Judgments of 2011

Balbir Kaur died from severe burns allegedly after her mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law demanded additional dowry. Two dying declarations were recorded by an ASI and a magistrate, but the trial court rejected them as unreliable because the victim had 100% burn injuries. The High Court, relying on the victim's father's s…

The State of Uttar Pradesh charged Preetam and four others with murder, assault and rioting under Sections 302, 149, 307 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code for the killing of Guiab and Chhatrapal. The trial court convicted them, but the Allahabad High Court acquitted them on the ground of self‑defence, finding serious in…

The appellant, a former Indian Army captain who was invalided out in 1979 with a 50% disability, sought a War Injury Pension, an increase of his disability rating to 75%, a service element for his full ten‑year short service commission, and revised pension rates, relying on the Ministry of Defence letter dated 31‑Jan‑2…

The appellants, a Technical Officer and a Statistical Officer in the Uttar Pradesh Excise Group ‘A’ Service, challenged a 1999 amendment that excluded their cadres from promotion to Deputy Excise Commissioner, arguing that ten vacancies that arose before the amendment should be filled under the old 1983 rules. The Supr…

The appeal arose from a Karnataka High Court decision on a partition suit involving children born of a void second marriage. The petitioners claimed that the children of the void marriage were illegitimate and therefore not coparceners in the ancestral property, while the respondents argued they were entitled to a shar…

The appellant, a Sub‑Inspector of the Jammu & Kashmir Police, claimed out‑of‑turn promotion for his exemplary conduct during the 1995 Charare Sharif incident, relying on Circular No.14‑GR of 1990 which provided accelerated promotion for outstanding anti‑militancy performance. The High Court dismissed his petition, appl…

The appellant, Sandhya Manoj Wankhade, filed a complaint under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 against her husband and his mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law. The trial court and the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court deleted the mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law from the proceedings on the groun…

The appellant, a small investor, purchased 100 equity shares of Reliance Industries Ltd. through a broker, only to discover later that the shares were "tainted" and the company refused dividend payment. He filed an application before the Special Court under the Special Courts (Trial of Offences Relating to Transactions…

The private institutions applied in late 2007‑2008 for NCTE recognition to start B.Ed. courses, but the Northern Regional Committee rejected them citing that the cut‑off dates for application submission (31 Oct) and decision communication (15 May) prescribed in Regulation 5 of the 2007 Regulations, as amended on 1 July…

The Supreme Court examined contempt applications arising from the appellants' (Krishnadevi Malchand Kamathia & Ors.) alleged violation of a conditional order permitting them to repair an old bund on land classified as CRZ‑1 and notified as a reserve forest. The Court found that the appellants, under the pretext of repa…

The appellant, a voter, challenged the election of the respondent, a Lok Sabha MP, alleging disqualification under Section 100(1)(a) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 on the ground that he was a director of the Maharashtra Seeds Corporation, a government‑owned company. The High Court held that the respondent wa…

The respondent filed a criminal complaint under IPC sections 193, 420 and 120‑B alleging that the appellants made false statements before the Rent Controller. The Rent Controller, a statutory quasi‑judicial body, had earlier disposed of a related application, holding the complaint pending. A Judicial Magistrate later i…

Sham @ Kishor Bhaskarrao Matkari was convicted for murdering his brother Manohar, sister‑in‑law Meena and nephew Akhilesh, and for attempting to murder two other children, arising from a land‑dispute quarrel. The trial court sentenced him to life imprisonment and seven years rigorous imprisonment, but the High Court en…

The State of Rajasthan issued an Office Order in 1992 granting Selection Grades to Class IV and subordinate employees after 9, 18 and 27 years of service, provided their service record was satisfactory. A 1992 circular initially held that a censure would not affect eligibility, but a later Office Order in 1995 clarifie…

The Union of India appealed against the Bombay High Court's order granting bail to Hassan Ali Khan, who was accused under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for handling billions of dollars allegedly derived from criminal activity and for obtaining multiple passports fraudulently. The Supreme Co…

The appellants, sons of a deceased property owner, claimed ownership of two rooms and alleged that the respondents were merely gratuitous licencees, while the respondents asserted they were tenants paying rent since 1982. The trial court found the respondents were licencees and granted possession to the appellants; the…

The State of Haryana, through the Superintendent of Police, filed a civil suit claiming ownership of a parcel of land on the basis of adverse possession. The defendants, who were the registered owners, contested the claim, and the trial court, appellate court, and High Court all dismissed the suit, holding that the Sta…

The Supreme Court examined whether offences under the Central Excise Act, 1944 and the Customs Act, 1962 are non‑cognizable and, if so, whether they are bailable. It held that Section 9A of the Excise Act and Section 104(4) of the Customs Act expressly deem the offences non‑cognizable, and that the statutes themselves,…

The husband filed a petition under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act seeking divorce on the grounds of cruelty and the wife’s incurable unsound mind, alleging that she suffered from schizophrenia and repeatedly threatened suicide. The trial court granted the decree, but the High Court set it aside, holding that the …

The Chatterjee Group filed a Company Petition under Sections 397, 398, 399, 402, 403 and 406 of the Companies Act, 1956 alleging oppression by Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd. (HPL) for failing to register 155 million shares transferred to them and for allotting 150 million shares to Indian Oil Corporation, which they claime…

The appellant, Commissioner of Central Excise, challenged the Tribunal's decision that the carbonless paper used by the respondent, Sundstrand Forms Ltd., in manufacturing computer stationery was exempt from duty. The respondent argued that the intermediate carbonless paper should be classified under sub‑headings 4901.…

The Hindustan Times published an article on 20 September 2010 containing adverse and unverified information about the then Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, leading to contempt of court proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act. The appellants, including Sanjoy Narayan, Editor‑in‑Chief of Hindustan, appeale…

The plaintiff, Mis. Shiv Cotex, sued the Punjab Financial Corporation for allegedly illegal takeover of its mortgaged assets under the State Financial Corporations Act, 1951. The trial court dismissed the suit after the plaintiff failed to produce evidence on three scheduled dates, invoking Order XVII Rule 3(a) of the …

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by shopkeepers (appellants) challenging a series of orders issued by the Madhya Pradesh High Court directing the Municipal Corporation of Gwalior to demolish alleged encroachments, construct a new multi‑storey Gandhi Market, and provide alternate accommodation to the shopkeepers…

Air Liquide North India Pvt. Ltd. purchased bulk helium gas and, after conducting moisture and purity tests, graded the gas into different categories, repacked it into smaller cylinders and issued separate quality certificates before selling it at a 40‑60% profit margin. The Central Excise authorities held that these a…

The appellant, a retired IAS officer appointed as State Information Commissioner, sought to retain the government house she occupied in Chandigarh beyond the four‑to‑six‑month period prescribed under Rule 13 of the Government Residences (Chandigarh Administration General Pool) Allotment Rules, 1996. The Estate Officer …

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation acquired land for a special railway project under the Railways Act, 1989. After a gazette notification of acquisition on 16‑Dec‑2008, a public notice was published in newspapers on 20‑Feb‑2009 and the compensation award was made on 8‑Feb‑2010. The landowner challenged the awar…

The Supreme Court examined the appeal of Chandra Sonia, convicted of double murder under IPC s.302 and sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts. The prosecution's case rested on an extra‑judicial confession made by the accused to a neighbor (PW 7) on the day of the murders and on the recovery of the alleged murder …

The Supreme Court, hearing a civil appeal filed by the Mineral Area Development Authority against the Steel Authority of India, noted a conflict between two earlier decisions—one by a five‑Judge Bench in State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd. and another by a seven‑Judge Bench in India Cement Ltd. v. State of …

On 4 November 1991, at a restaurant in Pondicherry, Subramani and six others attacked PW1, his brother Tamilvendhan and friends, stabbing Tamilvendhan to death. PW1 survived with injuries and identified Subramani in a test identification parade. The trial court acquitted all accused, doubting PW1's presence, intoxicati…

The appellant, K.K. Velusamy, filed a suit for specific performance of a sale agreement, which he claimed was merely a security for a loan. After the evidence was closed, he sought to reopen the evidence and recall two witnesses to cross‑examine them about admissions recorded on a compact disc, alleging that the record…

Glaxo India Ltd. manufactured three bulk drugs and their formulations. The Central Government fixed maximum prices for these drugs by notifications dated 12‑May‑1981, 20‑Nov‑1986 and 2‑Jan‑1989, the latter superseding the earlier ones. The Government later demanded that Glaxo deposit Rs 71.21 crore into the Drug Prices…

The respondent, a Senior Scientist, was assessed for promotion to Principal Scientist under ICAR's Career Advancement Scheme. The Selection Committee allocated 50% of the total marks to a personal interview, a method not disclosed to the candidate, and he scored only 49 marks, failing to meet the 60‑mark threshold. The…

On 4 July 2003, the appellant Harjit Singh was stopped by police and found carrying a plastic bag containing 7.10 kg of opium. He was convicted under Section 18 of the NDPS Act and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment. The appellant contended that, because the opium contained only 0.8% morphine (56.96 g), the …

The case concerned M.M. Sharma, a First Secretary in the Indian Embassy in China, who was dismissed from service under clause (c) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution because of alleged unauthorized liaison with foreign nationals that threatened national security. Sharma challenged the dismissal …

The Special Director of Enforcement imposed a penalty on Ketan V. Parekh and others under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. The appellants filed appeals under Section 35 of the Act and sought condonation of a 1,056‑day delay, arguing that the time spent pursuing writ petitions in the Delhi High Court should be…

NTPC Ltd., a government‑owned power generator, supplied electricity to Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi electricity boards and later sought a tariff determination from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). CERC fixed a final tariff lower than the provisional tariff, finding that NTPC had collected exces…

The State of Madhya Pradesh sought to abandon land acquisition of 284.03 hectares in five villages, prompting Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) to argue that the abandonment order was void because the land had already been taken into possession. The Supreme Court, after a spot inspection ordered by it, found that the tenure…

Jamal Uddin, a Scheduled Tribe candidate born on 31‑01‑1965, applied for a regular Munsif post in Jammu & Kashmir after serving as an adhoc Munsif. The 2002 Public Service Commission notification required candidates to be not more than 35 years old as of 1 January of the examination year, and his application was reject…

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation acquired 37 acres of land for a golf‑cum‑hotel resort under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but later transferred portions of the land to private entities. Several landowners challenged the acquisition, alleging fraud and diversion of public purpose. The High Court, a…

The appellant Union of India alleged that Major Rabinder Singh, while commanding the 6 Armoured Regiment, fraudulently countersigned bills to claim Rs.77,692 for vehicle modifications that were never carried out, resulting in wrongful loss to the Army. A Court of Inquiry and a General Court Martial found him guilty und…

The case arose from a violent land dispute in which the deceased Girdhari was killed while both parties were ploughing the same field. The trial court convicted seven of nine accused under Sections 302, 307 and related provisions, but the High Court modified the convictions, reducing Kallu's charge to Section 304 Part …

The appellants, wholesale vegetable and fruit vendors, were ordered by the Gauhati High Court to vacate the Machkhowa market in Guwahati to make way for an administrative building, and were directed to shift to a new market at Ganeshguri. They challenged the order, claiming a violation of their fundamental right to car…

Two consumer complaints were filed before the South Mumbai District Consumer Forum, and the opposite parties objected to the appearance of an authorized agent who was not an advocate. The High Court held that the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 permits parties to be represented by authorized agents and that this does not…

The deceased, a 46‑year‑old bank manager earning Rs.23,134 per month, died in a motor accident. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded compensation of Rs.24,12,936 with interest. The insurer appealed, and the High Court reduced the award by 30% on the ground of income‑tax deduction, bringing it down to Rs.16,89,055…

The appellant alleged that A‑1 to A‑12 conspired, motivated by political rivalry, to assault and attempt to kill him, leading to a charge‑sheet under Sections 120‑B, 147, 148, 427, 307, 201 (r.w.) and 149 of the IPC. While the trial was pending, A‑1 to A‑3 filed a petition under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking to quash…

The complainant alleged that a police inspector, his wife, and an associate defrauded her of Rs.3 lakh in a loan transaction and that the investigation was halted after the money was returned. She filed a petition under Section 482 of the CrPC seeking to have the case investigated by the CBI, arguing that the presence …

The case arose from a long‑standing land and water dispute that culminated in a violent assault on Suresh and Atmaram Bohare, who later died of their injuries. The prosecution relied on the testimony of four close relatives of the victims, medical autopsy reports, and weapons recovered from some accused. The appellants…

The appellants' land in Haryana was notified for acquisition in 2002 and an award was passed in 2004 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. They filed writ petitions alleging that the land fell within a green belt under the Regional Plan 2001, that the acquisition violated the National Capital Region Planning Board Act,…

The Agricultural Market Committee of Andhra Pradesh initiated criminal proceedings against traders of M.K. Exports for non‑payment of market fees that were re‑assessed under Section 12‑8(5) of the A.P. Agricultural (Produce and Livestock) Markets Act, 1966. The traders filed petitions under Section 482 of the Code of C…

The appellants, police officers, illegally detained Nandagopal, beat him to death in police custody and gang‑raped his wife Padmini within the police station. The trial court and High Court convicted them based on the testimony of 37 witnesses, including the victim, and sentenced one officer to three years and the othe…

Ranjit Singh was charged with murdering his wife Gurmail Kaur on 1 September 1990, with the prosecution alleging that he, his sisters and his grandmother participated in the killing. The evidence consisted of a post‑mortem report indicating strangulation, an electric wire found near the body, and extra‑judicial confess…

Tara Singh was apprehended carrying 8 kg of opium in a gunny bag on his head. He was searched under Section 50 of the NDPS Act, samples were taken and sent to a laboratory, and he was convicted and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and a fine. The High Court set aside the conviction on two grounds: non‑compliance wi…

The appellant, Asmathunnisa, and her husband were charged under Section 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for allegedly insulting a complainant by naming his caste in the complainant's absence. The appellant argued that the offence requires the victim to be presen…

The Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) Board extended the service of retired Parpathedar P. Seshadri on a contract basis beyond the age of sixty. Respondent S. Mangati Gopal Reddy filed a writ petition, styled as a public‑interest litigation, alleging that the extensions violated Rule 13 of the TTD Service Rules, 198…

The case concerned a multi‑crore iron‑ore mining lease scam involving former ministers of Jharkhand, including a former chief minister, with allegations of illicit wealth amassed through abuse of official position. The High Court, noting the complexity and trans‑national nature of the alleged investments, referred the …

The Rajasthan Sales Tax Assessing Officer had assessed M/s Makkad Plastic Agencies at a 10% rate, which was later set aside by the Deputy Commissioner (Appeals) and then restored by the Rajasthan Taxation Board. The assessee filed a rectification application under Section 37 of the Rajasthan Sales Tax Act, 1994, prompt…

The first respondent bought an unfinished apartment and contracted the developer to complete it, invoking an arbitration clause in their construction agreement dated 21‑02‑2008. The respondent also had a separate loan agreement with the appellant bank, which contained its own arbitration clause. When the developer fail…

The Punjab State Warehousing Corporation filed a private criminal complaint under Sections 406 and 409 of the IPC alleging a shortage of rice entrusted to the respondents. The trial court had earlier exempted the complainant from personal appearance, but later dismissed the complaint in default on the ground that the c…

The appellant filed a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which the magistrate referred to a Lok Adalat for settlement. The parties reached a compromise and the Lok Adalat passed an award, but the respondent failed to honour the payment schedule, leading the appellant to file an exec…

In 2003 a police constable attempted to escort two men to the police station; one, Hussain Ibrahim Siddi, grabbed and pushed the constable while his wife and mother intervened verbally. All three were convicted under IPC sections 325, 506(2), 333, 342 and 114 and sentenced to three years, later reduced by the Gujarat H…

In July 1994, Baljinder Singh and his brother Bhupinder Singh assaulted Kulwinder Singh, the owner of a cart that had inadvertently entered their paddy field, inflicting knife and fist injuries. The trial court convicted Baljinder under IPC sections 326 and 324, sentencing him to four years rigorous imprisonment with a…

The Assam Public Service Commission advertised a combined competitive examination with a reservation of 3% for physically disabled candidates. Respondent No.1, a physically disabled applicant, applied under the original advertisement but did not submit the required disability certificate by the stipulated deadline, nor…

The appellant Rajesh Kumar was convicted of murdering two children, aged four years and eight months, and was sentenced to death by the trial court and the Delhi High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the death penalty was justified under the "rarest of rare" doctrine, emphasizing the need to balance…

Umerkhan appealed to the Supreme Court against a judgment of the Bombay High Court that had set aside the first appellate court's decree in a partition suit and restored the trial court's decree. The High Court had entertained the second appeal under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but did not formula…

The Bihar State Housing Board allotted a MIG flat to Ram Chandra Prasad Verma, who paid the full price and later died. His wife, Asha Lata Verma, obtained transfer of the flat in her name and subsequently sought to transfer it to her daughter‑in‑law, prompting the Board to issue a demand notice for alleged outstanding …

The appellant, Sudarshan Kumar, was convicted under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for abetting the suicide of his wife, Sudesh, who could not conceive a child and was repeatedly harassed, beaten, and sent away by him. The trial court sentenced him to seven years' rigorous imprisonment, a sentence upheld by the H…

Sheelkumar Jain, an employee of New India Assurance (formerly Liberty Insurance), served for over 20 years and in September 1991 gave a three‑month notice to leave service, which was accepted in December 1991. After the General Insurance (Employees') Pension Scheme, 1995 was introduced, he applied to opt for pension, b…

The respondent, a bill collector in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, was suspended in 1997 on allegations of accepting a bribe. He was later acquitted in the criminal trial because the complainant turned hostile and the prosecution failed to prove the gratuity was illegal. The competent authority, after re‑…

The Drug Inspector seized a sample of Betnesol tablets manufactured by Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals and sent it to the Government Analyst, who certified on 27 August 1997 that the sample was not of "standard quality". A show‑cause notice was issued on 29 September 1997, to which the company replied on 3 November 1…

The appellant was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly beating his wife and setting her ablaze. The sole basis of the conviction was the victim's dying declaration, recorded by an executive magistrate and endorsed by the treating doctor as being made while she was conscious. The appellant contended that any do…

Three accused—Buddhu Singh, his father Ledwa Singh and brother Balchand Singh—grappled with the deceased and Buddhu delivered a single axe blow that struck the victim's head, causing fatal injuries. The trial court and the High Court convicted all of them under Section 302 IPC for murder and sentenced them to life impr…

The appellant, a hotel servant, was arrested after 2.1 kg of opium was recovered from a hotel room and he made two confessional statements to officers of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN). The trial court convicted him under Sections 8 and 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, relying on …

Roopsena Khatun, a 15‑year‑old orphan girl, was convicted of murdering a child, Baby Khatun, by allegedly drowning her in a pond and stealing a silver chain from the corpse. The prosecution's case rested on four circumstantial pieces: the accused’s alleged disclosure and pointing out the body, an extra‑judicial confess…

Two government doctors were alleged to have engaged in private practice after hours, charging Rs 100 per patient, in violation of a government circular that prohibited such practice without permission. An FIR was lodged under Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section…

The appellant, a former President of the BCCI, challenged an amendment to Clause 6.2.4 of the BCCI's Regulations that exempted IPL, Champions League and Twenty‑20 events from the ban on administrators having commercial interests. He argued that the amendment was made to benefit the second respondent, who as a BCCI offi…

The Government awarded a works contract for the extension of Guwahati airport terminal to J.G. Engineers, which was later terminated for alleged slow progress. The parties referred their dispute to arbitration as per the contract, and the sole arbitrator awarded the contractor a sum of Rs.1.04 crore, rejecting the resp…

R. Ramachandran Nair, the first Vice‑Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, was accused of obtaining a pecuniary advantage while overseeing earth‑filling of university land. An FIR was lodged in 1996 and a charge‑sheet filed after an 8½‑year delay, without obtaining the prior sanction of the Universit…

The appellants were charged with murdering an eleven‑year‑old boy who was beaten and later found hanged in a house belonging to one of them. The trial court acquitted them, dismissing the testimony of two eye‑witnesses and the medical evidence, and questioning the timing of the FIR and the credibility of the witnesses.…

The Supreme Court reviewed a writ petition in which the Bombay High Court, Nagpur bench, had taken suo motu action without any petition and ordered that private unaided engineering colleges in Maharashtra would be barred from admitting students if they failed to appoint a permanent principal by a specified date. The Co…

The respondent, a constable of the Railway Protection Force, was charged with assaulting and robbing a passenger. An enquiry officer found him guilty and the disciplinary authority ordered his removal from service. The appellate authority set aside the removal, ordered a de novo enquiry, and again found him guilty, sub…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Assam Elementary Education (Provincialization) (Amendment) Rules, 2005 which gave preference to teachers who had undergone training rather than mandating a diploma as required by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993 and its 2001 Regulations. The High…

The dispute concerned the timing of the limitation period for filing an application under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 to set aside an arbitral award. The arbitrator gave a signed copy of the award only to the claimant, while the respondent (appellant) received an unsigned Xerox copy only af…

Parmeshwari, a pillion passenger on a motorcycle, suffered a fractured right leg and 32% permanent disability after being hit by a scooter. She filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police (Hisar) and later a compensation claim, which the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs.1,36,547 with 9% interest. The H…

The State alleged that Dr. Mahender Singh Dahiya strangulated his wife Namita during their honeymoon in Brussels, dismembered her body and disposed of the parts, while the prosecution failed to produce a weapon, reliable forensic identification of the body parts, or a clear motive. The trial court convicted Dahiya unde…

Prabull Goradia, a Hindu, filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of the Haj Committee Act, 2002, alleging that taxes he pays are used to fund the Muslim Haj pilgrimage, thereby violating Articles 27, 14 and 15 of the Constitution. The Court examined the scope of Article 27, holdi…

The Gram Panchayat of Rohar Jagir filed an application under Section 7 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961 to evict the appellants who had illegally occupied a village pond and constructed houses on it. The Collector regularized the occupants’ possession, claiming it was not in the public interest…

The State of Himachal Pradesh sued the Union of India and five other parties seeking its share of electricity generated by the Bhakra‑Nangal and Beas hydro‑electric projects, claiming entitlement based on the submergence of its territory and the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. The Court examined whether the suit was b…

The appellant, Har Devi Asnani, purchased a residential plot for Rs 18 lakh and paid stamp duty of Rs 1,17,000, but the Sub‑Registrar re‑valued the land at Rs 2,58,44,260, leading the Additional Collector to demand a deficit stamp duty of Rs 15,70,000. The appellant challenged the demand in the High Court, which dismis…

Ultra Tech Cement Ltd., the lessee of a limestone mining lease granted by the Government of Maharashtra on 12‑Feb‑1980, challenged demand notices for Zilla Parishad (ZP) cess and Gram Panchayat (GP) cess for the years 1987‑1992. The appellant argued that Section 151(1) of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat S…

Thermax Ltd. entered into purchase orders with K.M. Johny’s firms for storage tanks and consumables. The contracts fell apart and Johny alleged non‑payment of large sums, filing three earlier complaints that were closed as civil matters. In 2002 he lodged another complaint before a magistrate alleging offences under Se…

M/s Eureka Forbes Ltd., the appellant, challenged the assessment of sales tax on its vacuum cleaners for the years 1990-91 to 1993-94, contending that the product should be taxed at the standard 8% rate. The State of Bihar, relying on Entry 81 of the Notification dated 26-12-1977 issued under Section 12 of the Bihar Fi…

The respondents were appointed as Assistant Teachers in West Bengal primary schools after obtaining a Primary Teachers' Training Institute (PTI) certificate, which they secured by inflating their marks to gain admission to the training course. Upon discovery of the fraud, the District Primary School Council issued show…

Hariram appealed against judgments that upheld a permanent injunction ordering the removal of his alleged encroachment on a 10‑foot public street. He argued that the suit was barred by limitation, violated Order I Rule 8 of the CPC, and lacked proof that the land was a public street. The Supreme Court held that encroac…

The appellants, brothers Daulat Ram and Mangilal, cultivated opium under a licence held by their mother and failed to declare the entire yield to the Lambardar as required by Rule 13 of the NDPS Rules. During a raid, concealed opium was recovered from pits they had dug, and both accused confessed to withholding the opi…

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL) filled 51 vacancies by appointing candidates who had previously undergone apprenticeship with the company, including the appellants. The aggrieved private respondents filed writ petitions seeking quashing of these appointments and demanded that the vacancies be filled strictly according t…

The appellant, a school teacher, was convicted under Section 376 of the IPC for raping a 15‑year‑old girl. The FIR was lodged three days after the alleged incident, and the medical examination, conducted after three days, did not conclusively prove rape, though it noted a minor finger injury and a missing hymen. The ap…

The case arose from a dispute over school land in Punjab where the village sarpanch, Jaswant Singh, was shot dead. The FIR described the killers as two Sikh youths aged 25‑30 wearing kurta pajamas, but no names were given. The two accused, Sukhbir Singh and Dilbagh Singh, were arrested six months later and identified f…

The Supreme Court considered whether two sister private companies, L.N. Gadodia & Sons and Delhi Farming & Construction Pvt. Ltd., should be treated as a single establishment under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. Both firms shared common directors, a managing director, senior manag…

The petitioner, a member of the BCCI, was suspended and faced disciplinary action after a complaint of breach of confidentiality. He objected to the composition of the three‑member Disciplinary Committee, arguing that the President’s recusal required either waiting for a new President or appointing members acceptable t…

The Supreme Court examined the seniority of three appellants and the first respondent appointed as computer operators in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The first respondent possessed the required post‑graduate diploma at the time of the written test, whereas the appellants did not and were appointed on a temporary, adh…

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) amended its Rule 18 to introduce a "One Bar One Vote" principle, restricting voting rights to advocates who regularly practice before the Supreme Court. Two SCBA members, B.D. Kaushik and A.K. Manchanda, challenged the amendment and obtained an interim injunction restraining its…

The State of Maharashtra appealed against a Bombay High Court order that quashed a seizure of sunglasses on the ground that they were not a "pre‑packed commodity" under the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976. The issue was whether sunglasses (and similar items such as watches, phones, appliances) fall within t…

The State of Maharashtra seized several packaged food items from the respondent's godown alleging that the outer packs, which the authorities treated as wholesale packages, lacked the mandatory declarations required under the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977. The respondent filed a w…

Jagdish Kaur, a Class‑IV peon, sought promotion to a Class‑III clerk post but was denied because she had not passed the Punjabi typing test at 30 w.p.m. The Punjab and Haryana High Court struck down the typing‑test requirement as illegal, prompting the State of Punjab to appeal. The Supreme Court examined whether the P…

The appellant, Mohan Singh, was accused of extorting money from an informant by telephone and threatening the informant's brother, who was subsequently killed. The prosecution presented voice identification by the informant, call‑record printouts linking Singh to co‑conspirator Laxmi Singh, and testimony that the infor…

The appellant, Narmada Bachao Andolan, challenged the amendment dated 7 June 1991 to Clause 5.1 of the 1991 Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy for the Upper Beda dam project in Madhya Pradesh, alleging it was ultra vires, arbitrary and violated the right of oustees to land in lieu of acquisition. The petition…

The State of Punjab appealed against the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s order reducing the conviction of four accused from murder (s.302 r/w s.34 IPC) to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (s.304 Part‑I r/w s.34) and cutting their sentence to five years rigorous imprisonment. The trial court had relied on the tes…

The appellants, Gosu Jairami Reddy and others, were convicted for murder, rioting and offences under the Explosive Substances Act after allegedly hurling bombs and attacking the deceased with hunting sickles. They challenged the convictions before the Supreme Court under Article 136, arguing errors in the trial court’s…

The West Bengal government advertised land for an integrated school and allotted a 50‑katha plot to cricketer Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly later requested a larger plot to meet ICSE affiliation norms and offered to surrender the original plot. Within a month the government allotted a 63‑katha plot without a fresh advertisem…

The appellant, Bahadur Singh, was apprehended during a police nakabandi and a bag he was carrying yielded 10 kg of opium. The trial court acquitted him, finding the prosecution story doubtful and noting that a press note about the seizure did not mention him. The High Court reversed, holding that Section 50 of the NDPS…

The appellants Zahoor, Subrati and Babu were originally convicted of murder under Section 302 IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Allahabad High Court altered the conviction to culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304(1) read with Section 34, imposing a fine. On appeal, the Supreme Court held…

The landlord served a notice on the tenant on 28‑08‑1991, seeking vacancy of two rooms by the end of October 1991, claiming the tenancy was governed by the English calendar. The tenant contested, arguing that the tenancy followed the Bengali calendar and that the notice therefore failed to give a clear one‑month period…

In 1990 a car driven by the first respondent crashed, leaving the appellant, Urviben, permanently disabled and bedridden. She claimed Rs.15 lakh compensation before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) under s.166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The MACT awarded Rs.6.07 lakh with 9% interest, recording that the a…

The Supreme Court examined whether Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) could levy development fees on embarking passengers under Section 22A of the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, based on letters of approval from the Central Government. The petitioners argued that …

M/s Bansal Wire Industries Ltd., a manufacturer of stainless steel wire, challenged the assessment that taxed its product at 4% under the Central Sales Tax Act, arguing that stainless steel wire is a "declared commodity" within the "iron and steel" category of Section 14(iv) and thus eligible for the 4% ceiling. The St…

The State Government acquired 103 bighas of land in Banda district for the Tulsi Nagar Residential Scheme under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, issuing a notification on 8‑9‑1998 and a declaration on 7‑9‑1999. The acquisition was completed with possession handed over to the Banda Development Authority (BDA) on 30‑6‑200…

The State of Haryana prosecuted Rajmal and another under Section 8 of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 for slaughtering cows in their house. The trial court and the Additional Sessions Judge convicted them based on seizure of beef, cow skins, and weapons, and eyewitness identification by the investigat…

The parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 25 September 2007 containing an arbitration clause. Although the MOU stipulated a trial period ending 31 December 2007, the petitioner unilaterally extended it until its termination on 25 September 2009, after which the respondent commenced legal proceedin…

The plaintiff, M.S.S. Food Products, sued the appellants for passing off, seeking a declaration and injunction over the use of the mark "Manikchand". The trial court granted an interim ex parte injunction, later proceeded ex parte after the defendants failed to appear, closed their right to cross‑examine, heard only th…

The State of Assam advertised for the post of Gaonburah and appointed Kandarpa Sarma after a selection committee evaluated candidates on suitability. Rajeshwar Das, the nephew of a former Gaonburah, appealed under executive instruction para 162, and the Deputy Commissioner set aside Sarma's appointment, directing Das's…

The appellant Gurdeep Singh was convicted under IPC sections 3048 (dowry death) and 498A for allegedly poisoning his wife Rajinder Kaur after a dowry demand. The prosecution alleged that the accused administered poison, that a dowry demand of Rs 25,000 was made shortly before death, and that the body was cremated hasti…

The respondent, a legislator and social activist, filed a writ petition alleging that the Rajasthan Chief Minister's Relief Fund was being distributed arbitrarily and discriminatorily among minor rape victims, seeking a uniform grant of Rs.5 lakh to each victim. The High Court ordered that Rule 5 of the Relief Fund Rul…

The dispute arose between two brothers over the validity of partnership deeds executed after their grandfather's death, with the elder brother alleging that the later deeds of 1991 and 2000 were forged. The younger brother filed an application under section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeking appo…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for declaration and possession of a property that had been purchased by Honnanna and later allegedly transferred to the defendants through an agreement to sale dated 27 November 1982. The defendants claimed title based on that agreement and an irrevocable power of attorney executed in 1985, …

The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) hired a privately owned mini‑bus, which was insured by National Insurance Company, and the bus was involved in a fatal accident. The claimants sought compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal held the corporation l…

The Union of India and others contracted Master Construction Co. to complete works, which were finished and a completion certificate issued. The contractor submitted no‑claim certificates and signed the final bill, receiving full payment on 19 June 2000, after which it later withdrew the certificates and lodged further…

The appellant, U.P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad, sought to acquire land belonging to the respondents and challenged the Reference Court's award of Rs.1,10,250 per bigha as compensation, up from Rs.10,250 per bigha. The Allahabad High Court dismissed the appeal summarily without reasons, invoking Order 41 Rule 11 of the CP…

The appellant, a senior police officer in Sikkim, was charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. He submitted a detailed statement of his assets (Exhibit D‑4) after the FIR, but the prosecution alleged a much larger unexplained amount and …

The case involved an alleged assault and murder of the father and nephew of PW‑1 (Kaldhari) by three accused (A‑1, A‑2, A‑3) using knives and spears. The prosecution’s case rested solely on the testimony of PW‑1 and two other eyewitnesses (PW‑2, PW‑3), who claimed to have identified the accused with the aid of a lanter…

The appellants, two fine‑art auctioneers, auctioned two paintings that were later seized by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as antiques. The CBI, relying on the ASI report, registered an FIR under IPC s.120B and the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 s.25(1) read with s.3, and filed a charge‑sheet. The ap…

The petitioner, Keshav Prasad Sharma, was tried for a criminal offence when the public prosecutor sought to implead respondents No.3‑9 as co‑accused under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The trial court allowed the impleadment, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court set aside that order. The petitioner filed S…

Manoj Kumar Pradhan, a sitting MLA, was convicted under IPC sections 147, 326 read with 149 and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. He and another convict appealed, and the Orissa High Court granted him bail on the same day, citing his status as an MLA. The appellant, Kanaka Rekha Naik, the wife of the dec…

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 appellant was accused of raping his daughter-in-law in the family home on 2 April 1989, an incident allegedly witnessed by several family members and resulting in the victim's bleeding. The trial court convicted him under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. …

The Supreme Court, hearing Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal (Criminal Appeal No. 135 of 2010), continued its earlier directives to improve the rehabilitation of sex workers by ordering the Central Government to provide Rs.10 lakh and each State Government Rs.5 lakh (Union Territories Rs.2 lakh) to the Court‑a…

Uniflex Cables Ltd., a manufacturer of insulated wires, claimed exemption from central excise duty under Notification 205/88 (as amended) on the ground that its cables were specially designed for wind‑mills. The Revenue authorities rejected the claim, asserting that the cables were neither parts nor specially designed …

Petitioner P. Parthasarathy owned about 2 acres of land in Kengeri, Karnataka, which the State sought to acquire for the Bangalore‑Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project under the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act, 1966. After a preliminary notification under s.28(1) and no objection from the petitioner, a fin…

The Special Land Acquisition Officer fixed compensation of Rs.3,100 per acre for land acquired under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The landowners challenged this amount; the reference court raised it to Rs.10,000 per acre, and the High Court further increased it to Rs.75,000 per acre. The Supreme Court h…

The Supreme Court examined the compensation payable to land owners whose 550.03 acres were acquired by the State of Punjab for an industrial focal point. It held that the appropriate market value (base price) must be determined using the sale deed Ext. P.8, which was a genuine transaction close to the Section 4 notific…

The Supreme Court examined a review petition challenging its earlier order that quashed an allotment of land made by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to the predecessor‑in‑interest of the petitioners under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The State Government's land policy allowed aggrieved persons to receive develop…

The appellant, Rajput Jabbarsingh Malaji, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for murdering his brother Jethusing by striking him on the face with an axe. The prosecution relied on the dying victim's wife (PW‑3) who identified the appellant, corroborated by two brothers (PW‑5, PW‑6) whose statements were recorded under…

The State of Rajasthan appealed against the Rajasthan High Court’s order converting the murder conviction of respondent No.1 Islam under IPC Section 302 to a lesser offence under Section 304 Part‑II, on the ground that the High Court had erred in its appreciation of the evidence and its application of the fourth except…

The appellant, Swapan Kumar Senapati, assaulted his uncle Satkari Senapati by sitting on his chest and allegedly striking his head with a stone. The victim died three days later from intracranial hemorrhage, with no external injuries found at autopsy. The FIR was lodged three days after the incident, citing Sections 34…

The appellant, MD Sukur Ali, challenged a conviction upheld by the Gauhati High Court, which had been decided in his absence because his newly appointed counsel, B. Sinha, did not appear due to a listing error. The Supreme Court examined whether a criminal case can be decided against an accused when counsel is absent a…

The original plaintiff, Lanka Venkateswarlu, filed a suit for title and injunction which was appealed after his death in 1990. The High Court ordered the government pleader to bring the legal heirs on record within a week, failing which the appeal would be dismissed. The appeal was dismissed on 6 February 1998 for non‑…

The deceased Prakash was assaulted after a marriage ceremony by members of two rival groups of the Dalit Mukti Sena. He sustained a buttock wound and later developed internal injuries, leading to his death after eighteen days of hospitalization. The trial court convicted the accused of murder (s.302/149 IPC) and other …

The Additional Sessions Judge convicted Narayan Dutt, Manjit Singh and Prem Kumar for murder under the IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonment. While their appeals were pending before the High Court, they filed petitions under Article 161 of the Constitution seeking pardon from the Governor of Punjab, who granted i…

The appellants Gurdial Singh, Bakshish Singh and Darshan Singh attempted to divert a village drain towards the house of Buta Singh despite a court injunction. When Buta Singh objected, the appellants, armed with a gandasi and dangs, assaulted him and several witnesses; Buta Singh later died from his injuries. The trial…

Rameshbhai Chandubhai Rathod, a 27‑year‑old watchman, was convicted of raping and murdering a ten‑year‑old girl residing in the building where he worked. The trial court sentenced him to death under Section 302 IPC, a decision affirmed by the Gujarat High Court as a "rarest of rare" case. On appeal before a two‑judge S…

The appellant Kalyan Singh Chouhan, declared elected by a margin of one vote in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, challenged the High Court's order rejecting his application to summon all ten tendered votes, arguing that the entire set should be examined to prevent miscarriage of justice. The respondent C.P.…

The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by a next friend on behalf of Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug, sought a direction to stop feeding her, alleging she had been in a persistent vegetative state for 36 years following a brutal assault. The respondents, including the KEM Hospital and municipal authorities…

Shish Ram, who had served over ten years in the Indian Army, was transferred to the reserve establishment and failed to attend mandatory reservist training, nor did he provide an exemption certificate. He was declared a deserter in 1978 and subsequently dismissed by the brigade commander in 1981. The appellant challeng…

The Union of India invited tenders for fresh fruit supply to its troops and accepted the tender of Col. L.S.N. Murthy (respondent No.2). After the respondent stopped supply in June 2000, the Union rescinded the contract, forfeited the security deposit and claimed expenses, leading to arbitration. The arbitrator held th…

The Supreme Court considered appeals by Sanjay Chandra and 16 co‑accused who were denied bail by the Special CBI Judge and the Delhi High Court in a telecom‑licence fraud case involving alleged loss of billions to the State. The appellants argued that the investigation was complete, the charge‑sheet filed, and there wa…

The appellant, a farmer, challenged the acquisition of his agricultural land by the State of Haryana, alleging that the statutory notices under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 were not properly published, he was denied a hearing, and that possession of his land was never actually taken because crops were standing at the…

The appellant and the complainant, who are brothers, were involved in a pending partition suit where the appellant produced a deed that the complainant alleged was altered and forged. The complainant filed a criminal complaint under several sections of the Indian Penal Code alleging forgery and related offences. The Hi…

The petitioners, led by Ram Jethmalani, sought a writ directing the Union of India to recover unaccounted money of Indian citizens held in foreign banks and the Court had earlier appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by two retired Supreme Court judges. The Union of India filed Interlocutory Application N…

A.B. Bhaskara Rao, a railway head clerk, demanded and accepted Rs 200 as illegal gratification for a transfer order on 14 Nov 1997 and was charged under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d)(ii) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. He was convicted by a Special Judge and sentenced to six months rigorous…

The appellant, Sadhwi Pragnya Singh Thakur, was alleged to have been arrested on 10 October 2008 in connection with the Malegaon bomb blast and claimed that she was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, violating Article 22(1) and 22(2) of the Constitution, and that the charge‑sheet was filed after the 90‑d…

The State of Uttar Pradesh challenged M/s Mohan Meakin Breweries Ltd. for levying excise duty and additional duty on alleged excess manufacturing and bottling wastage of beer. The High Court had directed the State to recompute the stock of beer under Rule 53 of the UP Brewery Rules and Section 28A of the UP Excise Act,…

Kanwar Singh Saini appealed against a conviction for criminal contempt by the Delhi High Court for allegedly breaching an undertaking given in a civil suit that resulted in a decree granting a permanent injunction. The Supreme Court held that an application under Order XXXIX Rule 2A of the CPC is only available during …

In 1995 a pregnant woman (Kusuma) was injured in a road accident and subsequently delivered a still‑born baby. She filed a claim petition under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for loss of the unborn child and pain and suffering. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded Rs 50,000 for the loss of the unborn…

The husband and wife obtained a decree of divorce by mutual consent in 2008. The wife later filed a criminal complaint under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 alleging the divorce decree was a sham and that they continued to live together. The husband moved the trial magistrate under Section 482 …

The petitioners challenged two notifications issued by the State of Uttar Pradesh for acquiring land to develop a Leather City Project aimed at relocating polluting bone mills. The Court examined whether the declaration under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, dated 18 December 2007, was made within the one‑year li…

In a land acquisition proceeding, the government paid compensation by issuing cheques to four owners, two of which remained uncollected and were subsequently deposited in the State's revenue account and utilized. The owners filed an execution application seeking the balance amount and interest, arguing that under Secti…

The Haryana State Warehousing Corporation promoted Ram Kumar to Assistant Manager (Administration) over the senior Jagat Ram, relying on a comparative assessment of their service records. Jagat Ram challenged the promotion, arguing that Regulation 8(2) of the 1994 Regulations mandates promotion on a seniority‑cum‑merit…

The case arose from a violent incident that followed a marriage ceremony in Vaishali district, where six accused formed an unlawful assembly and opened fire, killing Shankar Rai and injuring his brother Dineshwar Rai. The prosecution proved that the accused slapped and fisted the bride's brother-in-law, after which the…

The appellants owned 6.6 acres of land in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, which was acquired by the State under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 through notifications under Sections 4 and 6. They challenged the acquisition on two grounds: that they were not afforded a hearing under Section 5‑A before their objections were decide…

In a criminal revision, the revisionist failed to appear because his counsel did not note the case in the main list, leading the High Court to pass a judgment. An application was filed to recall that order on the ground that the case was not listed, and the High Court recalled the order and ordered a fresh hearing. The…

The landlord filed a petition under Section 21(1)(a) of the U.P. Urban Building Act, 1972 claiming bonafide need to evict the tenant. The prescribed authority rejected the petition, finding no bonafide need, and the appellate court upheld this finding. The High Court, however, in a writ petition, set aside the finding …

Shiv Shankar Singh filed two protest petitions against the State of Bihar after two FIRs were lodged for the same incident, one alleging a dacoity and the other alleging murder for property disputes. The first petition, filed before the police final report, was deemed incompetent, while the second petition was entertai…

Dinesh Kumar was prosecuted under Sections 13(2), 13(1)(d) and 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 after a sanction order was issued on 4 November 2009. He challenged the sanction in the High Court, but the CBI filed a charge‑sheet and the Special Judge took cognizance while the sanction was still under …

Bangaru Laxman appealed against the order of a Special Judge that granted pardon to an accomplice (respondent No.2) before the charge‑sheet was filed. The appellant argued that the Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act) lacked jurisdiction to grant pardon at the investigation stage and that…

The Supreme Court examined the quantum of deductions to be made from the market value of a large tract of undeveloped agricultural land acquired for a residential layout, where the market value was derived from a sale of a small, fully developed plot. The Court clarified that deductions for development must be split in…

The appellant, Parasamaya Kolerinatha Math, sued the defendants for declaration of title and possession of a Chennai property that housed the Meenakshiamman idol and the founder's statue. The defendants claimed the premises was a public temple belonging to the Viswakarma community. The High Court Single Judge held the …

The appellant Gajraj Singh was convicted for the murder of his brother-in-law Harish Kumar after the victim's body was discovered with a missing revolver, mobile phone and Rs.3 lakh. Investigation revealed that the victim's SIM (9871879824) was used on a handset bearing IMEI No.35136304044030, which was later used with…

Shiveshwar Narayan, a judicial officer, sought extension of his retirement age from 58 to 60 years. An Evaluation Committee, appointed by the Patna High Court, found he lacked potential for continued useful service, and the Full Court of the High Court unanimously accepted this finding, denying the extension. Narayan c…

The petitioners, Kachchh Jal Sankat Nivaran Samiti & Ors., filed a public interest litigation alleging that the State of Gujarat allocated an inadequate share of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the drought‑prone Kachchh district. The Gujarat High Court dismissed the writ, holding that water allocation is a policy …

In 1997 the prosecutrix was abducted, raped and beaten by three accused who were later convicted under IPC sections 376(2)(g) and 342 and sentenced to ten years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000 each. The accused had already served about three and a half years when they appealed to the Supreme Court, conte…

The appellant, Dayal Das, was convicted under IPC sections 304(Part‑II) and 328 and Rajasthan Excise Act s.54‑A for the death of Lal Chand, who allegedly died after consuming illicit liquor at the appellant's soda‑lemon shop. The sole evidence linking the appellant was the statement of PW‑12, who said he saw Lal Chand …

The appellants filed a partition suit and the respondents later applied under Order XVI Rule 1(1) and (2) read with Section 151 of the CPC to file a list of witnesses, naming the appellants' advocate, N.R. Karnath, as a witness. The trial court allowed the list but rejected the request to summon the advocate because no…

The case involved the murder of money‑lender RL and his wife during a robbery of their house‑cum‑shop, where the accused A‑1 (Gordhan Lal), A‑2 (Bharat Kumar) and A‑3 (Ramesh) were convicted of murder, robbery and related offences. The prosecution relied on a chain of circumstantial evidence, including blood‑stained cl…

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 appellant, Surinder Kumar, was accused of setting fire to his lover Kamlesh Rani, who later died from severe burns. The sole evidence against him was a dying declaration recorded by an executive magistrate at a hospital, which alleged that Kumar had poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze. The trial court rejecte…

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. claimed rebate of excise duty and, after the refund was sanctioned, sought interest under Section 11BB of the Central Excise Act, 1944 for the delay. The revenue argued that interest was payable only after three months from the date of the refund order, while the assessee contended that the pe…

Jaswant Singh filed several suits concerning ownership of land in Simbli, Hoshiarpur, and the parties entered into a compromise on 27 November 1972 which led to a decree on 8 December 1972. The dispute later centered on the interpretation of that compromise—whether Singh owned 12.5 acres or only 8 acres—and on the admi…

D.M. Parmar, a manager of Panchmahal Vadodara Gramin Bank, was dismissed after an enquiry found him guilty of multiple serious charges relating to loan sanction irregularities. He challenged the dismissal, arguing that the enquiry officer had denied him access to documents concerning his predecessor and that the discip…

The Supreme Court considered a dispute arising from a BOT concession agreement for the Bharatpur bypass road, where the contractor claimed entitlement to tolls and compensation for delay in the State's issuance of a traffic‑restriction notification and for the Bharatpur‑Deeg patch of road. The arbitral tribunal had awa…

The appellant, Nikku Khan (Mohammadeen), was stopped by police on 1 June 2003 and heroin weighing 740 grams was seized from his person. Laboratory analysis showed the heroin had a purity of 16.93%, equating to approximately 125 grams of pure heroin. Under the NDPS Act, the commercial quantity of heroin is prescribed as…

The appellant was charged with misappropriation of funds under the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) for offences under several IPC sections and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. After a protracted investigation, he was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to two and a half years' rigorous imprisonment, which…

During a joint operation in January 1999, Nirmal Singh was apprehended and offered a choice to be searched before a magistrate or a gazetted officer under Section 50 of the ND PS Act. He chose a gazetted officer, and a search uncovered two kilograms of heroin; he also made a confession to a customs officer under Sectio…

The appellant, a Sub‑Inspector, married a woman (the second wife) by concealing that he was already married, collected money from her family and threatened them. The second wife filed a complaint alleging offences under Sections 494, 495, 417, 420 and 498A IPC. The High Court quashed the complaint under Section 498A, h…

The appellant, V. Ramakrishna Rao, filed an application under Section 28A(3) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 seeking correction of the market value and compensation awarded for land acquisition. The Supreme Court had earlier allowed the appeal, reversing the Andhra Pradesh High Court and holding the Section 28A(3) ap…

Amrik Singh Lyallpuri, a journalist, challenged the statutory provision that appeals from decisions of the Appellate Tribunal under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 and the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 must be heard by the Administrator (the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi). The issue was whether such an…

The appellant Fahim Khan and two others were accused of murdering Sagir Hasan Siddique. The trial court acquitted them, but the High Court set aside the acquittal, finding the trial court's judgment perverse and convicting the appellant. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the High Court could interfere with …

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appealed against the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s order granting bail to S. Gopalakrishnan (external auditor) and V.S. Prabhakara Gupta (internal auditor) in the massive Satyam corporate fraud case. The Supreme Court examined whether the bail was justified given the accused’s al…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for possession of a 3‑acre land alleging title derived from their parents. Defendant No.1 (Razia Begum) transferred the land to Lateef Hassan Burney (defendant No.2) who was later impleaded. The amended plaint sought possession only against defendant No.1 and made no prayer against defendant…