Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987

The case arose from allegations of irregularities in the grant of an advance licence for import of cotton fabrics, leading to a criminal complaint against a company, its directors and four public servants under the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and Customs Act. The company and its directors filed a declaration unde…

The State of Tamil Nadu appealed the acquittal of nine accused, members of the LTTE, for alleged possession of explosives and conspiracy under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Explosive Substances Act. The trial court had excluded two typewritten confessional statements on the gro…

The petitioner, a well‑known cine artist, was convicted by a Special Judge under Sections 3 and 7 read with Sections 25(1A) and 25(1B) of the Arms Act and sentenced to six years’ rigorous imprisonment. While his appeal against the conviction was pending before the Supreme Court, he sought bail and filed several crimina…

The petitioner, Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, was convicted by the Supreme Court in 2003 under TADA and the IPC for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Review and curative petitions filed earlier were dismissed. He subsequently filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking release on the ground of the doctrine of ex de…

The accused, Nirala Yadav, was arrested for offences under the IPC, Arms Act and POTA. After the statutory 90‑day period for filing a charge‑sheet elapsed without a charge‑sheet or an extension application, he filed an application under s.167(2) CrPC for bail. The CBI then filed an application for a 30‑day extension, a…

Ravinder Singh was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987, the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act for robbery, killing police officers and a train bomb blast that killed 12 and injured 65. The conviction rested on his voluntary confessional statement recorded unde…

The Central Bureau of Investigation appealed against the acquittal of three accused who were charged under Section 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and Sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code for the kidnapping and murder of H.N. Wanchoo. The only evidence was their confessiona…

The petitioner, convicted under the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts and sentenced to death by a TADA court, sought a writ under Article 32 to stay the execution of the death warrant dated 30 April 2015, alleging procedural irregularities and that his curative petition had not been decided by a bench constituted as per Supreme …

Lal Singh, convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced to life imprisonment, applied for premature release under CrPC ss.432 and 433 after being transferred to a Punjab jail. The Gujarat Government rejected his application; the Punjab High Court directed Gujarat to reconsider …

The case concerns a police convoy ambushed by a land‑mine blast and subsequent gunfire, killing 22 people. Four members of Veerappan's gang (Simon, Gnana Prakash, Madhiah and Bilavendra) were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act and…

The respondents were arrested for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and were denied bail, leading them to file writ and criminal miscellaneous petitions seeking bail under Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on grounds of delayed charge‑sheet and illness. The D…

The Supreme Court examined bail applications of two accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) for alleged offences under Sections 38, 39 and 13. The Court held that the charge‑sheet material did not show reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations under Sections 38 and 39 were prima fac…

The appellants, doctors Hardeep Singh Sohal and Surinder Singh Sandhu, were convicted for the murder of Dr. Megh Raj Goel based largely on a confession recorded from the alleged conspirator Balwinder Singh under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and extra‑judicial confessions…

The appellants were convicted under TADA and the IPC for the murder of a police constable during the 1992 Bombay riots, based primarily on the in‑court identification by two constable witnesses. The trial court had rejected the identification parade evidence, finding a strong possibility that the suspects had been show…

The appellants, Ayyub and Abdul Jabbar, were convicted by a Designated TADA Court for throwing bombs at a police picket, causing one death and several injuries, and were sentenced under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Damage to Property Act. A…

Muralidhar Sarangi owned two trucks insured under two policies of New India Assurance. While transporting goods in Assam, the trucks were destroyed by Bodo terrorists, resulting in loss of the vehicles and the death of a driver. The insurer denied the claim, stating that terrorist risk was excluded. The State Consumer …

The appellants were convicted by a Designated Court for murder, attempt to murder, causing hurt and an offence under Section 3 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) arising from an altercation at a video parlour that led to a fatal assault near a hotel. On appeal, the Supreme Court held tha…

A doctor was shot dead in his clinic and the accused, Deny Bora, was charged under Sections 302, 34 and 314 of the IPC and under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The Designated Court acquitted him of the TADA offences but convicted him for murder based solely on the testimony of PW‑14, w…

The appellant, Dilbagh Singh, was convicted for the murder of his brother's sibling, Jagmail Singh, who was shot dead on 9 May 1992 during a dispute over extremist activities. The prosecution proved that Dilbagh Singh, along with Jasbir Singh and an unknown accomplice, opened fire with government‑issued rifles, killing…

The appellants were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and IPC for the murder of a Hindu leader. The Supreme Court examined whether the required prior sanction under Section 20‑A of TADA had been validly obtained. It found that the sanctioning authority had granted approval …

The State of Gujarat appealed the acquittal of Anwar Osman Sumbhaniya and others by a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The appeal centered on whether the prior sanctions issued under Section 20‑A(2) of TADA for the 1993 and 2005 prosecutions were valid. The S…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ under Article 32 filed by Shaheen Welfare Association seeking the release of under‑trial detainees under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) where evidence was lacking or procedural safeguards were not observed. The Court observed th…

The case involved 60 accused charged under TADA, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act, of whom 11 were convicted by a Designated Court. The appellants contended that the FIR under TADA was registered without the mandatory prior approval of the District Superintendent of Police under s.20‑A(1) of TADA, renderin…

Balbir Singh was arrested in a notified area while in possession of an unauthorised rifle (bearing No. 516275) and 161 live cartridges. He was convicted under section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and sentenced to eight years’ rigorous imprisonment. On appeal he argued that the wea…

The appellant was convicted by a Designated Court under Sections 3 and 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and Section 307 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly storing lethal weapons, extorting money and threatening a police officer during a search. On appeal, the …

Karamjit Singh, a Delhi police constable, was residing in a police quarter allotted to his father‑in‑law when police, acting on secret information, raided the premises and recovered explosives and related materials from a locked box that Singh opened. He was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Terrorist and Disrupt…

The Supreme Court examined whether it could compel Parliament to enact a law disqualifying candidates against whom serious criminal charges have been framed and whether it could direct the Election Commission to deny such candidates the use of a party's reserved symbol. The Court held that disqualification is a matter …

The appellant, D.P. Gupta, was charged under Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act and the TADA Act for possessing large quantities of gelatine, detonators and other explosive materials found in his godowns and an underground room. The key issue was whether he had "conscious possession"—i.e., both physical control …

The Supreme Court examined appeals against a Designated Court (TADA) judgment that convicted three men for the murder of Additional Collector L.D. Arora under the IPC and acquitted them of TADA charges. The key issues were the admissibility of confessional statements made by co‑accused under TADA s.15 against an accuse…

The State of West Bengal appealed against the Calcutta High Court’s order quashing the sanction and the taking of cognizance in a TADA case involving a 1993 bomb explosion that killed 69 people. The High Court had held that the sanction order was invalid, that the Designated Court’s cognizance was not reasoned, and tha…

The accused were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for kidnapping an industrialist and extorting a Rs 1 crore ransom. The conviction rested primarily on a detailed confessional statement recorded by the DCP from co‑accused A‑12, which was later retracted. The appellants argued tha…

The case concerned the abduction of businessman Jayendra Mahendra Tripathi in January 1994, for which a ransom was demanded. A co‑accused, A‑9, gave a detailed confession to the police under Section 15 of the TADA Act, which was later retracted. The Supreme Court held that the confession was recorded in compliance with…

The Supreme Court examined whether a person must show "active membership" to be convicted under Section 10(a)(i) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) after an association is declared unlawful. It held that the provision plainly punishes anyone who continues to be a member of a banned association, wi…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of Mehbub Samsuddin Malek and two co‑accused convicted for a communal riot in Baroda. The driver (appellant No.1) stopped his bus opposite a mob of armed Muslim youths, got down, and conversed with them, after which the mob attacked the passengers, leading to deaths. The Court held…

Sunder and Satbir Singh were convicted by a Designated Court under IPC sections 399 and 402 and Section 25 of the Arms Act for alleged theft and possession of knives. They appealed, arguing that the Court lacked jurisdiction because no TADA charge was framed and that the recovery of knives was not proved, as the key re…

Four accused were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act on the basis of confessional statements recorded by a Superintendent of Police under Section 15 of TADA. The police officer failed to furnish the certificate of satisfaction…

The appellant, Bhaskar, was tried before a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for offences under Sections 302 and 120B of the IPC, Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Public Property Act and Sections 3 and 5 of TADA. While the trial was pending, the TADA Act expired and the D…

The case involved nine accused who conspired to kidnap foreign nationals in India to demand the release of jailed militants. The main conspirator, Umar Sheikh, escaped after an exchange of hijacked‑plane passengers, while six co‑accused were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA…

The appellant Devender Pal Singh was arrested after being deported from Germany and recorded a confessional statement under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The Designated Court convicted him of offences under TADA and the IPC, including criminal conspiracy, and sentenced h…

The case concerned the admissibility of evidence recorded in the main trial of the 1993 Bombay blast (BBC No.1/1993) against a co‑accused, Mustafa Ahmed Dossa, who was arrested years later. The Designated Court had held that evidence recorded before Dossa was declared a proclaimed offender could not be used against him…

The appellants, Pulin Das @ Panna Koch and Mahendra Saikia @ Dilip Saikia, were arrested after a police raid on 8 December 1993 during which arms were seized and they were alleged to be members of the banned ULFA outfit. They were convicted by a designated TADA court under Section 3(2)(ii) of the Terrorist and Disrupti…

The appellant, Ahmad Umar Saeed Sheikh, was charged under IPC sections 307, 332, 427, the Foreigners Act, and TADA sections 3 and 4. He contended that the FIR, lodged on a Sub‑Inspector's complaint, was invalid because it was recorded without the prior approval of the District Superintendent of Police required by TADA …

Mohd. Ayub Dar was convicted by a designated TADA court for conspiracy under Section 3(3) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 and for murder under Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code, Samvat 1989. The conviction rested primarily on a confession recorded under Section 15 of the TADA Act, w…

Abdulaziz filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of Section 1(4) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987, arguing that it discriminated between offenders before and after the Act's expiry and violated Articles 14 and 21. He also contended that the trial …

Balbir Singh and Paljit Kaur were charged under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and Sections 25 and 26 of the Arms Act, 1959 for offences alleged to have occurred on 5 December 1992. The Designated TADA Court, on 19 April 1997, held the proceedings non est…

Mukhtiar Ahmed Ansari was convicted under TADA (Sec. 5) and the Arms Act (Sec. 25(IB)) for allegedly possessing firearms and ammunition in a notified area after being arrested near Delhi's Bahai Temple in 1993. He had earlier been acquitted of the related kidnapping charge. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether…

The Supreme Court reviewed a series of criminal appeals arising from the 1993 Bombay serial blasts, all tried under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The appeals concerned convictions for offences such as unauthorised possession of arms and explosives (s.3(3), s.5, s.6 TADA), conspi…

On March 12, 1993, a series of 12 bomb explosions occurred in Bombay, killing 257 people and injuring 713, with property damage worth Rs. 27 crores. The conspiracy was hatched by Tiger Memon and Dawood Ibrahim, with Yakub Abdul Razak Memon (A-1) playing a key role. The Designated Court convicted 100 accused, sentencing…

The Supreme Court of India disposed of multiple appeals arising from the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts, which killed 257 people and injured 713. The Designated Court under TADA had convicted numerous accused, sentencing most to life imprisonment. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the evidence, including confession…

The Supreme Court of India delivered a consolidated judgment on multiple appeals arising from the 1993 Bombay serial blasts case under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The appeals challenged convictions and acquittals of various accused persons involved in the conspiracy, landing, …

The Supreme Court examined 19 appeals filed by the State of Maharashtra against acquittals in the 1993 Bombay serial bomb blast case, focusing on conspiracy charges under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Indian Penal Code. It reiterated the limited circumstances in which an appell…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals arising from the Designated Court's judgments in the 1993 Bombay bomb blast case under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The Court held that confessional statements recorded under Section 15 of TADA are substantive evidence admissible a…

The appellant, Tahir, was arrested during a communal riot in Delhi while brandishing a country‑made pistol. The pistol was seized, and because the arrest occurred in an area notified under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA), he was charged under section 5 of TADA and convicted by the …

In 1993 a series of bomb blasts in Bombay led to the arrest of Abdul Hamid Haji Mohammed, during which six Chinese AK‑56 rifles and twelve magazines were recovered. The Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) refused his bail, holding that the allegations attracted TADA pr…

Paras Ram was arrested on suspicion while carrying an unlicensed 12‑bore country‑made pistol. Although initially charged under Section 25 of the Arms Act, the case was transferred to a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and he was convicted under Section 5 of TA…

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of three accused—Vyas Ram, Naresh Paswan and Sugai Mochi—under TADA and several IPC provisions for a 1992 massacre that killed 35 people. The Court found serious investigative flaws, including non‑examination of the informant, absence of a test identification parade and delayed…

The State of Gujarat alleged that several accused, including Gadhvi Rambhai Nathabhai, were involved in large‑scale smuggling and distribution of foreign‑origin arms, ammunition and cash, and were charged under the Arms Act, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Customs Act. The …

The appellant, alleged ULFA extremist Rangku Dutta, was convicted by a Designated TADA Court under Sections 120(8)/302 IPC read with Section 3(2)(1) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. He appealed, arguing that the FIR was recorded without the mandatory prior approval of the District Supe…

In 1988 a terrorist attack on Dr. Harnam Singh's house in Kurukshetra resulted in four deaths and several injuries. Fourteen accused, including Daya Singh, were tried under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC for murder and attempted murder. The trial court convicted Daya Singh on the b…

The Delhi Government, after constituting a high‑power Review Committee as directed in Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab, sought the withdrawal of TADA charges in several cases. The Special Public Prosecutor filed applications before the Designated Court relying solely on the Committee’s recommendations. The Designated Co…

Shamsher Khan was convicted for manufacturing and storing bombs in his Delhi house, which later exploded, killing three and injuring many. He was sentenced under IPC sections 304, 308, 120‑B, TADA sec. 5 and Explosive Substances Act sec. 4(b). On appeal he challenged the culpable homicide convictions, arguing that his …

The appellants were convicted under Section 120B IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 for a shooting incident that resulted in death. They challenged the conviction on several grounds, chiefly that the confessional statements were not sent to the Chief Judicial Magi…

The appellant, Mohammed Saleem, was tried for assault with a knife that caused injuries to the complainant, and was charged under IPC Section 324, TADA Section 3(1), and the Bombay Police Act Section 135(1). The trial court acquitted him of the Bombay Police Act charge, but convicted him under IPC 324 and TADA 3(1). On…

The case arose from a 1990 kidnapping and murder of the Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University and his personal secretary, allegedly carried out by members of the JKSLF. The CBI charged several accused, including Mohd. Salim Zargar, under the Ranbir Penal Code and the now‑repealed TADA Act. The Special Court acquitted a…

The appellant was seized at a hotel in a notified area under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) after police, acting on prior information, recovered a country‑made revolver with two live cartridges and cash. The seized items were sealed, placed in safe custody and, after a 15‑day dela…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of confessions recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) in a murder‑conspiracy case. The appellants argued that their confessions were involuntary, obtained while in police custody, and later retracted, and that no corrobo…

Sanjay Dutt, accused in the Bombay blast case, was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) for possession of unauthorised arms. The charge‑sheet was filed after the statutory period of 180 days, and the petitioner sought bail on the grounds that mere possession of arms witho…

The case arose from twin bomb blasts in Surat in 1993 for which several accused were convicted under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosives Substances Act and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The trial court recorded the offences under TADA after obtaining approvals from the Additional Ch…

A.G. Perarivalan, convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment and spent over three decades in jail. The Tamil Nadu State Cabinet recommended remission of his sentence in September 2018, but the Governor delayed action for two and a half yea…

The appellant, Vijay Kumar Baldev Mishra, was charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and IPC for a gang‑related murder. A Review Committee, set up under the Kartar Singh guidelines, recommended that the TADA provisions were inapplicable because the offence was motivated by persona…

Gurmail Singh was arrested after allegedly arriving at a police station carrying a gunny bag on his head containing 27 kg of black gunpowder and four detonators, allegedly inspired by two constables to surrender. The Designated Court convicted him under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) …

The case concerns the murder of informer Khalil during a police chase of three boys, where appellants Mohd. Anwar and Tasleem were convicted under Sections 302, 307, 34 of the IPC and Section 5 of the TADA Act. The prosecution relied on eyewitness testimony, seizure of Anwar's .32 bore revolver and Tasleem's pistol, an…

The Union of India appealed against a bail order granted to Mohd. Sadiq Rather under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The charge‑sheet, deemed a police report under Section 173(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), had been filed with the Designated Court at Jammu, but the b…

Gurdeep Singh was convicted under Sections 302, 324 IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Explosive Act for a bomb blast that killed three persons. The sole basis of the prosecution was his confessional statement recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) bef…

The appellants, accused under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for allegedly undergoing terrorist training in Pakistan, providing monetary assistance and possessing a large quantity of arms, appealed to the Supreme Court against the denial of bail. They contended that no overt act was pro…

Daya Singh Lahoria was extradited from the United States to India under an extradition decree that listed specific offences. After his return, Indian authorities sought to try him for additional offences, including those under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, which were not part of the extradit…

The appellants were stopped by police in Gujarat and found in possession of prohibited firearms, leading to an FIR under the Arms Act and a concurrent charge under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The prosecution sought to add a TADA offence after obtaining sanction from the Distri…

The case involved a police convoy ambushed by Veerappan's gang, resulting in seven deaths. Seven accused were convicted by a Special Designated Court under the TADA Act, IPC and Arms Act, largely on the testimony of two eyewitnesses and several confessional statements. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that the eyewitn…

The appellant, Sanjay Dutt, was charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Arms Act, 1959 for the Bombay bomb blast. His bail application was rejected by the Designated Court. Following the Supreme Court’s direction in Kartar Singh v. State of Punjab, Central and State R…

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…

Mohd Yunus was charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. Section 20A(1) of the Act requires prior written approval of the District Superintendent of Police before recording any information about an offence. The prosecution claimed an oral permission was given by t…

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…

In a case of gruesome carnage in Bihar that left 35 dead, the Designated Court convicted several accused under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Indian Penal Code based solely on a confessional statement of Bihari Manjhi recorded by a police inspector. The statement was taken…

The case concerned a mass‑caste massacre in Bihar in which 35 members of a community were killed and many others injured. Thirteen persons were charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Indian Penal Code; four were acquitted and the remaining nine were convicted, four o…

The appellants were convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and several sections of the Indian Penal Code for setting fire to a Hindu house after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, resulting in multiple deaths. The Supreme Court examined whether the act qualified as a "ter…

The case involved Esher Singh and others who were accused of giving provocative speeches to promote a Khalistan movement and of conspiring to murder Joga Singh, the owner of several Sikh educational institutions. The Designated Court convicted Esher Singh under Section 4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prev…

Devinderpal Singh was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and detained in judicial custody. Before the statutory 180‑day period expired, the investigating officer applied to the Designated Court for an extension of time to complete the investigation, but no report from t…

The husband (Daya Singh) and wife (Suman Sood) were extradited from the United States and tried in Rajasthan for kidnapping a politician's son, conspiracy, and related offences. The trial court convicted both of several IPC offences, acquitting Suman Sood of kidnapping for ransom (Sec. 364A). The High Court reversed th…

Sahib Singh was arrested on suspicion and a police search recovered a revolver with six live cartridges from his bag. He was convicted under Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959 and Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. On appeal, he argued that the prosecution failed to produce any i…

The State of Maharashtra sought to detain six accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) beyond the statutory 90‑day period, filing an application for a further 90‑day extension. The respondents claimed default bail, arguing that the public prosecutor’s report did not satisfy the proviso to Section 4…

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 appellants, members of the Peoples War Group, were convicted for firing at two ex‑members of the group at a hair‑cutting salon, resulting in the death of one victim. The trial court relied on the testimony of four eye‑witnesses who identified the accused under street‑light and shop‑light illumination, and the FIR w…

The appellant, Tarun Bora (alias Aloka Hazarika), was convicted under Section 365 of the Indian Penal Code for kidnapping and under Sections 3(1) and 3(5) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for alleged terrorist conduct. The offence occurred on 18 August 1991, whereas Section 3(5) of TAD…

The case arose from the murder of Suresh Narsinh Dubey in 1989, for which Hitendra Vishnu Thakur and others were arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). After a series of investigations, the accused sought bail on the ground that the prosecution had failed to file a charge‑…

The Supreme Court upheld the convictions of six accused in a gang‑murder case at Radhika Gymkhana, Ahmedabad, where nine persons were killed on 3 August 1992. The trial court had relied heavily on confessional statements recorded under Section 15 of the TADA Act, along with a dying declaration, witness testimony, and f…

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…

The petitioners, convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and sentenced to death, sought commutation of their sentences under Article 72 of the Constitution. After a delay of about eight years in deciding the mercy petition, they argued that the delay itself warranted conversion o…

The Supreme Court examined the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts case, where 145 persons were charged under the IPC and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA). The Court clarified the law on criminal conspiracy, holding that knowledge of an illegal use can be inferred when the goods (e.g., RDX) hav…

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…

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…

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 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 appellant, convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and sentenced to life imprisonment, applied for a 20‑day regular parole which was rejected by both the Union and State governments on the basis of adverse reports. The High Court dismissed his writ petition, holding that beca…

The appellants were convicted by a Designated Court for offences under the IPC, TADA and the Arms Act based largely on two police witnesses and confessional statements recorded under Section 15 of the TADA Act after a half‑hour "cooling period". Independent village witnesses were hostile and did not corroborate the pro…

The appellant Babu was charged under IPC s.302 for allegedly murdering his wife by giving her sodium cyanide disguised as an ayurvedic contraceptive. The trial court acquitted him due to lack of direct evidence and doubts about the prosecution's version, but the Kerala High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted hi…

The murder of Jayantilal Vadodaria led to the arrest of four assailants and two villagers, Anirudhsinh Jadeja (Sarpanch) and Digubha Jadeja, who had concealed the murder weapons on the latter's field. The State invoked the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) against the two villagers and a…

The State of Maharashtra appealed the acquittal of B.C. Raghani (A1), Subhash Bind (A5) and Shekhar Kadam (A6) in a contract‑killing case involving the murder of businessman Pradeep Jain. The prosecution’s case hinged on confessional statements of A5 and A6 recorded by a DCP under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disrup…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of sixteen accused convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for a series of bomb blasts on Indian trains in December 1993. The Court held that Section 20A(1) of TADA makes prior approval of the District Superintendent of Police an absolute pre…

Jayendra Vishnu Thakur was charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for the murder of Suresh Narsinh Dube. He was declared a proclaimed offender under Section 82 of the CrPC, later arrested several times, and the prosecution sought to record the testimony of ten witnesses in his abs…

The case concerns the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by a human bomb at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991, orchestrated by the LTTE. The Supreme Court heard appeals from 26 accused convicted by a Designated Court under TADA and IPC, along with a death reference. The Court held that the prosecuti…

The case concerned a bomb blast on a railway bridge in Tamil Nadu in 1992. The prosecution relied primarily on a confessional statement recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) by A1‑Senthilkumar, which he later retracted, and on the testimony of a hostile witness, PW…

The Supreme Court considered a batch of writ petitions and appeals challenging the constitutional validity of the Terrorist Affected Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1984, the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1985, and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA), along with a c…

Karan Singh was arrested in 1988 for possessing an unauthorised country‑made pistol and three live cartridges within a TADA‑notified area. The case was initially filed under the Arms Act, but the Metropolitan Magistrate transferred it to a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act,…

Abu Salem, an absconding accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, was arrested in Portugal and extradited to India under the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the Indian Extradition Act, 1962 (applied to Portugal by a 2002 notification). Portugal granted extradition for certain offen…

Gursharan Singh demanded Rs. 2 lakh from Nirmal Singh for terrorist activities, threatening death. After a meeting where a revolver‑wielding accomplice threatened the victim, a reduced sum of Rs. 70,000 was agreed, of which only Rs. 50,000 was paid. The trial court convicted Singh under IPC Sections 387 (extortion) and…

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was arrested on 21 March 2024 by the Directorate of Enforcement in connection with alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and related statutes. He challenged the arrest before the Supreme Court, arguing that the legality of his detention was sub judic…

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

The petitioners, accused in the 1993 Bombay blast case, were charged under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for knowingly possessing an AK‑56 rifle and ammunition. They argued that the possession was for self‑defence, not for terrorist purposes, and sought bail. The Supreme C…

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against the acquittal of twelve students charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for the murder of Jasbir Singh and grievous hurt to Sumer Singh during a campus political clash. The Court held that a four‑hour delay in lodging the FIR, the recording of…

The appellant Kanhaiyalal was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act based primarily on a statement he gave to an officer under Section 67 of the Act. The key issues were whether such a statement could be used as a confession for conviction, whether it attracted the bar of Sections 24…

The Supreme Court examined the convictions of five appellants under Section 3(3) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for alleged conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, the recovery of large quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives, and related offences under the IPC, Explosive Substanc…

The Supreme Court examined two sets of review petitions filed under Article 137 and Order XL of the Supreme Court Rules: one by four convicts sentenced to death for offences under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Indian Penal Code, and another by the State challenging the finding …

Ravindra Shantaram Sawant was convicted under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Arms Act and the IPC for firing a revolver in the Sessions Court, injuring the victim Ashwin Naik and three police officers. The appellant argued that the police eye‑witnesses required independent corrobor…

In a communal violence case in Gujarat, the trial court acquitted the accused after several witnesses, including Zahira Habibullah Sheikh, turned hostile. Zahira later alleged intimidation and coercion before various bodies, prompting the Supreme Court to order a retrial in Maharashtra. During the retrial she publicly …

Ajit Singh and his co‑accused Rajpal were convicted for robbery (IPC 392) and for robbery with a weapon (IPC 397) and dacoity (IPC 394) arising from an incident on 12 April 1990 in which they attempted to stop a scooter, seized valuables and later Ajit fired a pistol after the victim struck him with a milk drum. The ap…

The appellants were charged under the IPC and Sections 3(1) and 3(2)(i) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for setting fire to a house during the 1993 Bombay riots, resulting in many deaths. The Designated Court denied bail, and the appellants contended that because TADA was a temporary …

The respondent, Ashraf Bhat, was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 in connection with two FIRs. In FIR No. 56 of 1991 he was arrested on 17‑April‑1992, but the prosecution filed the police report (challan) on 23‑December‑1992, after the one‑year period prescribed under the Ac…

The accused were charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Raju and injury to Keshav. They contended that TADA was wrongly invoked, arguing that the motive was inter‑gang rivalry, not terror. The Designated Court held that the stateme…

Ganesh Gogoi was convicted by a Designated Court under Section 3(2)(i) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for the 1991 killing of Dinanath Agarwalla and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court held that the prosecution offered no direct or material circumstantial evidence linki…

The State of Maharashtra alleged that a gang led by Chota Shakeel conspired to murder politician Ramdas Nayak, arranging vehicles, firearms and ammunition. The Designated Court acquitted all accused of the murder and related offences, convicting only three of them under the Arms Act for possession of prohibited weapons…

The case arose from the 1993 bomb blasts in Bombay, after which the CBI took over investigation and sought non‑bailable warrants under Section 73 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Section 8(3)(a) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) to apprehend several absconding accused. The Desi…

The appellants Abubucker Siddique and others were convicted for a bomb blast that destroyed the RSS headquarters, based largely on confessional statements and the allegation that they procured gelatin sticks and detonators. The prosecution claimed the bomb was made of ROX and PETN, but forensic analysis showed no trace…

Bilal Ahmad Kaloo, a Kashmiri youth and member of the militant outfit Al‑Jehad, was arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly spreading communal hatred among Muslims and possessing a revolver and cartridges. The Designated Court under TADA acquitted him of TADA offences but convicted him under IPC sections 124A (sedition), 1…

The accused were arrested for smuggling arms and were tried by a Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Arms Act, 1959. The trial court convicted them, relying on an order dated 3 September 1993 issued by the Director General of Police, which the appellants …

The case arose from a private complaint filed under Section 9(1) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) alleging organised crime offences by senior police officials. The Special Court ordered an investigation, but the Bombay High Court Full Bench was split on whether such a complaint could be enterta…

Three criminal appeals under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) sought bail for appellants – Izharl Haq Abdul Hamid Shaikh, Amir Gulam Husein Bandukwala and labourer Jivan Raghu Varli – who had been denied bail by Designated TADA Courts. The appellants argued that the FIRs were lodged…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a High Court judgment that held Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989— which bars the application of Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (anticipatory bail) to offences under the Act—unconstitutional. The Supre…

The petitioners, who were witnesses or relatives of witnesses in the Asaram rape cases, alleged that they faced threats, attacks and even murders, and that the State failed to provide any protection, violating their right to a fair trial under Art. 21. They sought a court‑monitored witness‑protection programme and the …

The case involved a shoot‑out at J.J. Hospital in Mumbai on 12 September 1992, resulting in the murder of a prisoner and two police constables and injuries to several others. The accused – A‑2 (Jayawant Dattatray Suryarao), A‑6 (Subhashsingh Thakur) and A‑7 (Shamkishore Garikapatti) – were convicted under the Terrorist…

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

The appellant Sukhpal was apprehended in a notified area with a .315 bore rifle and 109 live cartridges, without any licence, and was charged under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 read with Section 25 of the Arms Act, 1959. The prosecution relied on the testimony of police of…

Mohd. Zahid was arrested by ISBT police on 8 March 1990 and charged under TADA for possessing three country‑made pistols and twelve cartridges. He contended that he had actually been detained on 6 March 1990, that no weapons were seized, and his father filed a complaint with the magistrate. The Designated Court relied …

Shahabuddin Shaikh was convicted under IPC Section 302 read with Section 34 and TADA Section 3 for the murder of Manoharbhai, based solely on the testimony of the victim's brother (PW‑2). PW‑2 gave materially contradictory statements about the place from which he observed the incident, the role of the accused, and the …

The appellant, an Additional Collector of Customs, was charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 in the Bombay bomb blast case for allegedly colluding with smugglers to import arms and explosives. The Designated Court dismissed his bail application under Section 20(8) of TADA, relying…

Inspector Dharamveer of the Border Security Force was murdered on 26 October 1990 by the accused, Nazir Ahmed Sheikh. The accused was arrested on 8 March 1991 and a charge‑sheet was filed on 6 March 1992. The issue before the Court was whether the charge‑sheet was filed within the one‑year limitation prescribed under S…

Harpal Singh was apprehended with a kilogram of explosive powder. The police initially filed a charge-sheet under the Explosives Act, 1884, and later filed a supplementary charge-sheet adding offences under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. The…

Four persons were tried under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. Two were acquitted and two were convicted; the State of Rajasthan appealed the acquittals while the convicted appealed their convictions. The central issue was whether the prior ap…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought to add charges of murder and other offences against Karimullah Osan Khan, an accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts, under Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The Designated Court under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) rej…

Mohd. Maqbool Tantray was one of 18 accused in the abduction and murder of former MLA Mir Mustafa in 1990. After a protracted trial lasting nearly 20 years, only three co‑accused were tried with Tantray; the others were discharged, died, or absconded, and the two co‑accused were acquitted. Tantray was convicted under S…

The case involved the murder of Girishbhai, a VHP secretary, for which 63 persons were charged under Section 302 IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the TADA Act. Nine appellants were convicted by the designated court based largely on eye‑witness identification. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined the reliability of the iden…

The case arose from a bomb blast in Bow Bazar, Calcutta, which demolished a building, killed 69 people and injured many others. The prosecution alleged that the accused conspired to manufacture and explode bombs to terrorise the public and disrupt communal harmony, charging them under Sections 1208, 302, 307, 326, 436 …

During interrogation in a dacoity case, the appellant disclosed the location of a pistol and two cartridges, which were subsequently recovered. The armourer's report confirmed the pistol was functional but said nothing about the cartridges, which were not sealed. The Designated Court convicted the appellant under Secti…

The State of Gujarat appealed a trial court order that barred the use of confessional statements recorded under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA) in separate bomb‑blast cases. The Supreme Court held that a confession made to a police officer of at least Superintendent r…

Arup Bhuyan was convicted under Section 3(5) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for alleged membership in the banned outfit ULFA, based solely on a confession he allegedly gave to the Superintendent of Police. The Supreme Court examined whether such a confession, inadmissible under Secti…

Nazir Ahmad Bhatti, a bank manager, was arrested after a police raid recovered a cassette, stickers and floppies allegedly containing secessionist material. He gave a confession to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (PW‑4) under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The appellant…

The Gujarat Cancer Society imported MRI and lithotripsy machines under a customs duty exemption certificate that required the equipment to be used by the "actual user". The Customs Collector later held the society liable for duty but, considering its charitable purpose, imposed only a token fine and did not prosecute. …

The State of Maharashtra charged Anand Chintaman Dighe under the Indian Penal Code and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for the murder of a municipal corporator, alleging that Dighe had incited violence against political opponents through statements to the press. The Designated Court init…

The case concerns an appeal by Madan Singh and others against their conviction for murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and offences under the Arms Act and the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The police raided a house where about 20‑25 persons were assembled; a gunfight ensued, result…

Four accused were caught red‑handed with lethal explosives and convicted under Section 5 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987, receiving five years' rigorous imprisonment. They appealed under Section 19 of TADA seeking sentence enhancement, contending that under Section 377(3) of the Crimin…

The appellants Sukhbir Singh and others were initially charged under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and tried by a designated TADA court. The designated judge held that no offence under TADA was made out and, relying on a Punjab and Haryana High Court decision, ordered the case transfer…

The State of Jammu & Kashmir appealed the acquittal of two accused in a bomb‑blast case that killed eight people and injured eighteen. The trial court had dismissed the confessional statement of Ghulam Nabi Guide because it was recorded in Hindi, not in the accused's native language, and consequently acquitted both Ghu…

The Narcotics Control Bureau seized a consignment of hashish and arrested three persons under the NDPS Act. The complaint was not filed within the 90‑day period prescribed in the proviso to Section 167(2) of the CrPC, and the accused claimed an automatic right to bail. The High Court allowed the bail, holding that the …

The appellant was arrested in 2007 in connection with a bomb‑defusing case and, while in police custody, gave a confessional statement that was recorded by a Superintendent of Police under Section 15 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987. The appellant contended that the confession was not v…