Indian Penal Code, 1860

The case involved the murder and kidnapping of Jaswinder Kaur (Jassi) and the assault on her husband Sukhwinder Singh. The prosecution alleged that Ashwani Kumar, Anil Kumar, Joginder Singh, and others conspired to kill Jassi because her marriage was opposed by her family. The trial court convicted seven accused, inclu…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Ajit Nath during a dispute over land excavation, with the trial court finding them guilty under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC. The Supreme Court examined whether an unlawful assembly of at least five persons existed, given that 27 co‑accused were acquitted,…

Kiriti Pal was accused of murdering Anjali Goswami, a widow who was last seen alive with him on the evening of 11 November 2008 before being found dead the next morning in a jungle 25 km away. The trial court convicted Pal and three co‑accused (Siddique Mia, Mustaque Mia, and Durga Sutradhar) under sections 302, 120B, …

The appellants, brothers of the complainant, were convicted for assaulting the complainant and his associates with sickles and talwars, causing grievous injuries. The trial court sentenced them under Sections 307 and 427 IPC read with Section 34, which the High Court modified to Section 326 IPC with reduced imprisonmen…

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of seven accused under Sections 148 and 302 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Prabhu Dayal. The appellants argued that the FIR was unduly delayed, that there was no proof that Om Prakash ran over the victim with a tractor, and that no specific ove…

The appellant was convicted for raping a girl who was later found to be 14 years old at the time of the offence. The trial court had acquitted him on the basis that the girl was not below 16 years and had allegedly consented, but the High Court reversed this finding and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment. On app…

The appellants were members of a large group that attacked the complainant and his relatives with lathis, a gun, and other weapons, resulting in the death of Jugendra Pal Singh and injuries to others. They were convicted under IPC sections 147, 148, 149 and 307. On appeal they argued that the assault was a spur‑of‑the‑…

The appellant, Velayuda Pulavar, was tried for the murder of his brother Viswanatha Pulavar and the concealment of the dead body under IPC sections 302 and 201. The prosecution's case rested primarily on an extra‑judicial confession recorded by the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) in the presence of several witness…

The State alleged that three members of a family were killed when the accused fired gunshots at them while they were traveling in a bullock‑cart. The trial court convicted the accused under Sections 148 and 302 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code. On appeal, the Allahabad High Court acquitted them, holding t…

The appellant, Gamparai Hrudayaraju, was convicted under IPC sections 302 and 203 for the death of a woman with whom he had an illicit relationship. The trial court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence, primarily the testimony of witnesses PW‑5 and PW‑6. On app…

Manzar Sayeed Khan, the publisher of the book "Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India", and Vinod Hansraj Goyal, the printer, filed criminal miscellaneous petitions seeking clarification of a Supreme Court judgment dated 5 April 2007. The 2007 judgment had directed that the State of Maharashtra not proceed against the au…

The appellant Ram Bali Singh was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC based on the testimony of two eyewitnesses. He challenged the conviction alleging that medical evidence of an empty stomach contradicted the ocular evidence, that the investigation was defective because the gun was not forensic‑tested, that the …

The State of Orissa prosecuted Thakara Besra and another accused for rape under Section 376 of the IPC. The prosecutrix testified that the accused forced entry through the thatched roof, assaulted her, and left blood and semen stains on her petticoat, which were confirmed by medical and forensic reports. The trial cour…

The respondent, an Income Tax Officer, was tried and convicted by a Special Judge for accepting a bribe of Rs.12,500 under Section 161 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The prosecution relied on the testimony of two panch witnesses (postal off…

The appellants, Bhagirath and others, sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, sought to have the 14 years they had already spent in jail as under‑trial prisoners set off against their life sentences, invoking Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The Delhi High Court had rejected the claim, relying on…

Kapoor Chand, a British citizen of Indian origin, entered India with a car under the Carnet de Passage convention and later sought an import licence, altering an affidavit by changing "for three years" to "permanently". He was prosecuted under IPC s.420 read with s.511 (cheating) and related forgery provisions, despite…

Bhola Mahto was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC in 2002 and appealed the conviction in 2003. The appeal remained pending for over two decades while he was on bail, and when it was finally listed, no counsel appeared on his behalf, prompting the High Court to appoint an amicus curiae without informing the appe…

The deceased, K.H.M. Shivamurthaiah, died in a motor vehicle accident, leaving behind a family dependent on his earnings from agriculture, milk‑vending and tractor‑hiring. The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal (MACT) awarded compensation based on a notional monthly income of Rs.10,000, which the High Court reduced to Rs.8…

The appellant Pradeep Kumar was convicted for the murder of Umesh Chowdhary based on an alleged extra‑judicial confession, alleged animosity between the parties, and the recovery of keys and money. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the reliability of the confession, the credibility of witnesses who were themselves …

The appellant, Narendrasinh Keshubhai Zala, was convicted for murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC and for offences under the Arms Act based primarily on the testimony of a single eyewitness, PW‑3, who claimed to have seen the shooting. The Supreme Court examined the credibility of PW‑3, noting inconsistencies, …

The appellant Udayakumar (A‑2) was convicted for the murder of Purushothaman under Section 302 IPC, based primarily on the identification by a single eyewitness, PW‑1. The trial court and the High Court upheld his conviction despite acquitting the alleged conspirators (A‑1 and A‑3) and finding no material linking Udaya…

The victim Satyappa was murdered in broad daylight; eight men were accused. The trial court and the Karnataka High Court convicted all eight based primarily on the testimony of a single eyewitness, PW‑1, the brother of the deceased, despite most other prosecution witnesses turning hostile. The appellants challenged whe…

Guna Mahto was convicted for murdering his wife under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC, based largely on the testimony of a few eyewitnesses and an undisclosed statement of the investigating officer. The prosecution alleged that he killed his wife, disposed of her body in a village well, and later filed a false missing‑…

The victim of a rape alleged that, besides the two persons named in the FIR, a third individual, Nahar Singh, participated in the offence; his name appeared only in the victim's statement recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, taking cognizance of the offence under Section 190(1)(b) of t…

The second respondent lodged a complaint under Section 498A IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act against her husband and his parents. The accused filed an application under Section 205 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking exemption from personal appearance, citing the 1,750 km distance between their resi…

Bimal Gurung, president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the transfer of investigation of all FIRs (over 100 cases) lodged against him and other GJM members to an independent agency such as the CBI or NIA, alleging political bias and threat to life. The State of West Bengal …

The appellant, Taramani Parakh, filed a criminal complaint under Sections 498A and 34 IPC alleging dowry harassment and cruelty by her husband and his parents. The husband and his parents moved the High Court under Section 482 of the CrPC to quash the proceedings, claiming the allegations were vague, omnibus and amount…

The appellant, one of seven accused in a murder case, sought to have PW64, a prosecution witness who had earlier given statements implicating himself in the conspiracy, summoned as an additional accused under Section 319 of the Cr.P.C. The High Court dismissed the petition, holding that PW64’s testimony was protected b…

The complainant, pregnant from a love affair with accused No.1, was lured to a remote spot where accused No.2 restrained her and accused No.1 forced a poisonous insecticide into her mouth, causing her to faint but she survived. Both were convicted by the trial court and the Gujarat High Court under Section 307 read wit…

Heeralal, the husband of Prema Bai, was convicted by the trial court and the Madhya Pradesh High Court for murder under Section 302 IPC. The case hinged on two dying declarations of the deceased: one recorded by a Naib Tehsildar before a doctor, stating she attempted to set herself ablaze, and another recorded later by…

The appellant Arun, brother of the deceased Sampatrao Gopal Khandekar, was convicted of murder and related offences for killing his brother during a family land dispute. The appellant claimed he acted in private defence, alleging the deceased was the aggressor. The Supreme Court examined the principles of private defen…

The case arose from a land dispute in which the accused, including Siyaram, attacked the complainant Ramniwas, his brother Om Prakash and another person using weapons such as a farsa, sword and lathi, causing serious injuries. The trial court acquitted the accused on the ground of material contradictions and omissions …

Muralidhar, a bus driver, collided with a tempo on 3 December 1995, causing the death of a 16‑year‑old boy and grievous injuries to a passenger. He was convicted under IPC sections 279 (rash driving), 338 (grievous hurt) and 304‑A (death by negligence) and sentenced by the trial court to rigorous imprisonment (six mont…

Six persons formed an unlawful assembly and attacked Nellisetti Venu, resulting in his death by stabbing. The three appellants (A‑2, A‑3 and A‑6) were alleged to have caught hold of the deceased, while the other accused inflicted the fatal injuries. The appellants contended that they neither used weapons nor shared a c…

Ahmed Noormohmed Bhatti challenged the criminal proceedings initiated against him on complaints of private respondents and sought a declaration that Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was unconstitutional. The Gujarat High Court dismissed his petition, holding that the provision was limited to a 24‑hour …

The Bhiwandi Municipal Council took over a strip of land for road widening and granted the appellants only repair permission for the remaining land (ground + two storeys). The appellants nevertheless erected a six‑storey building. The Council served a notice under Sections 52 and 53 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town…

The Sessions Court tried six accused for the murder of Vemulapalli Buddah Prasad, framing charges under Sections 148, 302 and 324 IPC. The High Court set aside the convictions under Section 302, substituting them with convictions under Section 304 Part I for one accused and Section 326 for the others, holding that no c…

The petitioner, D.S. Agarwal, was detained under the Gujarat Prevention of Anti‑Social Activities Act, 1985 on 17 September 1988 on the ground that he was a dangerous person likely to disturb public order. The grounds of detention listed five criminal cases, two of which (serial Nos. 2 and 3) were shown as pending, alt…

The complainant filed an application under Sections 216 and 319 of the CrPC seeking the summoning and impleadment of two appellants as accused in a case involving offences under Sections 452, 294(b), 323 and 506(1) IPC. The trial court rejected the application, finding no sufficient evidence against the appellants, but…

The Supreme Court examined the murder of Venkatarama, where Krishnamurthy, Gopala and Thimmappa were convicted under Section 302 read with Section 34 IPC. Evidence showed Krishnamurthy brutally assaulted the victim after he fell, causing fatal injuries, establishing his liability for murder. The Court held that Gopala …

The appellants were convicted under Section 396 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for dacoity with murder after a robbery at a pawn‑broking shop in 2002, during which one victim was strangled. The trial court sentenced them to ten years' rigorous imprisonment, but the High Court enhanced the sentence to lif…

The appellant, an advocate, was charged by his client for failing to return a cheque handed over for filing a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and for not obtaining an acknowledgment of its return. The Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Council of India found him guilty of gross neg…

The appellant was accused of cheating under Section 420 IPC for allegedly failing to honour a 1988 agreement to sell a house and retain an advance payment. The complainant sent a legal notice in 1996, which the appellant denied, and only filed a private complaint under Section 200 CrPC in 1999, more than eleven years a…

Alpic Finance Ltd., a non‑banking financial company, financed Rs 92.5 million for the purchase of 100 dental chairs for a trust run by the respondents under a lease‑hire purchase agreement. The respondents defaulted on rental instalments and some chairs were found missing, prompting Alpic to file a private criminal com…

The State of Uttar Pradesh appealed the Allahabad High Court's acquittal of Ashok Dixit and Chaman Lal, who had been convicted by a Sessions Court for murder (IPC s.302), attempt to murder (IPC s.307) and illegal possession of arms (Arms Act s.25). The prosecution relied on eyewitnesses, a child witness, ballistic and …

A dacoity and murder occurred on 9 June 1985 in the house of informant Bhupendra Mohan Singh. Nine persons were charged under IPC Sections 396 and 412; the trial court convicted five and acquitted four, a decision upheld by the High Court. Three of the convicted—Mahmood, Mokid Alam and Post Card (Jagdish Mehto)—appeale…

The appellants, Vijayan and Sadanandan, were convicted by the Kerala High Court for murder and conspiracy under Sections 302 and 120B IPC based largely on circumstantial evidence, identification testimony, a dying declaration, and bullets recovered from the second accused's house. The Supreme Court held that the identi…

The petitioners sought a writ of prohibition to stop the further telecast of the TV serial "Tamas", alleging that its content would incite communal violence and violate Articles 21 and 25 of the Constitution as well as Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and IPC sections 153A/153B. The serial, based on Bhisham Sa…

The State of Karnataka appealed against the Karnataka High Court's order quashing the conviction of Kuppuswamy Gounder for murder and assault. The High Court had set aside the conviction on the ground that the case had been transferred among Sessions Judges without a formal order under s.407 CrPC and that the trial was…

The respondents, convicted under IPC sections 148, 302 and 149, appealed to the Calcutta High Court. The High Court admitted the appeal but, without receiving the Sessions Court records or fixing a hearing date, acquitted the respondents based on an alleged concession by the public prosecutor. The complainant filed a S…

The appellant R.S. Nayak filed a private complaint against the respondent A.R. Antulay, then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, alleging corruption under Sections 161, 164, 165 IPC and Section 5 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The complaint was initially dismissed for lack of a sanction under Section 6 of the 19…

The appellant, A.R. Antulay, challenged the jurisdiction of a Special Judge who had taken cognizance of corruption offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, based on a private complaint filed by the respondent, R.S. Nayak. The issues were whether a Special Judge could entertain a private complaint under th…

The appellant, a police officer, was ordered by a Judicial Magistrate to register an FIR under Sections 323, 294, 500, 504 and 506 IPC after a complainant filed an application under Section 156(3) CrPC alleging humiliation and assault. The Magistrate, relying on the complainant’s narrative, directed police investigatio…

The appellants Irfan and Asif Mevati were convicted of kidnapping, rape, and related offences and sentenced to death based largely on a DNA profiling report (Exhibit‑157). The trial court and the High Court relied on the report without examining any of the scientific experts who prepared it, and the appellants were giv…

The appellant Vijayakumar, together with friends, was returning from a movie late at night when they encountered the deceased, who was allegedly drunk and slapped the appellant. In a sudden altercation, the appellant picked up a cement brick and struck the deceased on the head, causing death, and later set the body on …

Vikash Tiwary, a life convict serving a sentence for multiple offences, was transferred by the Inspector General of Prisons from Hazaribagh Central Jail to Central Jail, Dumka on 17 May 2023 after the jail superintendent warned of a potential gang war and insufficient staff to control notorious inmates. The respondent …

The appellant Mahendra Awase was charged under Section 306 of the IPC for allegedly abetting the suicide of Ranjit Singh, who had taken a loan and was reportedly harassed by the appellant for repayment. The prosecution relied on a suicide note and audio transcripts of heated conversations, but the Supreme Court examine…

The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, was added as accused No.37 in FIR No.29/2021 alleging massive misappropriation of funds related to skill development projects, invoking offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the IPC. He sought quashing of the FIR and the remand order…

The petitioners, Bimla Tiwari (informant), challenged a Patna High Court order that granted pre‑arrest bail to the accused in a dowry‑related case (IPC §§406, 420; Dowry Act §§3, 4) subject to the accused’s payment of Rs 75,000. The Supreme Court examined whether bail can be conditioned on monetary payment and whether …

The State, represented by the CBI, sought cancellation of the default bail granted to T. Gangi Reddy under Section 167(2) of the Cr.P.C. after the CBI filed a chargesheet for the murder of former MLA Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy. The High Court dismissed the application, holding that bail granted on default could not be canc…

Mukesh Kumar Raigar, a constable in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), was found to have suppressed details of a pending criminal case in his verification form at the time of appointment. Disciplinary proceedings under CISF Rules 36 and 54 led to his removal from service after a fresh departmental enquiry. R…

The appellant, a postal sorting assistant, was convicted of theft of a registered insured parcel containing a gold chain under Section 381 IPC and of a breach of duty under Section 52 of the Indian Post Office Act. Both offences arose from the same incident and were tried together, resulting in separate six‑month simpl…

The appellant was convicted under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) for forcibly raping a 14‑year‑old girl. He argued that only an attempt to rape occurred and that, under the proviso to Section 376(1), the sentence could be reduced below the statutory minimum of seven years for adequate and speci…

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted two brothers, A-1 and A-2, for murdering Trilokchand under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC, alleging a long‑standing dispute over a well. The trial court, relying on the sole eye‑witness PW‑6, convicted both brothers, holding that A‑1 threw stones while A‑2 sat on the victim’s chest, th…

The appellant, president of a political party, alleged that the second respondent, a sitting Member of Parliament, attacked his convoy on 12 August 2009, resulting in one death and one injury. The second respondent was arrested and later filed a bail application, which the High Court granted conditionally despite the a…

Hawa Singh and several co‑accused entered the house of Man Singh armed with swords and other weapons with the intention of teaching him a lesson. Hawa Singh struck Man Singh on the head with a sword, causing fatal injuries. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC read with Section 34 and Section 452…

The appellant Raj Nath, his two sons and three others were charged with murder, attempted murder and rioting under Sections 302, 307, 148, 141 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution proved that the accused opened fire on the informant and his companions, causing four deaths and injuries, based on eye‑witness…

Laxminath shot arrows at Mahgin Bai and her mother‑in‑law, Gangadei, during a dispute; one arrow struck Gangadei’s chest and she later died. The trial court convicted Laxminath under Sections 302 (murder) and 324 IPC, sentencing him to life imprisonment and two years respectively, a judgment upheld by the Chhattisgarh …

The appellant, a British journalist, alleged that she was forcibly raped by the operator of the guest house where she was staying in Udaipur. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 376 of the IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Rajasthan High Court, however, suspended the sentence and granted b…

The appellant Kunju @ Balachandran was convicted of murder (IPC s.302) and assault (IPC s.341) based primarily on the testimony of a single eyewitness, PW‑2, who saw the accused attack the deceased. The trial court, and subsequently the Madras High Court, upheld the conviction despite the fact that the original informa…

The appellants, Bishnu Prasad Sinha and a co‑accused, were convicted of raping and murdering a 7‑8‑year‑old girl who was staying overnight in a travel agency’s waiting room. The prosecution’s case rested on the night watchman’s voluntary confession recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, corroborated by circumstantial …

The appellant, a mechanic, lured a five‑year‑old girl, took her away and allegedly committed sexual assault, including intercourse through the rectum. The girl identified the accused the next day and a medical report corroborated the assault. The trial court convicted him under IPC sections 363, 376, 511 and 377, and t…

Virendra Kumar was tried for the death of his wife, Pushpa, and was initially convicted under Section 302 IPC for murder. The Allahabad High Court set aside that conviction and convicted him under Section 306 IPC for abetment of suicide, relying on a presumption under Section 113A of the Evidence Act despite no specifi…

Mehboob Dawood Shaikh was accused of instigating a mob assault and murder during a communal riot in Solapur. After being denied bail by the Sessions Judge, the Bombay High Court granted him bail. The State later moved an application under Section 439(2) of the CrPC to cancel the bail, alleging that Shaikh threatened a …

The State of Karnataka charged M. Devendarappa and another with forging bank guarantees and impersonating a bank manager, invoking IPC sections 465, 468, 471, 420 and 120‑B. The Karnataka High Court, exercising its inherent power under Section 482 of the CrPC, quashed the proceedings on the ground that there was no def…

The State of Punjab appealed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order quashing an FIR that alleged offences under Sections 419, 420, 467 and 468 IPC committed during civil proceedings. The High Court had held that Section 195(1)(b)(ii) of the Criminal Procedure Code barred police investigation into such offenc…

The State of Punjab appealed the acquittal of Gurmit Singh and two others for abduction, wrongful confinement and rape of a minor girl. The trial court had disbelieved the prosecutrix, citing her ignorance of car details, alleged delay in filing the FIR, and alleged family enmity. The Supreme Court held that the girl’s…

The appellant, Babu Lal, was appointed on an ad‑hoc basis as Sub‑Inspector, Food & Supplies in Haryana in 1975. He was suspended on 15 April 1980 because criminal proceedings under IPC s.420 were pending, and his services were terminated on 17 November 1980 while the suspension was still in force. He was acquitted of t…

The respondent, A.C. Dighe, a district chief of the Shiv Sena party, was arrested for the murder of a corporator and charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and several sections of the Indian Penal Code. The designated court in Pune granted him bail while the investigation wa…

Six members of a family were murdered in a house on 23 January 2014. The prosecution relied primarily on the ocular testimony of two interested witnesses, PW‑1 (Ali Sher Khan) and PW‑2 (Jaan Mohammad), who were closely related to both the deceased and the accused. The Supreme Court held that because the witnesses were …

The appellant, Smt. S. Vanitha, sought to remain in a house that she claimed was her matrimonial home and a "shared household" under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDV Act). Her parents‑in‑law, invoking the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (Senior Citizens Act…

The Supreme Court examined whether the police could lawfully freeze the bank accounts of Teesta Atul Setalvad, Javed Anand and related trusts under Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) without prior notice to the account holders. The investigation, stemming from an FIR alleging misappropriation of donation…

The appellant, a 28‑year‑old agriculturist, suffered total paralysis when a tractor at a demonstration turned turtle and fell on him. He claimed compensation before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which awarded Rs.8,66,000 based on his disability and loss of earning capacity. The insurer contended that the appellan…

The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights and other NGOs filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking enforcement of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and its 1995 Rules, alleging widespread non‑implementation by State and Central authorities. They pleaded for directions…

The case concerned the death of Kishan Sikand, who was killed by a parcel bomb on 2 October 1982. The prosecution alleged that Lt. Col. S.J. Chaudhary, the ex‑husband of Rani Chaudhary, manufactured the bomb out of motive to prevent her living with Sikand. The trial court convicted Chaudhary under Section 302 IPC and S…

The State of Himachal Pradesh appealed the acquittal of Sanjay Kumar, the paternal uncle of a nine‑year‑old girl, who was convicted by a trial court for raping the girl under IPC s.376(2)(j) and for criminal intimidation under s.506. The High Court set aside the conviction, relying on the three‑year delay in filing the…

The appellant, a property dealer, was charged in FIR No.107/2007 for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy arising from a dispute over the sale of flats. He repeatedly applied for anticipatory bail, but the Rajasthan High Court rejected each application on the ground that a challan had been presented. The Supreme C…

The deceased Sarla suffered severe burns on 16 August 1999 and died on 19 August 1999. Three dying declarations were recorded: the first two (Ex D‑3 and Ex P‑3) were taken on the day of the incident by police in the presence of doctors, wherein she stated the fire was accidental and no one was responsible; the third (E…

Baikunth Singh filed a complaint under IPC s.406, leading the trial court to take cognizance and issue summons against respondents 2 and 3. The respondents filed a petition under CrPC s.482, impleading the appellant, and the Patna High Court quashed the trial court's order without giving any notice to the complainant, …

The case involved the murder of a school teacher by a group of accused who entered the classroom and assaulted him with iron rods, resulting in 44 injuries. The prosecution relied primarily on child witnesses and two chance witnesses, while the defence challenged the reliability of their testimony, the delays in record…

M.R. Kudva, a bank manager, was convicted in two separate cases for offences under Sections 120B, 420, 468, 471 IPC and Section 5(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, receiving 18 months' rigorous imprisonment in one case and two years in the other. Both convictions and sentences were upheld by the High Court and th…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by the father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law (appellants) against a Delhi High Court order that held the second floor of a house owned by the mother‑in‑law to be the matrimonial home of their daughter‑in‑law, Taruna Batra. The wife had earlier lived in the house with her husband but lat…

The case involved 39 accused persons alleged to have assaulted and caused the deaths of two villagers in Patharlapalle. The trial court convicted some and acquitted others, while the Andhra Pradesh High Court acquitted all, finding the prosecution’s case riddled with inconsistencies, delayed FIR filing, doubtful witnes…

Advocate S.K. Sundaram sent a telegram to Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand on 3 November 2000 demanding his resignation, threatening criminal complaints under IPC sections 420, 406, 468 and 471, a writ of quo‑warranto and a demand for Rs 3 crore. He later filed a criminal complaint before a magistrate, attaching the t…

The respondent, Subhra Chakraborty, filed a criminal complaint against Bodhisattwa Gautam under IPC sections 312, 420, 493, 496 and 498‑A alleging false promise of marriage, a secret marriage, sexual relations, and forced abortions. Gautam sought to quash the complaint via a petition under CrPC s.482, which the Gauhati…

The case concerned the murder of Jadoo and injuries to three others during a waylaying by twelve accused. The trial court convicted eleven of the accused, including Maqsoodan, under sections 302, 307 and related provisions, sentencing Maqsoodan to death. On appeal, the Allahabad High Court reduced Maqsoodan's sentence …

Anand Kumar Mohatta and his wife entered into a 1993 development agreement with Ansal Properties, under which the developer deposited Rs.1 crore as a security to be refunded upon handing over possession. The agreement became impossible to perform due to new building regulations, and the Mohattas retained the security w…

U.P. Jal Nigam (appellant) had declared the appointments of 122 candidates void on 11 August 2017, but the Allahabad High Court set aside that order, holding it violated natural justice and that the authority had not distinguished between tainted and untainted candidates. The High Court granted the appellant liberty to…

The case concerns the murder of Ram Singh by a group of five assailants armed with firearms and lathis. The son of the deceased, PW‑1, witnessed the attack, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) within about one and a half hours, and identified the accused. All three eye‑witnesses (PW‑1, PW‑2, PW‑3) testified, and a …

Satin Chandrapegu was convicted under Section 409 IPC for alleged misappropriation of Rs.91,006 and sentenced to two years' imprisonment with a fine. His appeal to the Sessions Court was dismissed, and he filed a criminal revision under Sections 397, 401 and 482 of the CrPC before the Guwahati High Court. At the hearin…

The deceased, Jameela, was allegedly pregnant by the appellant Saju and refused to abort the pregnancy. She was later stabbed to death by accused No.1 (Biju). The prosecution alleged that Saju conspired with Biju to murder her, securing convictions under Sections 109, 120‑B and 302 IPC. On appeal, the Supreme Court exa…

Kartik Malhar was convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment based primarily on the testimony of Fulmani, the widow of the deceased, after two other eye‑witnesses turned hostile. The appellant argued that a conviction could not rest on a single, highly interested witness and that the l…

A 29‑year‑old woman, Chandrakala, vanished near Bharana Naka while alighting from a bus and was later found dead, having been raped and throttled. The initial police investigation wrongly focused on the bus crew, but CID Inspector Kulkarni later implicated three accused – a hotel waiter (appellant No.1) and two young m…

Mrs. Dhanalakshmi filed a criminal complaint before a Metropolitan Magistrate alleging that her husband, R. Pra. Anna Kumar, had committed bigamy and other offences by marrying another woman while divorce proceedings were pending. The High Court, invoking its inherent powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Pr…

The appellant, Chandramani Nanda, suffered severe head injuries in a motor vehicle accident on 16 January 2014, resulting in 100% functional disability and loss of earning capacity. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded him ₹20,60,385, which the High Court enhanced to ₹30,99,873 by treating his disability as 100% …

The former minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, accused of offences under Sections 376D, 376, 511, 504, 506 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act, was admitted to King George Medical University (KGMU) for treatment of multiple ailments and later shifted to the super‑specialty Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institu…

The case arose from a quarrel on 13 September 2005 between the President of Nandigavi Village Panchayat and several villagers over alleged road‑repair work, which led to the formation of an unlawful assembly that beat the deceased to death. The accused were charged under multiple IPC sections including murder, unlawful…

Shyam Vithalrao Devkatta filed a criminal complaint under Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957 alleging that the film "Desi Boyz" infringed the copyright in the title of his story synopsis "Desi Boys". The accused filed applications under Section 482 of the CrPC to quash the complaint; the Bombay High Court dismissed …

The appellant, Khumbha Ram, sought to challenge the acquittal of his daughter’s husband and others for the death of his daughter Kamla, which occurred within seven years of marriage and was alleged to involve dowry harassment. The trial court acquitted the accused, finding insufficient evidence of harassment and no med…

The case involved the alleged rape and murder of a 12‑year‑old girl, Anita, whose father Ram Sunder Sen filed a criminal complaint against Narendra @ Bode Singh Patel. The trial court convicted Patel under IPC sections 302, 376(2)(f) and 201, imposing death, life imprisonment and a seven‑year term respectively. On appe…

The appellants were charged with assaulting the deceased with a lathi and an axe, which resulted in his death, and also assaulting three other villagers who came to his aid. The trial court acquitted them on the ground that the eye‑witnesses were relatives of the deceased and that the medical evidence was insufficient,…

The Union of India appealed the trial court's acquittal of accused Nos. 5‑9 and the acquittal of accused Nos. 1‑4 under Section 1208 IPC in a case of election‑related violence in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The trial court had convicted accused Nos. 1‑4 on several offences but acquitted them on the conspiracy charge, and a…

The appellant, Montri Sreenu, was convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murdering his mother‑in‑law, Batta Chandramma. The prosecution relied on the appellant’s confession before a magistrate, extra‑judicial confessions to witnesses, recovery of a stone and stick allegedly used as weapons, and medica…

The State of Haryana charged Sher Singh with rash driving and causing death by negligence under IPC sections 279 and 304A after a bus he was alleged to be driving struck a pedestrian who later gave a dying declaration. The trial court and the first appellate court convicted him, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court acqu…

The appellants were charged with kidnapping a minor, demanding a ransom of Rs.3 lakh and threatening the victim’s father. The trial court acquitted them, citing discrepancies in witness testimonies and questioning the credibility of certain witnesses. On appeal, the High Court re‑appreciated the evidence, held the vict…

The appellants, Parasa Raju Manikyala Rao and another, were convicted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Parasa Satyanarayana. They appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that no common intention to commit murder could be proved and that…

The deceased Jai Kishan was attacked and killed by Dharamvir and Sunil Kumar after a dispute involving a local eunuch. Rajesh, the brother of the deceased, witnessed the assault and later identified the accused, becoming the sole eye‑witness (PW5) whose testimony formed the basis of the prosecution case. The trial cour…

Twelve accused were convicted under Sections 394 and 395 of the IPC for a dacoity and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. Their appeal before the Patna High Court was heard by a single judge after the appellants' counsel failed to appear, and the appeal was dismissed on merits, confirming the conviction. The…

The case concerned the murder of the village Sarpanch, Nethala Veeraswamy, for which twelve persons were charged. The trial court convicted all under Section 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC, but the Andhra Pradesh High Court set aside the convictions of seven accused and upheld the convictions of five (A-1, A-2, A…

The appellant Yashpal Singh alleged that a land dispute led the accused, including respondent No.2 Mehtab, to drive a tractor over standing crops and attack him and his family, resulting in the death of his brother and serious injuries to others. The FIR named the accused and they were arrested; the trial court denied …

The appellant, Vijaya, allegedly ingested a poisonous substance and gave it to her 10‑month‑old daughter, who later died. A statement recorded by a Judicial Magistrate on 11‑Oct‑2012 was treated as a dying declaration, but the appellant survived and subsequently denied making the statement. The trial court and High Cou…

The appellant, a truck driver, was stopped by Sub‑Inspector D.K. Tiwari who attempted to board the vehicle; the appellant pushed the officer, causing him to fall off and be run over by the truck's rear wheels, resulting in the officer's death. The trial court convicted the appellant of murder under Section 302 IPC and …

The case arose from a murder trial where the charge sheet under IPC sections 302, 201, 342 and 120B was filed against two accused. Twenty‑eight witnesses, including PW4 (Sawarmal) and PW5 (Chandri), had given statements that supported the prosecution. After about fourteen months, PW4 and PW5 filed applications under Se…

The appellant was convicted of murder (Sec. 302 IPC), rape (Sec. 376 IPC), robbery (Sec. 394 read with Sec. 397 IPC) and assault (Sec. 447 IPC) for the assault and death of a 23‑year‑old woman on a moving train. DNA evidence linked the appellant's seminal stains and blood to the victim, establishing the rape beyond dou…

The State, represented by the Inspector of Police (Central Crime Branch), appealed against the Madras High Court's order quashing criminal proceedings against R. Vasanti Stanley and her husband for allegedly forging documents to obtain loans from several banks. The High Court had set aside the charges on the basis that…

The appellants were convicted of murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC based primarily on the testimony of the deceased's wife, corroborated by the investigating officer and a post‑mortem report. They challenged the conviction on several grounds, including that the FIR was lodged after the inquest report and ther…

The Supreme Court examined whether Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) could suspend coal supplies to 45 industrial consumers under a Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) when no FIR had been filed against those consumers. The Court noted that Clause 4.4 of the FSA and the 2007 New Coal Distribution Policy permit suspension only …

Surendra Pratap Singh filed an FIR alleging that his brother was murdered by four persons, including MLA Brijesh Mishra. While three accused were arrested, the MLA evaded arrest and later secured a transfer of the investigation to the CBI, after which the Uttar Pradesh government withdrew eight cases against him. The p…

The respondents, Alok Fuels Ltd. and others, were supplied coal by Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL) under a Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) that required the coal to be used only in their plants. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged an FIR alleging that the respondents were diverting the allotted coal to the open…

The appellants were charged with kidnapping, wrongful confinement and repeated rape of the prosecutrix on the night of 23 September 1985. The prosecutrix alleged that she was dragged, repeatedly raped by several accused and released the next morning, while her husband was beaten and locked in a room. The trial court ac…

The case involved six accused who, armed with weapons and bombs, formed an unlawful assembly and murdered Sundaram. The trial court convicted them under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 307 IPC and Section 9(b)(1)(b) of the Indian Explosives Act, relying heavily on the testimony of two eyewitnesses who were close relatives…

The appellants were convicted for offences under Sections 143, 147, 341, 307 and 149 of the IPC, with the High Court altering the conviction for the assault to Section 326 read with Section 149 and imposing eight years' rigorous imprisonment plus a Rs.500 fine. The appellants challenged the conviction and sentence as d…

The appellant, Malleshi, abducted a college student (PW‑2) by deceit, threatened him and communicated a demand of Rs 4 lakh to be paid by the victim's father for his release. The demand was not conveyed to the father because the accused were arrested before it could be made. The trial court convicted the appellant unde…

The case arose from a gang‑related shoot‑out at J.J. Hospital in 1992 that resulted in the death of Shailesh Haldankar and injuries to several persons. The appellants, Suresh Budharmal Kalani and Dr. Aken Kumar Gajendra Rai Desai, were charged under Sections 3(3) and 3(4) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Pre…

The petitioner, Inder Singh, filed a habeas corpus petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking the release of seven of his relatives who were allegedly abducted by a senior police officer, Baldev Singh, D.S.P., and six other policemen in October 1991. The victims remain untraced; a FIR was lodged only in Marc…

The accused were charged with murder of two brothers under Sections 302 and 34 IPC. The trial court acquitted them, relying on a purported custom of the Aher community that a widow should not leave her house for 45 days after her husband's death, and finding the eye‑witnesses' testimony doubtful. The State appealed, an…

The appellant was arrested for offences under Sections 147, 148, 302 and 323 read with 149 IPC and, after the investigating agency failed to file a charge‑sheet within the 90‑day period prescribed by the proviso to Section 167(2) of the CrPC, the Sessions Judge released him on bail. After the charge‑sheet was later fil…

Gulab Mehra, an under‑trial prisoner, was served with a detention order under Section 3(2) of the National Security Act while already in jail. He challenged the order on grounds that the detention grounds were vague, the detaining authority had not applied its mind, and that a preventive detention cannot be validly mad…

The appellant-husband filed a petition for divorce under Section 13(1)(a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, alleging cruelty, but the Family Court dismissed it and the High Court upheld that dismissal. The parties had been living separately since October 2009, amounting to over sixteen years of estrangement, and the appellant…

The appellant, a building owner, conspired with officials of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation and an architect to obtain a spurious renovation permit and then demolish an existing structure to erect a four‑storeyed commercial building in a zone where such construction is prohibited. A vigilance enquiry esta…

The appellant was convicted and sentenced to death for murder, rape and robbery based on circumstantial evidence, a last‑seen theory, confessions, recovered items and DNA evidence. The Supreme Court examined whether these evidentiary pillars were proved beyond reasonable doubt and whether the investigation complied wit…

The appellant, Ram Prakash Chadha, was charged in a custodial death case (FIR No.371/1993) with offences including murder and criminal conspiracy, and he sought discharge under Section 227 of the Cr.PC. The trial court rejected his discharge application, relying on alleged suspicions that he had facilitated the police’…

The appellant, husband of the first accused, filed a private complaint alleging that his wife, while still married to him, contracted a second marriage and bore a child, constituting bigamy under s.494 IPC. The trial court convicted the two accused and sentenced them to one year of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs.2,000 …

The case involved a double murder in 1994 for which ten persons were charged under several IPC sections. One accused, Chhote Singh, was elected MLA in 2007 and the trial court allowed his prosecution to be withdrawn under Section 321 CrPC, citing his good public image, while rejecting similar applications of the other …

The appellant-wife filed criminal and civil proceedings alleging cruelty, hurt and dowry demands by her husband, leading to multiple interim maintenance orders. After nine years of separation, failed reconciliations and pending litigations, the parties mutually agreed that the marriage was irretrievably broken. The Sup…

Mekala Sivaiah, harboring a grudge against the deceased agriculturalist, attacked him on 6 September 2006 by sprinkling chilli powder in his eyes and stabbing him with a knife, causing fatal injuries. The prosecution presented four eyewitnesses and medical evidence, leading the Trial Court to convict Sivaiah under Sect…

The appellants were added as accused under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in a murder trial and were later discharged by the trial court under Section 227. The High Court set aside the discharge, prompting a Supreme Court appeal. The Court examined whether a person summoned as an accused under Section 31…

The appellants, a group of ten accused, were charged with offences including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons under Section 324 read with Section 34 of the IPC, among other sections. The trial court acquitted them, finding reasonable doubt due to inconsistencies in prosecution witnesses and lack of corrobo…

The appellant, Subodh Kumar Yadav, was charged under Section 498A IPC and other offences. He surrendered before a Judicial Magistrate First Class and was granted bail on the same day, without the complainant’s counsel being heard and after the magistrate called for the case record from the Sessions Court. The Sessions …

The husband, Raj Kumar, assaulted his wife with a stone‑rolling pad after she refused to withdraw maintenance proceedings under Section 125 CrPC. The victim died from head injuries; her dying declarations implicated the husband. The trial courts convicted him under Sections 302 and 498A IPC. On appeal, the Supreme Cour…

The case involved three accused (A1, A2, A3) charged with murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. A3 fired the fatal shots, while A2 was unarmed, did not perform any overt act, and no evidence linked him to a common intention with the others. Both the trial court and the Madhya Pradesh H…

Motilal Gadariya was convicted for raping his neighbour's wife, a married woman, under IPC sections 376(1) and 450 and for an offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The trial court sentenced him to five years for the offence against a married woman and seven years for rape; the High Court affirmed. The…

The victim, Krishna Jadhav, was allegedly assaulted by several accused with sticks, an axe and an iron pipe and died at the scene. The trial court acquitted the accused, finding discrepancies in the eye‑witness testimonies and questioning the investigation. The Karnataka High Court re‑examined the evidence, held that t…

The appellant, a self‑styled godman, claimed to possess divine healing powers and charged a complainant Rs. 15,000 to cure his congenitally mute daughter. When the promised cure did not occur, the complainant filed a cheating complaint. The police initially reported the matter a "mistake of fact" based on religious bel…

The State of Tamil Nadu appealed against the Madras High Court’s order that suspended the convictions and sentences of four public servants, including A. Jaganathan, who had been convicted under IPC sections 392, 218, 466 and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The High Court had relied on Rama Narang v. Ramesh Narang, h…

The State of Maharashtra prosecuted Sukhdev Singh (Accused No.1) and Harjinder Singh Jinda (Accused No.5) for the murder of retired General Vaidya under the IPC and TADA. The trial court convicted both of murder (IPC ss.302, 307, 34) and sentenced them to death, relying on eyewitness identification, statements under se…

The Special Police Establishment (SPE) of Madhya Pradesh, constituted under the 1947 Act to investigate corruption‑related offences, was directed by the High Court to disclose information sought by a Town Inspector under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI). The appellant argued that a 2011 State Government notific…

The case involved senior officials of BHEL and private individuals accused of conspiring to award a contract for a desalination plant through a restricted tender, allegedly causing a loss of Rs.4.32 crore to the PSU. The prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of an approver who had been granted pardon under Sectio…

In February 2012 two Indian fishermen were killed when Italian marines aboard the vessel M.V. Enrica Lexie opened fire. An FIR was lodged in Kerala and the marines were arrested, leading to criminal proceedings under sections 302, 307, 427 and 34 of the IPC and the 2002 Suppression of Unlawful Acts Act. The parties inv…

The Supreme Court examined petitions under Article 32 challenging the All India Pre‑Medical and Pre‑Dental Entrance Test 2015, alleging that a criminal syndicate used electronic gadgets to transmit answer keys to candidates during the exam. Investigation reports identified a network involving over 300 devices, 358 mobi…

The appellants Kalu Ram and others were convicted by the trial court under Section 304(1) read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. They filed an appeal against the conviction, while an informant filed a criminal revision petition seeking conviction under Section…

The petitioner, Rohit Chaturvedi, was convicted for murder under Sections 120B and 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007. After serving more than twenty‑two years, he sought premature release, which was recommended by the Uttarakhand State Government but rejected by the Ministry of Home Affairs in a letter…

The appellant, Virender Pal, was convicted under Section 304‑B of the IPC for the dowry death of his wife, Punita, who allegedly died after being harassed for dowry demands. The prosecution presented testimony that the husband and his relatives repeatedly demanded money, subjected the victim to physical and mental crue…

The complainant, a government teacher, alleged that the accused induced him to invest in benami land deals and later failed to deliver the promised plots and profits, leading him to file both a civil suit and a criminal FIR. The accused sought quashing of the FIR and charge sheet, arguing that the dispute was purely ci…

The appellant was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 3 October 2023 without the arrest memo containing the specific grounds of arrest, only generic reasons. He was presented before a Remand Judge on 4 October 2023 and remanded to police custody, but the copy of the remand application and …

The appellant, Rajendra Kolhe, was convicted of murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC for allegedly setting his wife Rekha on fire with the aid of his brother‑in‑law. The conviction was based primarily on Rekha's dying declaration (Ex. 59) recorded in the hospital, which implicated the appellant and …

The case arose from a long-standing land dispute in Himachal Pradesh where the deceased, Prem Dass, was attacked by a group of seven accused while returning from a nearby village. The assault with weapons caused a scalp injury that later led to hemorrhage and death. The trial court convicted all seven under Sections 30…

In 1988 a road‑rage incident in Patiala resulted in the death of Gurnam Singh after alleged fist blows by Navjot Singh Sidhu (A‑1). Rupinder Singh Sandhu (A‑2) was also alleged to have been present. The Sessions Court acquitted both accused; the Punjab & Haryana High Court reversed the acquittal, convicting them under …

The case arose from a violent incident on 2 July 1998 in a village in Haryana where Gopal was killed after a quarrel over trespass of a paddy field. The prosecution charged ten persons under Sections 148, 149, 323, 325 and 302 IPC, alleging an unlawful assembly that murdered Gopal. The trial court convicted all ten und…

The State alleged that Abdul Razak and others tied, assaulted and caused the death of Basavaraj, invoking sections 304 Part II and 34 of the IPC. The trial court acquitted the accused, finding the brother and mother of the deceased, who claimed to be eye‑witnesses, unreliable. The High Court reversed the acquittal and …

The case involved the kidnapping of a five‑year‑old boy, Vicky, for ransom and his subsequent murder. The child’s sister, a seven‑year‑old witness, identified the primary kidnappers (A‑3 and A‑5) and testified consistently, while the father’s testimony corroborated her account. The Supreme Court held that the child’s t…

The appellants, Shabnam and Saleem, were convicted under IPC s.302 read with s.34 for the pre‑planned murder of seven members of Shabnam's family, including a ten‑month‑old infant. The trial court sentenced them to death, a decision affirmed by the High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the case qual…

Jafar Imam Naqvi, a practising advocate, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a mandamus directing the Election Commission of India to take stern action against politicians and parties making hate speeches during the election campaign, including cancellation of party recognition and candidature. The petitione…

Shyam Narain was convicted under IPC s.376(2)(f) for raping an eight‑year‑old girl. The trial court relied on the child's testimony, corroborating medical evidence of genital injuries, and the accused's conduct, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Delhi High Court affirmed the conviction and sentence. On appeal…

The appellant, Thoti Manohar (A‑2), was convicted along with his brother (A‑1) and cousin (A‑3) for the murder of Kuppuswamy Modali and related offences. The prosecution alleged that A‑1 had an illicit relationship with the victim's cousin, leading to a series of disputes, cattle raids, and a violent confrontation on 2…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appealed against the Madras High Court’s order quashing criminal proceedings against A. Ravishankar Prasad and others for alleged conspiracy, forgery and fraud involving Indian Bank. The respondents had settled civil dues of Rs.157 crore, and argued that the settlement extingui…

Suraj Lamp & Industries Ltd. filed a Special Leave Petition challenging a High Court order that held Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 to be merely directory. The company alleged that its land purchase in Gurugram was effected through a sale agreement, General Power of Attorney and a will (SA‑GPA‑Will) r…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of Subhash Chandra and others, who were convicted under IPC sections 302, 324, 323, 147, 148 read with 149 for the murder of Phool Chand Tiwari and injuries to two others. The appellants argued that the FIR statements conflicted with the injured witnesses' testimonies, that only bl…

Dalbir Singh, the nephew of Ram Pratap, was convicted of murder (IPC s.302) and rioting (IPC s.148) for killing his uncle over a property dispute. The sole eyewitness, the victim's father Surja Ram (PW‑8), identified Dalbir by his voice in a dark‑night setting, though he could not name the other assailants who were acq…

Amol Singh and another were convicted for the murder of Saraswati Bai under IPC s.302 r.w. s.34. The deceased gave two dying declarations, one recorded by an ASI and another by an Executive Magistrate, which differed on the motive and the manner of being doused with kerosene. The High Court held the variations insignif…

Five police officials were convicted for the murder of Arunbharathi, who died from burn injuries. The trial court relied on a dying declaration recorded by a Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) four days before the victim's death, while discarding earlier statements to doctors where the victim claimed he set himself on fi…

The appellants were convicted for the murder of Ramdas under Sections 302 and 149 IPC. The prosecution alleged that a group of seven persons, some armed with swords and a knife, assaulted the deceased, with accused No.2 delivering a fatal stab wound. The trial and High Courts held that a common object to kill existed d…

A collision between a Tempo Trax and an untraced truck resulted in the death of a passenger. A claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 was filed against the driver, owner and insurer of the Tempo, but the Motor Vehicles Accident Claims Tribunal dismissed it, finding no rash or negligent driving…

The appellant, a food‑grain exporter, appointed the respondents as agents to arrange rail transport of wheat and rice. The respondents allegedly committed fraud, cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds, offences alleged to have been committed mainly in Uttar Pradesh but also involving …

The appellant, Suresh Kumar Agarwal, was accused by M/s Haldia Steels Ltd. of fraud and criminal misappropriation relating to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the transfer of a mining lease and share transfer. The complaint, filed six years after the alleged breach, alleged that an advance of Rs.50 lakh was paid…

The petitioners, Janshruti (People’s Voice), filed a writ under Article 32 seeking gender‑neutral guidelines for domestic violence complaints and a declaration that Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (now Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) is unconstitutional. The Court examined whether the provision violate…

The appellants, who are relatives of a husband, were summoned in a complaint under IPC sections 498A, 323, 504, 506 and Dowry Act s.4 after the husband’s marriage had been dissolved by an ex‑parte divorce decree on 31‑05‑2012. The complaint, filed three years after the divorce, alleged that the appellants had visited t…

The appellant, S.C. Garg, Managing Director of Ruchira Papers Ltd., was charged under Section 420 IPC for allegedly cheating respondent R.N. Tyagi after the parties had already resolved a dispute over seven dishonoured cheques under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The earlier NI Act case resulted in Tyag…

The appellant filed a criminal complaint under Sections 323, 327, 379 read with Section 34 of the IPC alleging assault and theft by the respondents, who were also parties to a pending civil landlord‑tenant dispute. The Judicial Magistrate took cognizance of the complaint, but the High Court quashed it on the ground tha…

The father (Ashok Kumar Mehra) and son (Kushwant Kumar Mehra) were convicted of murder under IPC s.302/34 by the High Court, overturning an earlier acquittal. The son was 17 years and 5 months old at the time of the offence (born 14‑06‑1980, offence on 04‑01‑1998) and raised a plea of juvenility for the first time befo…

The accused persons (respondent Nos. 2‑4) were charged with offences under Sections 307, 323, 325, 336 and 341 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They contended that the two medical reports filed by the prosecution did not establish a case under Section 307, and the trial court discharged them from that cha…

The Supreme Court considered writ petitions filed by the National Legal Services Authority and a transgender association seeking legal recognition of transgender persons' self‑identified gender and the status of a "third gender" under the Constitution. The Court examined constitutional provisions (Arts. 14, 15, 16, 19,…

The appellant Prakash was accused of murdering Gangamma on 5 November 1990 and of stealing her ornaments. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence: his alleged presence in the victim's house at 1 p.m., a fingerprint on a plastic cover, blood‑stained clothes matching the victim's blood group, recovery of orname…

The respondent, Sheikh Shahid, was convicted under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code for rape and sentenced by the trial court to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine. The High Court of Madhya Pradesh reduced his sentence to the six months he had already served, merely on the ground that he hailed from a ru…

The State of Andhra Pradesh appealed a High Court order that quashed an FIR registered under Sections 7(a) and 8(e) of the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition Act, 1995 and Section 109 of the IPC. The Supreme Court examined the scope of the inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, emphasizing t…

The appellants, long‑time tenants of a plot, had erected a tin shed and operated a religious bookshop that was recognised by the municipal council. Following a complaint by a private individual, the Sub‑Divisional Magistrate, invoking Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, ordered the removal of the shop as a p…

The appellant, Sub‑Inspector Suresh Chandra Sharma, was found to have surreptitiously inserted timings into several investigation documents in a murder‑robbery trial, thereby fabricating false evidence. The defence counsel himself witnessed the manipulation but did not report it. The Sessions Court convicted the appell…

The appellants, former officers of the Life Insurance Corporation of India, were charged under IPC sections 420 and 409 and Stamp Act sections 64 and 69 for allegedly purchasing insurance stamps from vendors outside Uttar Pradesh, causing a loss to the State. They filed writ petitions seeking quashing of the FIR, which…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of two accused in a murder case under sections 302 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code. The trial court had convicted A‑12 despite a prosecution concession that there was no evidence against accused Nos.2‑15, and the High Court upheld the conviction of A‑14 based on PW9’s identif…