a police officer and endorsed by the attending doctor, who testified that she was conscious and fit to speak. The trial court acquitt…

The President of India referred the conduct of the Haryana Public Service Commission Chairman Mehar Singh Saini and three members to the Supreme Court under Article 317(1) for alleged misbehaviour, including irregular selections, use of bogus certificates, and refusal to cooperate with vigilance investigations. The Cou…

The appellant, who kept the deceased as his mistress, allegedly poured kerosene on her and set her alight, causing fatal burns. The prosecution relied on three dying declarations recorded by the deceased’s mother, a Mandal Revenue Officer and a Sub‑Inspector of Police, all of which consistently identified the appellant…

The appellants and a co‑accused were charged with offences including murder (s.302 IPC) arising from a violent dispute in which the deceased was attacked with lathis. The accused claimed they acted in private defence, asserting that the victim and his brother had assaulted them first. The Supreme Court examined the sta…

The accused were convicted for the abduction, murder and dacoity of Gayatri Devi based largely on the testimony of an approver, Lalit Sanga, whose statement was recorded under Section 306 of the CrPC after he was granted pardon. The High Court had earlier remanded the case, finding procedural lapses in the recording of…

Alamgir, a Pakistani national, travelled to Delhi with his wife Halima and stayed at a hotel. He left her locked in the room on 19 September 1991 and failed to return; her body was later found strangulated. Two slips of paper near the body bore handwriting identified by an expert as Alamgir's. He was arrested in Bombay…

The case concerned the murder of Devinder Singh, who was allegedly attacked by three accused wielding hockey sticks and a knife. The prosecution’s case rested primarily on the testimony of Parminder Singh (PW‑1), a brother of the deceased, while the other two eye‑witnesses turned hostile. The Supreme Court examined the…

The trial court acquitted 23 accused of charges including criminal conspiracy (s.120B IPC) and murder (s.302 IPC) based on inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony, a doubtful dying declaration, and lack of corroborative evidence. The Madras High Court reversed the acquittal of 19 accused, convicting them on the same ch…

Devi Lal and his mother were convicted under Section 304B IPC for the dowry death of Pushpa Devi, whose body was cremated without informing relatives. The prosecution alleged that Pushpa was repeatedly harassed and subjected to cruelty by her husband and in‑laws for not providing sufficient dowry, both before and after…

The State of Rajasthan charged Ajit Singh and 18 others under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) for allegedly smuggling arms from Pakistan to Punjab for terrorist purposes. Seven of the accused made confessions before a Superintendent of Police under Section 15 of TADA, but the confe…

The hereditary priests of a Karnataka temple entered into a consent decree in the 1950s to settle their inheritance dispute over temple offerings. A later civil suit sought a share of perishable and non‑perishable offerings, and the trial court and first appellate court upheld the plaintiffs' claim based on the decree …

Sankaran Nair executed a registered Will on 7 August 1971 bequeathing his property to his sister Nanikutty Amma's children and their descendants, while leaving a modest sum to his son Madhavan Nair. The son challenged the Will, alleging suspicious circumstances such as the testator's ill health, the registrar being bro…

Mrs. Rupan Deol Bajaj, an IAS officer, complained that the Director General of Police, K.P.S. Gill, had assaulted her modesty at a dinner party by pulling her chair, standing too close, ordering her to move, and finally slapping her posterior in front of many guests. She lodged a FIR alleging offences under IPC section…

Vinod Katara, convicted to life imprisonment for murder in 1982, later claimed he was a juvenile at the time of the offence based on a medical board report and a Family Register showing a birth year of 1968. He filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking relief under Section 7A of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Prot…

The appellant, K.G. Premshanker, sought to quash criminal prosecution on the ground that a civil suit for damages against him had been dismissed, and he argued that the civil judgment should prevail over the criminal case. The High Court rejected this plea and the matter reached the Supreme Court. The Court examined th…

The appellants Hari Shanker Jain and Hari Krishna Lal challenged the election of Sonia Gandhi to the Lok Sabha, alleging that she was not a citizen of India despite holding a certificate of citizenship under Section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. They also questioned the constitutional validity of the Citizenshi…

The appellant, Kala (Chandrakala), was convicted along with her father for the murder of her husband Murugesan, alleged to have been strangled with a saree and his body disposed under a canal bridge. The prosecution's case rested on circumstantial evidence, an extra‑judicial confession made by the appellant to the dece…

The appellant, a teacher in a private aided school, refused to contribute to a tax demand and was suspended and later terminated without proper approval or a fair inquiry, violating the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Act, 1977 and principles of natural justice. The School Tribunal quas…

The dispute arose from two agreements to sell the same parcel of land, leading to parallel civil suits for specific performance. The appellant's father, after losing the civil suit, filed an FIR alleging forgery of the earlier agreement and the respondents obtained a quashing order from the High Court, which relied on …

The case concerned the determination of market value for lands in Rithala village, Delhi, acquired under four notifications of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Delhi High Court had based compensation on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) allotment rates and limited sale deed evidence, awarding Rs.67,536 per bigha for…

The State of Rajasthan appealed the Rajasthan High Court’s judgment that acquitted five accused of murder (Sec. 302 IPC) on the ground of private defence and convicted them only under lesser offences. The incident involved a dispute over agricultural land where the accused were found ploughing the complainant’s field; …

Guru Amarjit Singh sued Rattan Chand and others for ejectment, alleging that a 1905 lease between his grandfather and the respondents' predecessors created a landlord‑lessee relationship and that the respondents forfeited the lease by selling the land, denying the landlord's title and claiming ownership under the Punja…

The appellant was convicted under the NDPS Act for alleged possession of poppy straw, based largely on police testimony and a seizure that was never physically produced in court. The trial and appellate courts accepted the prosecution's case despite several procedural lapses, including the non‑compliance with Section 5…

The case arose from a complaint that the General Manager of Punjab Roadways, in collusion with conductors, was selling and using illegally printed tickets, causing massive loss to the depot. An enquiry was conducted, tickets were seized, and an FIR was filed; fifteen persons were charged, of whom three conductors (Jarn…

The appellant, Sadhna Chaudhary, alleged that a police officer (respondent No.2) drugged and sexually exploited her, threatened to release obscene videos, and continued to harass her for two years, culminating in a violent assault in June 2020 for which she lodged an FIR under Sections 376, 323, 341, 354 and 379 IPC. T…

The Supreme Court examined a public‑interest writ petition challenging the constitutionality of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983 (IMDT Act) and its 1984 Rules, which were applicable only to Assam for detecting and deporting illegal migrants. The Court held that the Act and Rules were ultra‑vi…

The appellants, senior engineering officials and contractors, were convicted for alleged conspiracy, cheating and falsification of accounts in connection with jungle‑clearance projects in Nellore district, based solely on circumstantial evidence and a technical report prepared by a departmental officer during the inves…

The appellant, Ashok Kumar, was convicted under Sections 304B and 498A of the IPC for the death of his wife. He appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the presumption of dowry death under Section 113B of the Evidence Act does not apply because the marriage had lasted more than ten years, exceeding the seven‑year p…

Kodikkunnil Suresh was elected from the Mavelikkara Lok Sabha seat reserved for Scheduled Castes. His election was challenged on the ground that he was a Christian and therefore not a member of any Scheduled Caste under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. The High Court declared his election void, holding …

The appellants purchased an undivided share of a joint family land but did not acquire any specific portion or possession. On the day of the incident the co‑owner Harda Ram and his son were ploughing the field when the appellants, armed with lathis and jallies, entered the land and inflicted fatal injuries on Harda Ram…

The State of Madhya Pradesh filed a revision application before the High Court under Section 19 of the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983, but the application was 80 days late. The issue was whether Section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963, which allows condonation of delay, applies to such revision appl…

The appellant tenants, nephews of the deceased landowner Suryanarayana, occupied several acres of land in Vishakhapatnam district. After the death of Suryanarayana's first wife Chilakamma, the second wife Pydamma claimed ownership and filed an eviction suit under the Andhra Pradesh Tenancy Act alleging default and sub‑…

The appellant, R. S. Gorkhi, was convicted of murder committed on 15‑05‑1979 and claimed he was a minor at the time, seeking protection under Section 2(4) of the Uttar Pradesh Children Act, 1951. The Sessions Judge had relied solely on a school leaving certificate, dated 1998, which recorded his birth as 01‑06‑1963, an…

The case involved a mercenary killing where the victim Ramu Somani survived and gave a statement to a magistrate, which the prosecution treated as a dying declaration. The Supreme Court held that because the declarant was alive, the statement could not be admitted under Section 32 of the Evidence Act and could only be …

The father, Bhagirath, and his two nephews were convicted by the Sessions Court for the murder of Bhagirath's blind son, Subhram, under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The High Court upheld the nephews' convictions but acquitted Bhagirath, invoking a "benefit of doubt" despite reliable eye‑witness testimon…

The Supreme Court examined an election petition challenging Dr. (Mrs.) Vimal Mundada’s election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the ground that she had appealed to voters on religious lines and promoted communal hatred through speeches delivered with her consent, allegedly constituting corrupt practice under…

The case arose from the abduction and murder of a child, Varun Kumar, for which five persons were convicted under Sections 302, 149, 120B of the IPC, Section 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and related provisions. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had pro…

Pearl Beverages' Porsche, insured with IFFCO Tokio, was destroyed in a high‑speed crash on 22 December 2007. The driver, Aman Bangia, was reported to have smelled of alcohol and was later convicted under IPC 279 for rash driving, but no breath or blood test was conducted. IFFCO Tokio denied the claim invoking an exclus…

The case arose from the Best Bakery arson in Vadodara, where fourteen people were killed and the accused were acquitted by the trial court after key eyewitnesses turned hostile, allegedly due to political threats. Zahira Sheikh, an eyewitness, filed affidavits with the NHRC alleging coercion and the State sought to adm…

The plaintiff, Joyce Primrose Prestor, sought letters of administration for her mother’s estate, relying on a holograph will dated 19 June 1964 that bequeathed equal shares to her three daughters. The husband and two other daughters contested the will, alleging undue influence by the plaintiff. The trial court held the…

The appellant was convicted of raping and murdering a five‑year‑old girl based solely on circumstantial evidence, including the alleged last sighting of the girl with the accused, his purported false explanation, the claim that he pointed out the body’s location, and alleged blood‑stains and genital abrasions. The tria…

The appellant Kansa Behera was charged with the murder of Bhatal Majhi, who was found dead with his throat cut after a land dispute with another accused, Jitrai Majhi. The prosecution relied on three pieces of circumstantial evidence: the appellant was seen with the deceased on the evening before the murder, blood‑stai…

The appellant, Tanuku Taluk Village Officers’ Association, filed two civil suits against the respondents concerning a piece of land, both of which were decreed on 14 August 1996. It also obtained a decree from the Rent Controller ordering the handover of the land, but subsequent applications and appeals led to the Seni…

The case involved six in‑laws accused of murdering Asha Devi, who died from extensive burns. The prosecution's case rested solely on Asha Devi's dying declaration implicating all six accused. Two of the accused, Prem Nath and Raj Bala, raised an alibi, presenting multiple witnesses showing they were at work and elsewhe…

The case concerned the alleged dowry death of Surinder Kaur, who was burnt to death allegedly by her husband Bakshish Ram and his parents. The prosecution relied primarily on the testimony of the deceased's mother, who recounted hearsay statements made by the deceased's father about dowry harassment. The trial court an…

The appellant, father of a murder victim, challenged a High Court order that the accused (Respondent No.1) be tried as a juvenile under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The accused had filed an application under Section 49 of the Act claiming he was under 18 on the date of the alleged o…

The petitioners, the son of a deceased college professor who was killed in a brutal assault, sought transfer of the criminal trial from Ujjain to another state, alleging witness intimidation, coercion, and bias by the investigating officer and public prosecutor. Several eye‑witnesses and three police witnesses had turn…

Geejaganda Somaiah was convicted for the murder of his relative Chengappa, who had been seeking an equitable partition of family land. After Chengappa disappeared while meeting a revenue inspector, his body was found the next day. The appellant surrendered, made a voluntary statement to police, and gold ornaments and t…

The State of Haryana appealed the Punjab & Haryana High Court's acquittal of five accused who had been convicted of rioting, murder and attempted murder. The High Court had set aside the trial court's convictions on the basis that the accused acted in private defence of person and property. The Supreme Court examined w…

Five persons, including Jagdish Narain and his two sons, were tried for rioting and the murder of Jitendra Nath after allegedly ambushing him and firing shots. The trial court acquitted them, citing contradictions between eye‑witness statements and their earlier statements under Section 161 CrPC and alleging a faulty i…

Sant Lal, a lessee of a plot of land under a ten‑year lease, granted Avtar Singh a one‑year licence to use a shed for a workshop. After the licence expired, Sant Lal terminated it and sued for a mandatory injunction to vacate the shed. Avtar Singh contended that he had purchased the entire property from the original ow…

The case concerned a Will executed by a villager, Kehar Singh, bequeathing his agricultural lands to his sons, which was challenged by his daughter Bachan Kaur on the ground that the Will was not duly executed and was surrounded by suspicious circumstances. The trial court and the first appellate court held the Will ge…

The State of Uttar Pradesh prosecuted Sukhpal Singh and others for offences under section 396 of the Indian Penal Code, alleging that on 1 September 1979 a group of armed men entered a house, fired indiscriminately, killed two persons and injured two others. Dying declarations of the deceased and statements of injured …

The deceased was stabbed to death during a land dispute and, before dying, gave a statement identifying the accused. The trial court acquitted the accused, but the Karnataka High Court convicted him under Section 304 Part II of the IPC, relying on the dying declaration and the recovery of the weapon. The accused appeal…

The appellant, Balu (Bakthavatchalu), was convicted of murder under IPC 302 for an incident that occurred on 20 April 1998. The trial court recorded his age as 18 and rejected his application to be sent to a Borstal School. On appeal, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether he was a juvenile at the time of the…

The appellants Badshah and others were accused of kidnapping Suraj Pal Singh on 23 May 1980, armed and stating they would kill him. The victim was never seen again, and the prosecution relied on eyewitness testimony that the accused had expressed intent to murder. The trial court convicted them under Section 364 of the…

The appellant, Patinhare Purayil Nabeesumma, claimed title and possession of land for which her husband, a cultivating tenant, had obtained a certificate of purchase under the Kerala Land Reforms Act in 1976. The respondents later obtained a second certificate for the same land in 1977. The trial court and first appell…

Pammi (Brijendra Singh) and accomplices, armed, went to the house of PW‑5 to settle a business dispute. The three deceased arrived to pacify the situation, leading to a heated altercation during which Pammi and the others opened fire, killing all three. Pammi pleaded private defence, claiming the deceased attacked with…

The appellants were convicted for kidnapping, murder and illegal possession of a firearm under the Arms Act and TADA. The prosecution’s case relied on the victim’s father’s testimony about a witness’s statement, statements recorded by police before investigation, the accused’s own statements about the location of the b…

Satbir filed a criminal appeal after the Punjab & Haryana High Court acquitted twelve accused of rioting and murder under Sections 148, 149 and 302 IPC, relying on alleged identification failures, the status of witnesses as "chance" witnesses, the relationship of a witness to the deceased, contradictions about weapons …

Atul Products Ltd manufactured synthetic organic dyes (cibagenes and cibanogenes) and relied on Notification No. 180/61 dated 23 November 1961, which exempted dyes from excise duty if they were produced from other dyes on which duty had already been paid. The basic dyes used were manufactured before Item 14D of the Cen…

The case involved a murder where three accused were convicted based largely on circumstantial evidence, including a "last seen" theory and alleged recoveries of the victim's body, ornaments, and a spade. The prosecution relied on a disclosure statement allegedly made by accused No.3 (Boby) to claim the body was recover…

The appellant, Prakash Nayi, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for murdering a shop employee and appealed on the ground of insanity under Section 84 IPC. Medical evidence, including two doctors' reports, indicated that he suffered from chronic schizophrenia, a condition that rendered him incapable of understanding th…

The appellants were convicted for murder and related offences under Sections 148, 302/149, 324/149 and 304 Part‑II of the IPC based largely on a statement recorded by the investigating officer (PW‑20) from the deceased Hukum Singh, thumb‑impression evidence, and eye‑witness testimony. The Supreme Court examined the cre…

The appellant was convicted for the rape and murder of a five‑year‑old girl and for causing disappearance of evidence, based primarily on circumstantial evidence. The prosecution proved that the appellant was seen fleeing the scene, that blood‑stained clothes of the victim were recovered from his sister's house followi…

The Supreme Court examined whether a confession recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) remains admissible for offences under other statutes when the accused is acquitted of TADA charges but tried together with those offences under Section 12. The Court held th…

The appellants, T. Shankar Prasad (Assistant Commercial Tax Officer) and Ghaiz Basha (Junior Assistant), were convicted under Sections 7, 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for demanding and receiving a bribe to issue way‑bills. The complainant paid the demanded amount to the junior assistant …

The Supreme Court examined the murder of Suresh Dube and the subsequent terrorist‑related conspiracy involving gangs of Bhai Thakur and Manik Patil. The trial court had excluded confessions recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) on the ground of procedural irregular…

The deceased Sambhu Yadav was attacked by three accused and, while gravely injured but conscious, gave a statement to witnesses and a police Sub‑Inspector that identified Paras Yadav as the one who stabbed him. The Sub‑Inspector recorded this statement as a routine FIR, not expressly as a dying declaration. The Supreme…

The case concerned the death of Ram Dhiraj Tiwari while in police custody. The prosecution alleged that Sub‑Inspector Rafiuddin Khan (Accused No.1) beat the deceased with lathis and dandas after his arrest on 19 Oct 1971, causing 28 injuries that led to death, and also demanded a bribe. The defence claimed the arrest o…

The case involved the murder of Smt. Dhaka, a widow, for which five persons were tried. One accused, Mam Chand, turned approver, and the prosecution relied solely on his testimony and on the recovery of articles, with no direct evidence linking the accused to the crime. The trial court convicted all accused, and the Hi…

The landlord filed a suit in the Small Causes Court for recovery of rent and eviction of the tenant, claiming a rent of Rs.1500 per month. The trial court upheld this claim and decreed eviction, but the tenant obtained a revision from the High Court under Section 25 of the Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887, which…

The marriage between U. Sree and U. Srinivas broke down, leading the wife to file a petition for restitution of conjugal rights and the husband to file for divorce on the ground of mental cruelty under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act. The Family Court and the Madras High Court granted the divorce, held the …

The appellants were convicted under IPC sections 395, 396 and 397 for a burglary‑murder that occurred in 1995. Both were arrested ten years later; an identification parade was held only for A1, who later died, while no parade was conducted for A2. The trial court sentenced both to death under section 396, which the Hig…

The appellant, KUKAPALLI MOHAN RAO, was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC for allegedly hacking the deceased with an axe, motivated by a suspicion of an illicit relationship between the deceased and the appellant's wife. The prosecution relied on the eyewitness testimony of the deceased's wife (PW2) and brother…

The petitioners, daughters of the deceased, filed an application under Sections 192‑195 of the Indian Succession Act seeking possession of their ancestral house, alleging illegal occupation by the respondent who claimed title under a purported joint will. The District Judge, in a summary proceeding, examined the will i…

The State of Haryana prosecuted four accused for causing grievous injuries that led to the death of a police constable. The trial court convicted them under sections 325 and 326 read with 34 of the IPC, acquitting them of murder (302/34). The High Court reversed this, discarding the victim's dying declaration and an ey…

The appellant, a former army man, was convicted of murdering Kanta Devi, who was shot in her courtyard at night. The deceased, moments before being shot, shouted that the appellant was standing with a gun. The gun was later found near the body. The appellant appealed, arguing that the omission in the FIR regarding the …

The Supreme Court examined an election petition that had declared the Lok Sabha election of Prof. Ramchandra G. Kapse void on the ground of alleged corrupt practices involving speeches by Sadhvi Reethambara and Pramod Mahajan. The Court held that a noticee under Section 99 of the Representation of the People Act has an…

Motibhai created two mortgages on his property; after his death the mortgagor's heirs and successive mortgagees transferred their interests, and the plaintiff, Narandas Haribhai Patel, purchased the equity of redemption from the heir Taralaxmibai and sued the mortgagees for redemption. The issues were whether a co‑mort…

Surendra Koli, a former domestic help at the Nithari residence, was convicted for the murder, rape and related offences of a minor based on a Section 164 confession and alleged discoveries under Section 27 of the Evidence Act. The Supreme Court had earlier affirmed his conviction and death sentence in 2011, and a revie…

The appellants were convicted for rioting, destruction of public property and related offences based largely on the testimony of eyewitnesses identified through two Test Identification Parades (TIPs). The witnesses had earlier seen the accused while they were in police custody, and the TIPs were conducted after a signi…

Bhupendra was married to Geeta Bai in 1993. After repeated dowry demands, Geeta consumed wheat tablets on 20 August 1996 and died of suspected poisoning. The trial court convicted Bhupendra and his father under sections 498‑A, 304‑B and 306 IPC; the High Court upheld Bhupendra's conviction but acquitted his father. On …

The appellant Bhola Ram was convicted under Sections 304‑B and 498‑A IPC for the alleged dowry death of his sister‑in‑law Janki Devi, who committed suicide by poison. The prosecution alleged that Bhola Ram, along with his brother Darshan Ram and mother Vidya Devi, demanded additional dowry and subjected the victim to c…

Suresh Kumar was convicted under Sections 304‑B (dowry death) and 498‑A IPC for the death of his wife Sulochana within seven years of marriage. The trial court acquitted him, deeming the death accidental, but the High Court reversed the acquittal, holding that the death occurred under non‑normal circumstances, that dow…

The petitioners, who are Judges of Family Courts in Maharashtra, sought elevation to the Bombay High Court, arguing that they hold a "judicial office" under Article 217(2)(a) of the Constitution. The Supreme Court examined whether Family Courts qualify as courts in the constitutional sense, whether their judges are par…

The deceased, Neeru Gupta, committed suicide in 1985 and her brother filed a complaint alleging dowry demand and ill‑treatment by her husband and in‑laws. The trial court acquitted the accused, finding no proof of dowry demand or cruelty and noting the deceased suffered from mental illness. The High Court reversed the …

Gulam Mohd (Gulal Shaikh) was charged under several IPC, POTA and Arms Act provisions for alleged terrorist activities. He claimed that a confession recorded under Section 32 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 was obtained while he was in illegal custody and later retracted it. He applied for bail under Section 4…

The State of Punjab charged four accused with rape, kidnapping and related offences under IPC sections 376, 366, 363 and 308, relying primarily on two dying declarations of the victim, Kumari Poonam, and the statements of her brother and friend. Both eye‑witnesses later withdrew their earlier statements, and the trial …

The appellant, Trimukh Maroti Kirkan, was married to Revata, who repeatedly complained of physical abuse and denial of food because her parents could not meet a dowry demand of Rs.25,000. Revata died under circumstances initially reported as a snake bite, but a post‑mortem revealed death by asphyxiation due to strangul…

The appellant had earlier faced a criminal complaint in 1966 under Section 500 IPC, which was settled by an apology and compromise. In 1990 a fresh complaint was lodged alleging that the appellant, by claiming his book was based on a manuscript of King Bhagyachandra, had forged a false document, thereby cheating the pu…

The appellant, a 17‑year‑old who was assaulted during communal riots in Akola on 13 May 2023, claimed that the police failed to register a First Information Report (FIR) despite his written complaint and hospital statement. He alleged that the assailants also murdered a man mistakenly identified as a Muslim, and that h…

Religare Finvest Ltd. sued the erstwhile Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) for alleged misappropriation of fixed deposits used as security for loans, leading to a criminal complaint and FIR under IPC sections 409 and 120B. LVB was placed under moratorium by the RBI and subsequently amalgamated into DBS Bank India Ltd. under a s…

The appellant, Raja Ram, claimed that his elderly father, aged over 80, was physically infirm and that the respondents, who cared for him, exercised undue influence to obtain a sale deed in their favour in 1970. The plaintiff alleged that the father's age, cataract, and limited mobility rendered him incapable of free c…

The appellant, diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis (Pott's disease), underwent three surgeries that left him handicapped and filed a complaint before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) alleging medical negligence. The Commission dismissed the complaint, holding that negligence was not proved, bu…

Nine persons were charged with murder and related offences arising from a 1989 assault in Singpur, Gujarat. The appellant, Jayantibhai Bhenkarbhai, claimed an alibi, asserting he was in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar attending legal proceedings on the day of the incident. The trial and High Courts rejected his alibi, convic…

Ashok Kumar was charged with murdering his sister‑in‑law, Asha Rani, by burning her to death in a dowry‑related dispute. The trial court acquitted him, finding no motive, contradictions in medical testimony, and a defective investigation. The Rajasthan High Court, invoking Sections 378 and 386 of the CrPC, set aside th…

The case concerned the convictions of Manoj Kumar Soni under Section 411 IPC for dishonestly receiving stolen property and Kallu (Habib) under Section 120‑B IPC for criminal conspiracy in a robbery of a complainant’s house. Both convictions were based primarily on disclosure statements made by the accused and co‑accuse…

Ram Niwas was convicted by the Sessions Court and the High Court for the murder of Dalip Singh under Sections 302 and 201 IPC, based primarily on an alleged extra‑judicial confession to two witnesses and the recovery of ash from his memorandum. The defence argued that the dead body could not be positively identified, t…

The victim, Saraswati Guchhait, was allegedly raped by Purnendu Kumar Patra and later, while the rape case was pending, Patra and Rabin Jana threw acid on her. She was taken to a hospital, where she could not file a police complaint herself; a neighbour (PW‑7) wrote her statement and mailed it, resulting in a 23‑day de…

The Supreme Court examined whether a confession or statement recorded under Section 32 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) can be used as substantive evidence against co‑accused. The Bombay High Court Full Bench had held that such a confession could not be substantive evidence against co‑accused but could b…

The case involved a land dispute in which the accused, including Salim, armed themselves and fired upon the complainant's party, resulting in the death of Abdul Gafar. The trial court convicted Salim under sections 302, 203/149, 307/149, 323/149, 325/149 IPC and the Arms Act, while other accused were convicted under va…