Judgments of 2019

Vijendra was charged under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 for selling adulterated buffalo milk. A food inspector took a milk sample in the presence of a public witness, sent it to the public analyst, and the analyst’s report indicated adulteration. The report was dispatched to Vijendra by registered post…

The appellants, Chilakamarthi Venkateswarlu and others, were accused by a close relative (the de facto complainant) in a criminal complaint (PRC No.2 of 2018) for offences under IPC sections 307, 323, 427, 447 and 506(2) read with 34. The appellants claimed the complaint was a retaliatory false allegation arising from …

The plaintiff, a granddaughter of the late Nawab Raza Ali Khan of Rampur, sought partition of the Nawab's private properties, arguing that succession should follow Muslim personal law as the Nawab was a Shia. The defendants contended that the properties were attached to the Gaddi of the State and thus governed by the r…

The Central Bank of India’s Voluntary Retirement Scheme, 2001 allowed employees who were over 40 years of age or had 15 years of service to retire voluntarily. Tara Chand, who had 11 years of service and was over 40, opted for voluntary retirement in February 2001, but the Bank denied him a pro‑rata pension. The Single…

The plaintiff, a private limited company, purchased a parcel of agricultural land in 1998 and later discovered that the seller had fraudulently executed four sale deeds in 2006 in favour of other parties. The plaintiff filed a suit in the civil court seeking cancellation of the 2006 deed and an injunction, which the ci…

The appellant purchased a motor vehicle at an auction from a bank that had lifted its hypothecation lien and paid the insurance premium to the insurer, which issued a policy in the name of the original owner but also listed the appellant’s address. The vehicle was stolen shortly after purchase, and the insurer denied t…

In 1998 a complaint was lodged alleging that a group of accused assaulted the complainant, leading to charges under Sections 143, 147, 323 r/w 149, 325 IPC and Section 135 of the Bombay Police Act. The trial court acquitted all accused, and the State of Maharashtra applied for leave to appeal under Section 378(3) of th…

The appellant, a former director of Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., challenged the refusal of the resolution professional to furnish resolution plans and related documents to members of the suspended Board of Directors during the corporate insolvency resolution process. The Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme under…

The appeal concerned a dispute over entries of mutation in revenue records for a piece of land. The petitioners challenged the mutation, arguing it affected their title, while the respondents contended that mutation merely enabled payment of land revenue. The Supreme Court reiterated its earlier rulings that mutation i…

The plaintiff filed a suit for specific performance of a contract dated 08‑08‑1984, which the trial court decreed in his favour. The first appellate court reversed that decree, dismissing the suit, and the plaintiff appealed to the High Court. The High Court dismissed the second appeal, holding that it did not raise an…

The appellant, N. Sankaranarayanan, filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution seeking a mandamus against the Tamil Nadu Housing Board and other authorities to restrain his family members (respondent Nos. 2 and 3) from operating a petrol pump and a marriage hall on a piece of land that was the subject …

The dispute concerned a lease of land in Bombay where Shree Krishna Woolen Mills, the lessee, sued Mahadev Kambekar (representing the lessor) for specific performance of the lease deed. The lessor filed a counter‑claim seeking eviction of the lessee and recovery of rent, which a Single Judge allowed along with the plai…

The Uttar Pradesh government revised the category‑wise vacancy numbers for the Technical Assistant Group‑C recruitment after discovering that diploma holders had been wrongly counted against the OBC quota. The revised requisition (20‑08‑2014) and the UPPSC Office Memorandum (12‑10‑2014) were used to conduct the written…

The appellant, K.H. Nazar, sought environmental clearance to operate a quarry on land that was originally a plantation. Respondents filed writ petitions contending that the land could not be used for quarrying because such land does not qualify as a "commercial site" under the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963, and therefo…

The appellants challenged a petition filed by the respondent under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) alleging a default of at least Rs.1,00,000. The lower tribunal had held that the IBC’s commencement on 1 December 2016 triggered the limitation period and applied Article 62 of the Limitation Act, tr…

The appellant sought a declaration that a property, which had been surveyed and listed as "Wakf‑Al‑Allah" and published in the Official Gazette on 2 December 1965, was in fact "Wakf‑Al‑Aulad". He filed a suit under Section 6 of the Wakf Act, 1954 on 17 January 1967, more than one year after the Gazette publication, con…

Anjana Mittal, appointed as a temporary assistant in 1983, was absent for 1,968 days between 1987 and 1993, which the corporation later regularised as medical leave. The corporation terminated her service in 1994 under Regulation 24 of the 1975 Service Regulations, treating her as a temporary employee. Mittal challenge…

Zenith Drugs & Allied Agencies entered into a 1997 agreement with RPIL appointing it as a clearing and forwarding agent, which contained an arbitration clause. After RPIL merged with Nicholas Piramal India Ltd., the agreement was terminated and the parties settled their dispute through a compromise deed in December 200…

The appellants, Marvel Omega Builders, entered into a sale agreement with the respondents for a residential villa (Emerald-07) at a price of Rs.8.31 crore, of which Rs.8.14 crore was paid by November 2013. The agreement required possession by 31‑December‑2014, but the villa was not completed and no refund was offered. …

The case arose from a quarrel in which accused No.1 (Devraj) fired a pistol at PW‑6, inflicting a chest wound capable of causing death, and also shot PW‑7 in the knee, while accused Nos.2 and 3 assaulted the victims with sticks and fists. The trial court convicted all three under Section 307 IPC read with Section 34 an…

The appellant, a private hydel project developer, entered into an agreement with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to set up a 21 MW captive power plant and to receive free power, subject to KSEB constructing a transmission line. The plant was completed, but KSEB delayed the transmission line, preventing power …

Vijay Pandey was seized at his doorstep in the early morning with a plastic packet allegedly containing 10 kg of opium. The prosecution’s case relied solely on police witnesses, with no independent witness from the locality and no recovery memo as required under Section 50 of the NDPS Act. Although a laboratory report …

The victim Sushila's charred remains were recovered from a burning 'Bitora' in Village Kailash and DNA testing identified her. The prosecution alleged that the appellant Sunita, a cousin of the victim's husband, was the last person seen with the victim and her children, citing hostile witnesses who claimed to have seen…

The appellant was charged under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for two dishonoured cheques filed as a complaint on 4 November 2016. After the 2018 amendment inserting Section 143A, the trial court ordered the appellant to pay interim compensation of 20% of the cheque amounts, which the High Court reduced…

The Kopargaon Taluka Sakhar Kamgar Sabha, a representative union registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, held elections for its Managing Committee. The Election Officer introduced an election programme that created separate electoral colleges for each of the seven units and reserved eight seats for women and the r…

The complainant, Bharatbhai Bhimabhai Bharwad, filed a criminal complaint alleging that respondents No.2 and No.3 attacked him and his brother with swords, causing serious injuries. The trial court granted bail to the accused with conditions, after noting the prima facie case and the accused's lack of criminal antecede…

The Supreme Court examined a long‑running dispute concerning the award of domicile‑based bonus marks in appointments of primary school teachers in Rajasthan. Earlier judgments (Kailash Chand Sharma and Manmohan Sharma) had declared such bonus marks unconstitutional and applied the doctrine of prospective overruling, li…

The appellants, members of the family of Nayan Chopra, were summoned under IPC sections 323, 504, 506 and 498A, and the Dowry Prohibition Act, after a complaint was filed by the victim's father following a divorce proceeding in the United States. The Allahabad High Court refused to quash the complaint under Section 482…

The appellant, a manager in Bank of Baroda, was charged with forgery and related offences for opening a fictitious savings account to encash a refund cheque. He filed an application under Section 197 of the CrPC seeking discharge on the ground that prosecution sanction was required, arguing that he was a public servant…

The State of Karnataka granted agricultural land to members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with a non‑alienation clause prohibiting transfer for fifteen years. After the period, the appellant purchased the lands from the original grantees, claiming that prior government permission was not required. The As…

The appellant trade union filed a petition under Section 8 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 on behalf of about 3,000 workers seeking payment of outstanding dues from the respondent jute mill, which had been closed. The NCLT and subsequently the NCLAT dismissed the petition, holding that a trade union is not …

The appellants, a police driver and a singer, were convicted of gang rape of a 16‑year‑old girl and of criminal conspiracy under Sections 376(2)(g) and 120‑B IPC, receiving fifteen years and ten years rigorous imprisonment respectively, to run concurrently. They challenged the conviction on the ground that no charge wa…

The appellant, a government contractor, entered into an agreement with the State of Tamil Nadu to strengthen a highway. The contract was partially terminated by the Superintending Engineer on 16‑12‑1999 for alleged lack of progress, leading the appellant to file a writ petition (dismissed) and subsequently a civil suit…

The deceased, Lalita Bai, was burned to death after her sister‑in‑law, Kalabai, threw a burning kerosene stove at her during a domestic quarrel. The trial court convicted Kalabai of murder under Section 302 IPC based on the victim’s dying declaration, imposing life imprisonment. On appeal, the Supreme Court was asked t…

The Supreme Court examined the Central Government's order under Section 396 of the Companies Act, 1956 that compulsorily amalgamated 63 Moons Technologies Ltd. (FTIL) with its wholly‑owned subsidiary National Spot Exchange Ltd. (NSEL). The Court held that the order was ultra vires because the statutory conditions prece…

Snowtex Investment Ltd., a non‑banking financial company, incurred a loss from share trading in AY 2008‑09 and sought to set off that loss against profits earned from futures and options trading. The assessing officer treated the share‑trading loss as a speculation loss and disallowed the set‑off, holding that futures …

The appellant, a law officer of Syndicate Bank, was repeatedly deputed to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and later applied for and was appointed as Presiding Officer of the DRT while still on deputation. He sought permission from the bank to take up the new post, but received no response for eleven months and consequ…

The Anugraha Narayan Sinha Institute of Social Studies, incorporated under the 1964 Act, adopted a retirement benefit scheme in 1985 that it said would be funded from its own resources. The Institute's employees later sought a writ directing the State of Bihar to pay pension arrears after payments stopped in 2014. The …

The appellant purchased a hydraulic excavator in 2007 and insured it for Rs 46,56,600 for the period 22‑07‑2009 to 21‑07‑2010. The excavator was totally destroyed by fire in June 2010. While the insurer’s surveyor calculated depreciation from the original purchase price, the appellant’s surveyor deducted only 10% depre…

Alkem Laboratories Ltd, the marketer of a "sugarless" jelly manufactured by another company, was implicated after a food inspector seized samples from a retailer and a public analyst found sugar, constituting misbranding. The retailer later moved an application under Section 20A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration A…

Ramesh Bishnoi was selected for the post of Sub‑Inspector in the CISF and disclosed an FIR from 2009 alleging offences under IPC sections 354, 447 and 509 that were committed when he was a minor. He was acquitted in 2011 due to lack of evidence, but the screening committee cancelled his appointment on the ground of the…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) entered into a handling and transport contract with contractor Pratap Kundu, wherein the rate for supplying casual labour (Item 24) was to be determined by a pending Supreme Court case. The Supreme Court later ordered that casual labourers be paid wages as per Scale‑II rates (order d…

The appellant, accused in a rape case, sought a cloned copy of the contents of a memory card/pen‑drive that the prosecution intended to rely upon, arguing that the electronic record should be treated as a "document" under the Evidence Act and thus be furnished under Section 207 of the CrPC. The trial court and High Cou…

The Supreme Court examined three sets of appeals filed by Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd. (APTRANSCO) against orders of the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) fixing wheeling charges, grid support charges, and the continuation of incentives for non‑conventional energy. The Court he…

The Rajasthan High Court had directed the state to consider a candidate, who had applied for a Civil Judge post as a General category applicant and paid the general fee, for one of the two vacancies reserved for persons with disabilities after she later claimed visual impairment based on a disability certificate showin…

The case concerned a partition deed dated 31‑January‑1970 in which a Hindu undivided family allotted agricultural land to two minor daughters of Vithaldas Jagannath Khatri. The State of Maharashtra challenged the exclusion of that land from the surplus‑land calculation under the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling …

The petitioners, 92 diploma‑holding professionals, were admitted to B.Tech. programmes offered by Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), Patiala, through open and distance learning. TIET had obtained only provisional recognition from the Distance Education Council (DEC) but no prior approval from the Un…

The appellants filed a second appeal under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, challenging a decree. The High Court admitted the appeal but did not frame any substantial question of law before hearing, and only mentioned such questions in the judgment. The Supreme Court held that this procedure violates t…

The Maharashtra Chess Association, a society affiliated to the All India Chess Federation, was disaffiliated by the Federation and filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court under Article 226 challenging the action. The Federation invoked Clause 21 of its Constitution and Bye‑laws, which stipulated that any suit ag…

The respondents, seven accused persons, were charged with murder and several other offences for the killing of Sumit Kumar. Their bail applications were rejected by the Sessions Court but were later granted by the Allahabad High Court without recording any reasons. The complainant, father of the deceased, appealed to t…

The appellant, Rupa Roy, and her 10‑year‑old son were injured when a high‑speed van collided with their rickshaw van, leaving the son with a medically certified 70% permanent disability. She filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded a compensation of …

The appellants, prospective buyers, entered into an agreement to purchase a 9,500‑sq‑yard plot with two godowns for Rs 99,84,500 and reported the transaction under s.269UC of the Income Tax Act. The Income Tax Department’s appropriate authority, after a valuation showing the market value to be about 15% higher than the…

The decree‑holders obtained possession of a suit property under a decree of specific performance. Respondent No.1 (Shamsher Singh) claimed he had acquired title by adverse possession and filed an application under Order XXI Rules 98‑100 of the CPC seeking to be put back into possession. The executing court rejected the…

The appellant, a Superintending Engineer, attended a private seminar in New Delhi and booked his air tickets through a travel agent of the successful bidder in a pending tender, later paying the fare himself. He was dismissed and penalised with permanent pension withholding and forfeiture of gratuity under the West Ben…

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) demanded Infrastructure & Amenities (I&A) charges and premium Floor Space Index (FSI) charges from Prestige Estates after it applied for planning permission for a multi‑storeyed building. The State Government later issued a G.O. increasing I&A rates by 50% and direc…

The appellants were convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for issuing a dishonoured cheque. Their criminal complaints were filed before the amendment (effective 1 September 2018) that inserted Section 148, which empowers an appellate court to order the appellant to deposit at least 20% of the fi…

The father, Govind Singh, threw a burning chimney lamp at his daughter Lalita during a heated argument over a light bulb, causing severe burns that led to her death after seven days. The prosecution relied primarily on the daughter's dying declaration, as the eyewitnesses turned hostile, and secured a conviction for mu…

The State of Haryana issued notifications under Section 5(2) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 fixing and revising minimum rates of wages, including provisions that classified unskilled workers as semi‑skilled after a certain period of experience, prohibited segregation of wages into allowances, included security staff as…

The appeal concerned an application for letters of administration under Section 228 of the Indian Succession Act filed by the respondent after a probate was granted in England. The appellants argued that the application was barred by the three‑year limitation period under Article 137 of the Limitation Act, contending t…

The Union of India (appellant) and several contractors, including Parmar Construction Company (respondent), entered into railway construction contracts containing an arbitration clause (clause 64). After completing work, the contractors submitted final bills with a "No Claim" certificate, but later sought arbitration o…

Sunil Kumar Biswas and four other employees had worked for the Ordinance Factory Board for 25 years and sought regularisation of their services. They filed an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which dismissed their claim, leading them to file a writ petition in the Calcutta High Cou…

The appellant, Pattu Rajan, was convicted for the murder of his brother-in-law, Santhakumar, after a series of abductions and attempts to force the victim's wife, PW1, to become his third wife. The prosecution proved the murder through circumstantial evidence, including PW1's detailed testimony, corroboration by her mo…

The Union Government approved a greenfield international airport at Mopa, Goa, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) granted environmental clearance (EC) under the 2006 notification after the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommended it. Petitioners Hanuman Laxman Aroskar and the Federation of Rainbow W…

An FIR was lodged under several IPC sections and later under Section 3(ii) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The accused filed an anticipatory bail application, which the District Judge dismissed; the petitioner then approached the Madras High Court, but its registry ref…

Four Indian Air Force officers were granted Premature Separation from Service (PSS) under the Air Force Human Resource Policy, subsequently withdrew their requests and sought to continue in service. The Air Headquarters rejected their withdrawal applications, citing Paragraph 18 of the policy which permits withdrawal o…

The appellant, Poona Ram, sought to overturn a High Court judgment that had set aside a First Appellate Court order dismissing his suit for declaration of title and possession filed by Moti Ram. Moti Ram claimed possessory title based on alleged long possession but had no documentary title, while the defendants relied …

The Supreme Court considered whether a secured creditor, Kotak Mahindra Bank, could file a winding‑up petition under the Companies Act, 1956 after obtaining a decree and recovery certificate from the Debts Recovery Tribunal. The petitioners argued that Sections 17, 18 and 34 of the Recovery of Debts Act barred the wind…

The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Gwalior issued an externment order under the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Suraksha Adhiniyam, 1990, against Dharmendra Rathore for a period of one year. The respondent challenged the order, contending that only a District Magistrate (DM) could exercise the powers conferred by Section…

The plaintiff, a minor represented by his father, filed a civil suit seeking a declaration that a gift deed concerning agricultural land was void and an injunction restraining the defendants from alienating the land. Simultaneously, the plaintiff had instituted a suit before the revenue court for a declaration of his k…

In 2003 a railway passenger, Dasarath Yadav, died after his head struck a post when he leaned out of a train compartment. The Railway Claims Tribunal held he was responsible for his own death and denied compensation under Section 123 of the Railways Act, 1989. The High Court reversed, invoking strict liability under Se…

The landlord Harbans Kaur let two shops to Iqbal Singh in 1995 at Rs 8,500 per month with a contractual 10 % annual increase, which raised the rent to Rs 16,564 by 2003. The Rajasthan Rent Control Act, 2001 came into force on 1 April 2003. The landlord served a notice on 27 March 2004 demanding arrears of Rs 16,564 per…

The Union of India appealed against a High Court order that had upheld the jurisdiction of the Special Director (Appeals) under FEMA to hear appeals against an adjudication order passed under Section 51 of the repealed FERA. The adjudication order, dated 5 December 2003, imposed a penalty on Godrej Industries Ltd. and …

The petitioners applied for direct recruitment to the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service (UPHJS) but were debarred because they exceeded the age ceiling prescribed in Rule 12 of the UP Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1975. They challenged the constitutional validity of Rule 8(1), which mandates recruitment at interva…

The Tamil Nadu Rural Development Engineers and Assistant Engineers Association challenged the State Government’s decision to downgrade the pay scales of 52 categories of posts without providing notice or a hearing, alleging violation of natural justice. The High Court directed the State to constitute a Pay Grievance Re…

The Odisha Forest Development Corporation Ltd. (OFDC) issued an e‑tender for the sale of phal Kendu leaves. The successful bidder, M/s Anupam Traders, paid the provisional security deposit but failed to pay the additional security amount (25% of the purchase price) by the stipulated deadline, leading OFDC to cancel the…

The case concerned the murder of Ravi Prakash, alleged to have been committed by accused Nos.1, 2 and 4 under Sections 302 and 120B IPC. The trial court convicted the three accused based on the testimony of two eye‑witnesses and medical evidence, but the High Court acquitted them, finding material inconsistencies in th…

The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) advertised 65 Assistant Engineer (Civil) posts on 21‑12‑2018 and conducted a screening test on 30‑06‑2019 under the 2010 Rules, which did not provide for negative marking. The APSC later introduced a new 2019 Procedure effective 01‑04‑2019, containing Clause 12.2 that purporte…

The appellant, R.R. Inamdar, a Scheduled Caste teacher, was promoted to the solitary post of Lecturer in English in a Karnataka school based on roster points. The senior fifth respondent, who was appointed earlier, challenged the appointment, arguing that reservation under Article 16(4) could not apply to a solitary po…

The appellant, Deep Industries Ltd, was contractually terminated by ONGC for allegedly supplying second‑hand equipment and was subsequently black‑listed for two years. The dispute was referred to arbitration, where the arbitrator stayed the blacklist order conditionally, and the first appeal under Section 37 was dismis…

The Roads and Buildings Department of Telangana floated a tender for construction of a BT road, requiring bidders to own a batch‑type hot‑mix plant within 100 km of the work site. The appellant, M/S N Ramachandra Reddy, submitted a certificate showing the plant at 99.05 km, while the fourth respondent complained that t…

The testator, Raja Sardar Singh, died in 1987 without apparent legal heirs and had executed a will bequeathing his assets to the Khetri Trust. The Trust sought probate, which was dismissed by the Delhi High Court, while agnates also objected. The Rajasthan Collector, after an inquiry, initiated escheat proceedings unde…

The appellant was convicted by a Judicial Magistrate under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for a cheque bounce, and sentenced to two months' imprisonment and a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh. The appellant appealed, and the appellate court set aside the conviction, remanding the matter to the magistrate for f…

M/s Achal Industries, a manufacturer registered under the Karnataka Sales Tax Act, 1957, challenged turnover tax assessments for the years 1990‑91 to 1999‑2000, arguing that the tax should be levied on "taxable turnover" rather than "total turnover" as defined in Section 6‑B(1). The appellant contended that allowing de…

United India Insurance Co. Ltd. settled two fire insurance claims of Antique Art Exports Pvt. Ltd. by issuing full and final discharge vouchers, which the claimant accepted without objection. Eleven weeks later, the claimant alleged that the settlement was obtained through fraud, coercion and undue influence and invoke…

Rajinder Tiwari filed a civil suit seeking a permanent injunction against Kedar Nath (deceased) over a property. The trial court denied the defendant the opportunity to file a written statement, barred him from presenting documentary evidence, and decreed the injunction in favour of the plaintiff. The defendant appeale…

The Supreme Court examined six civil appeals arising from a batch of second appeals filed under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Punjab & Haryana High Court had allowed the second appeals and altered the findings of the first appellate court without first framing any substantial question of law, as requi…

The Supreme Court examined the scope of Sections 15‑J and 15‑A to 15‑HA of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 in a series of appeals arising from penalties imposed on Bhavesh Pabari, Shree Radhe and other respondents for violations of SEBI regulations. The principal issue was whether the factors liste…

The Supreme Court examined whether special allowances paid by various establishments, including an unaided school, to their employees fall within the definition of "basic wages" under Sections 2(b)(ii) and 6 of the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, for the purpose of EPF contribution. Th…

The appellants, traders of cotton fabrics and made‑ups, supplied raw material to over 70 job workers and cleared goods worth more than Rs 1.45 crore without paying excise duty. The Revenue issued show‑cause notices alleging duty liability, arguing that under Rule 12B of the Central Excise Rules the traders are to be tr…

The appellants, Shiv Shankar Prasad Singh and Ramdeo Prasad, were officials/contractor handling urea bags for the Food Corporation of India. They were alleged to have conspired to misappropriate a total of 1,040 bags of urea and to falsify gate‑register, ‘G’‑Form and ‘O’‑Form entries to show that 500 bags had been deli…

The appellants, lecturers and professors appointed to the University College of Engineering, Thodupuzha (a self‑financing institution under Mahatma Gandhi University), challenged the university's refusal to extend pay‑revision benefits, arguing that they were appointed to substantive, permanent posts and thus were "tea…

The parties entered into a ten‑year tenancy agreement for godowns that contained an arbitration clause. When the lease expired, the landlord sought possession and invoked the arbitration clause, appointing an arbitrator under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The tenant appealed, arguing that th…

Mrs. Neeraj Dutta, an LDC of Delhi Vidyut Board, allegedly demanded a bribe from Ravijit Singh Sethi for installation of an electricity meter. The complainant paid Rs 10,000, which was later recovered from the accused and the money tested positive by phenolphthalein test. The complainant died before trial, so his testi…

The respondent, a hospital employee, challenged his superannuation order by filing a writ petition under Article 226 against Ramakrishna Mission and its hospital, alleging that the institution was a 'State' within Art.12 and thus amenable to writ jurisdiction. The High Court initially held the Mission to be a State and…

The appellant Satya Raj Singh was convicted for murder under Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, based on eyewitness testimony that he stabbed the deceased on the neck with a knife. He challenged the conviction on the grounds that the trial courts erred in accepting the eye‑witnesses' statements and that the …

The landlord, Shri Ram Lal, let a portion of his house to Dr. H.K. Sharma under a tenancy agreement dated 22 July 1985. In 2008 the landlord filed an eviction application under Section 21(1)(a) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, claiming bona‑fide need for the pre…

The petition filed by advocate R. Muthukrishnan challenged the validity of the Madras High Court's amended Rules 14A‑14D, which purported to empower the High Court to debar advocates for various forms of professional misconduct. The core issue was whether Section 34 of the Advocates Act, 1961 authorises a High Court to…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for specific performance of a 1979 agreement to purchase a property from defendant Amar Nath, alleging they had paid earnest money and were ready to perform, but Amar Nath sold the property to other defendants at a higher price. The trial court dismissed the suit on the ground that Amar Nath…

The parties entered into a contract on 21‑12‑2010 that contained an arbitration clause. A dispute over payment and security deductions arose, and the contractor served a notice of arbitration on 09‑03‑2016, which the respondent ignored. The contractor then filed an application under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Co…

Inspector Vinod Kumar Garg was convicted for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs.500 from Nand Lal in exchange for facilitating an electricity connection to a shed, with the money recovered from his pant pocket during a police trap. The appellant appealed, alleging material contradictions in the testimonies of the co…

The Supreme Court examined a batch of writ petitions filed by Hindustan Construction Company Ltd seeking to strike down Section 87 of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the deletion of Section 26 of the 2015 Amendment, arguing that they revived an automatic‑stay of arbitral awards and removed th…

The Union of India appealed against the Armed Forces Tribunal’s order quashing the convening of a General Court Martial against former Army officer P.S. Gill, who was alleged to have been involved in procurement irregularities. After a Court of Inquiry identified twelve officers, including Gill, a hearing under Rule 22…

Century Rayon Ltd (appellant) sought to erect 100 kV electricity transmission towers on land owned by IVP Ltd (first respondent) under a sanction from MSEDC. IVP Ltd filed a suit for permanent injunction alleging the contractors were excavating its land without permission. The trial court and High Court imposed a tempo…

The appellant filed a suit for injunction to prevent the defendant from obstructing possession of agricultural land, and six months later filed a suit for specific performance of the same agreement to sell. The trial court dismissed the specific performance suit, holding that the appellant had omitted to claim that rel…

IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd imported a set of equipment for a cable TV "Head End" and declared the items individually under various tariff headings. The Customs Department alleged that the declaration was false, the goods were undervalued, and that software and related services, which were embedded in the equip…

The case arose from a violent incident that followed a failed Panchayat meeting intended to settle a family dispute. The victim, Saroja, was attacked by several accused who were armed with sickles, an iron pipe and wooden staffs; she died from a severe head wound. The High Court convicted A-1 and A-2 under Section 302 …

The case concerned agricultural land in Karnataka where the original tenant, Gutya, executed a Will bequeathing his tenancy rights to his brother Timma. After Gutya's death, Timma cultivated the land and later applied for occupancy rights under Section 48‑A of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961. The High Court reject…

The dispute concerned a cooperative housing society for LIC employees where the respondent, Sujata Makhija, claimed to be a depositor who had paid Rs.4,750 and attended the 18‑December‑1988 meeting, opting for Plot No.2. The appellant, Shivkishan, was allotted the same plot despite an interim injunction. The Supreme Co…

The State of Rajasthan charged Sahi Ram under Sections 8 and 15 of the NDPS Act for possession of 223 kg of poppy husk seized from his vehicle. The trial court convicted him, but the High Court acquitted on the ground that the entire bulk of contraband was not produced before the court, deeming the prosecution's eviden…

Janam Singh Kudada and another filed a suit seeking a declaration that they were owners of half of the disputed land. The trial court, applying Wilkinson's Rule, decreed the suit in favour of the plaintiffs for the entire property based on the majority award of the Panchayat. The plaintiffs appealed, arguing that the d…

The appellant, Khuman Singh, entered the deceased Veer Singh's field with his buffaloes, leading to a dispute over grazing rights. In a sudden quarrel, Singh struck Veer Singh on the head with an axe, causing six injuries that resulted in death. The trial court convicted Singh under Section 302 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) …

Balaji Associates, a partnership firm, owned land in Morshi that was reserved for a shopping centre and garden under the final development plan effective from 01‑09‑2005. After the ten‑year period elapsed, the firm served a first notice on 13‑07‑2015 and a second notice on 31‑08‑2015 under Section 127 of the Maharashtr…

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquired land for a highway and the compensation awarded by the competent authority was challenged by Sayedabad Tea Company Ltd. The aggrieved party applied to the Central Government under Section 3G(5) of the National Highways Act, 1956 for the appointment of an arbitrat…

The appellant filed a suit for specific performance of a 1993 agreement of sale, alleging that the first defendant had signed the agreement but later sold his share to a third party and refused to execute the sale deed. The defendants contended that the signature on the agreement was forged, relying on a handwriting ex…

The case concerned seniority of Sub‑Inspectors (General Duty) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Direct recruits were selected through a 2007 advertisement, allotted to units on 5 October 2009 and issued offer letters in mid‑October 2009, reporting for training in January 2010. Promotee Sub‑Inspectors were app…

The parties entered into an arbitration agreement that required the arbitrator to render an award within four months of the first preliminary meeting, with any extension needing the consent of both parties. The first preliminary meeting was held on 4 May 2007, but the arbitrator failed to issue an award by the 4 Septem…

The dispute involved the legal heirs of two deceased brothers over eight acres of agricultural land that had been leased in 1944 and later deemed purchased by tenants under Section 32 of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948. A certificate under Section 32M was issued in 1967 in favour of the younger brot…

The appellant, a former steward of AIIMS, was suspended in 1991 following a FIR for alleged embezzlement and later convicted in 1993 for theft, leading to his removal from service by a memorandum dated 6 January 2000 under Rule 19(i) of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. After a settlement that resulted in the quashing of the …

The appellant and respondents were in dispute over the allocation of water to their agricultural fields. The appellant first approached the authorities under the Rajasthan Irrigation and Drainage Act, 1954, but lost, and subsequently filed a suit in the civil trial court challenging the order of the appellate authority…

The Commissioner of Income Tax, Karnal appealed against judgments of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana which had held that supporting manufacturers were entitled to the same deduction under Section 80HHC of the Income Tax Act as direct exporters, relying on the Baby Marine Exports decision. The Supreme Court examine…

Parsha Kente Collieries Ltd entered into a Coal Mining and Delivery Agreement with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd for coal supply. Disputes arose over price escalation, fixed costs, and an escrow account, leading to arbitration where the arbitrator allowed claims on price adjustment, fixed costs and escrow, b…

Bajaj Auto Ltd., a manufacturing unit in Uttarakhand, was granted a ten‑year exemption from central excise duty under Notification No. 50/2003‑C. The company, however, did not pay National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD), Education Cess and Secondary & Higher Education Cess, which were demanded through a show‑cause not…

The State invited tenders for irrigation works and the appellant, having quoted the lowest rates, entered into three contracts. He later raised nine claims, of which the arbitrator awarded several and rejected others. The State sought to set aside the award under sections 30 and 33 of the Arbitration Act, 1940, and the…

The Central Government assigned the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to investigate a group of companies under an order dated 20‑06‑2018, directing a report within three months. The SFIO arrested Rahul Modi and others on 10‑12‑2018, after the three‑month period had expired, leading the petitioners to file habe…

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu contempt petition (CrL.) No.1 of 2019, affirmed that advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara had committed contempt of court for statements made in the face of the Court. He tendered an affidavit of apology and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, suspended on condition of future goo…

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 appellant Department of Customs appealed against the discharge of Sharad Gandhi, who was accused of attempting to export a sand‑stone Buddha head classified as an antiquity. The prosecution relied on Sections 132 and 135(1)(a) of the Customs Act, 1962 for false declaration and fraudulent evasion of a prohibition. T…

The Supreme Court examined the interpretation of the proviso in Section 24 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, to determine whether it applies to sub‑section 24(1)(b) or to 24(2). The petitioners (Delhi Development Authority) sought to conti…

The plaintiff, Satish Chander, claimed that his mother Vidya Devi had been fraudulently induced to execute a gift deed in favour of Jagdish Chander, alleging that the deed was supported by a consideration of Rs 5,000 and therefore invalid under Section 122 of the Transfer of Property Act. The trial court and the first …

The Revenue (Commissioner of Income Tax) appealed an ITAT order that had allowed the assessee, M/s Rashtadrood (HUF), under Section 260A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The High Court dismissed the appeal after hearing both parties but neither framed any substantial question of law nor provided reasons for its conclusion.…

The deceased Shilpa alleged that her sister‑in‑law Chanchal/Babita set her on fire and, in a dying declaration, named only her sister‑in‑law. The FIR initially listed nine persons, including the appellants, for offences under Sections 302 IPC, 498A IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act, but the charge‑sheet named only Chan…

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL) entered into a purchase order with Tata Communications Ltd. for last‑mile connectivity, the contract stipulating that liquidated damages for delay could not exceed 12% of the contract value. Tata billed MTNL Rs 2,15,25,512 for services rendered, but MTNL unilaterally deducted a lar…

The appellant, Ram Das (later Bajrang Das), claimed that Shri Ram Mandir in Indoukh is a private temple over which he is the Mahant and sought a declaration and injunction against State interference. The State contended that the temple is public, its lands are inam property vested in the deity, and the District Collect…

The petitioners (Shiv Sena, NCP and INC) challenged the Governor of Maharashtra’s decision to invite the BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to form the government after President's Rule was revoked on 23 November 2019. They argued that the Governor’s action violated constitutional principles, including Article 14 and the doc…

Gurjit Singh was convicted under Section 498-A IPC for dowry-related cruelty after his wife, Jaswinder Kaur, committed suicide within seven years of marriage. The High Court also convicted him under Section 306 IPC, invoking the presumption of abetment under Section 113-A of the Evidence Act. On appeal, the Supreme Cou…

In May 2007 a protest turned violent at the Dinakaran newspaper office, resulting in arson and the death of three employees. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajaram, who was on bandobust duty, was charged under Sections 217 and 221 of the IPC for allegedly disobeying orders and intentionally failing to appreh…

Nasima Naqi, the wife of a deceased tenant, continued to occupy a shop premises let for non‑residential purposes since 1988. After the tenant's death in 2002, the landlord sued for eviction alleging default in rent and that the statutory five‑year protection for heirs under the West Bengal Premises Tenancy Act, 1997 ha…

Perkins Eastman Architects DPC & Anr (applicants) entered into a design‑consultancy contract with HSCC (India) Ltd (respondent) that contained Clause 24 for dispute resolution by a sole arbitrator appointed by the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of HSCC. The applicants invoked arbitration on 28 June 2019; the resp…

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) filed complaints against the City Municipal Council (CMC) of Krishnarajapuram and its former commissioners for discharging untreated sewage in violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The High Court quashed the proceedings under Section …

A wakf deed executed in 1913 appointed the original mutawalli and stipulated that the office would devolve to "putro poutradi krome" of the original mutawalli. After the last male mutawalli died without a son, he had executed a trust deed appointing his wife, Nazira Khatoon, as his successor. The Commissioner of Wakfs …

The appellant Md. Abrar, a descendant through the female line of the waqif Haji Elahi Baksh, sought appointment as a joint mutawalli of a waqf created by a deed dated 9‑Nov‑1936. The deed named two original joint mutawallis, Md. Shafi and Kammu Mia, and provided that upon the death of either, the survivor would become …

The respondent, Pramod Kumar Sahoo, was appointed as a primary school teacher in 1988 with an intermediate qualification and later became a graduate. He claimed that, despite lacking formal teacher training, he was entitled to the pay scale reserved for Trained Matric Teachers under the Orissa Revised Scales of Pay Rul…

The suit concerned a piece of land granted in 1983 under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 with a 15‑year non‑alienation clause. The predecessor‑in‑title mortgaged the land to the plaintiff on 23‑04‑1990 and, a month later, executed an agreement to sell the same land. The plaintiff sued for specific performance, but…

The Supreme Court examined disciplinary proceedings against a district judge who was charged with granting bail without noticing a High Court order and for closing evidence in an NDPS case without ensuring witness production. The Court held that Article 235 vests control of subordinate courts in the High Courts, but di…

The incident occurred on 17 March 1997 at a tea stall in Kalia Hotel where the deceased, Keramat Ali, was allegedly attacked by a group of nine accused. The trial court acquitted accused No.9 (Samsul Haque) and accused Nos.2 and 3 (Abdul Rashid and Imdadul Islam) citing lack of incriminating evidence, while convicting …

The appellant, a cooperative housing society, was allotted 78 acres 16 guntas of land by the Karnataka Government for a housing layout, including 5 acres 33 guntas in Survey No.30. Respondent No.3, claiming ownership of that portion, challenged the acquisition and later sought de‑notification of 3 acres 5 guntas under …

Junu Gayary, a widow, filed a writ petition under Article 226 alleging that her husband was taken into custody by the Indian Army and later killed, with the army attempting to portray the death as an encounter. The Gauhati High Court, after an enquiry by the District & Sessions Judge, found prima facie evidence of the …

P. Soupramian, a messenger employed by State Bank of India, stabbed two individuals with a broken soda bottle and was convicted under Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code, receiving a three‑month imprisonment. The bank discharged him under Section 10(1)(b)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which bars persons conv…

The appellant, a co‑owner of a parcel of land that fell to him after his father's death, discovered in 1983 that the respondents, his brothers, had encroached upon 1 gunta of his share. He measured the land, obtained knowledge of the encroachment and filed a suit in 1992 for declaration of title and injunction. The res…

N. Ramamurthy was convicted under several IPC provisions and the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced to multiple terms, the trial court directing that all sentences run concurrently, resulting in a maximum imprisonment of seven years. He filed applications under Section 389 of the CrPC seeking suspension of the …

The appellant, a certified surveyor, was appointed by an insurance company to assess a fire insurance claim of M/s. Ram Company. After submitting a final survey report that led the insurer to repudiate the claim, the complainant filed a criminal complaint alleging that the appellant, with armed accomplices, threatened …

The Tamil Nadu State allotted a parcel of land to an Agricultural Horticultural Society in 1980 under certain conditions. In 1989 the State resumed the land under clause 4 of the allotment order, citing a public purpose of developing sports facilities and horticultural research. The Society challenged the resumption by…

The State of Rajasthan (CTO) challenged the tax rate applied by M/s Prasoon Enterprises on mobile crane wire ropes, arguing that the ropes should be taxed at 12.5% under the residuary entry of Schedule V of the Rajasthan Value Added Tax Act, 2003. The respondent contended that the ropes are parts of mobile cranes and t…

The appellant was convicted by the Sessions Court and the High Court for rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code based on the complaint of PW‑3, who alleged that the appellant entered her house at night, threatened her with a pistol and raped her. The trial court relied on the testimony of three prosecution wit…

The Supreme Court examined whether, before the Finance Act 2008 amendment, an assessing officer could extend the time for filing a special audit report under s.142(2C) of the Income Tax Act without an application by the assessee. The Delhi High Court had held that such power did not exist, rendering the assessment barr…

The insured, a manager who obtained a home loan with a personal accident insurance rider, died in Mozambique after contracting encephalitis malaria from a mosquito bite. His spouse and father claimed the death benefit, arguing that the bite was an unforeseen event constituting an accident. The insurer contended that de…

The Supreme Court examined whether retired railway employees who had withdrawn their full superannuation benefits, including provident fund, and were later re‑employed on a retainer basis by a private limited company could be treated as “excluded employees” under Paragraph 2(f)(i) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Schem…

The State of Madhya Pradesh seized a tractor and trolley used for illegal sand excavation from the Chambal river under Section 52 of the Forest Act, 1927 (as amended by MP Act 25 of 1983) and initiated confiscation proceedings under Section 52(3). The respondent sought interim release of the seized vehicle under CrPC S…

The appellant, Joseph Easwaran Wapshare, obtained a Succession Certificate under Section 372 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925, as the son and lineal descendant of the intestate Gorden Wapshare. The respondent, Shirley Katheleen Wheeler, who is the daughter of Beatrice (the wife of Edward Wapshare, Gorden's brother), …

DLF Homes Panchkula Ltd. (the developer) was sued by numerous apartment buyers for delayed possession and deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered refunds of amounts paid with interest (15% in some cases) and compensation. The developer appe…

The appeal arose from matrimonial proceedings where the husband alleged his wife had an extramarital affair and made those averments in anticipatory bail applications before the Sessions Court and the High Court. The High Court held that the statements were false, found a prima facie case of perjury under Section 340 o…

The petitioners challenged a 2016 Maharashtra tender for supplying ready‑to‑cook food to Anganwadi centres, alleging that the tender’s conditions – mandatory use of extrusion technology, a turnover threshold of Rs 1 crore and requirement of automated production units – were arbitrary and excluded Mahila Mandals and sel…

The suit concerned a parcel of urban land that had been subjected to ceiling proceedings under the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 and subsequently vested in the State, which later leased it to Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals for 30 years. The plaintiffs (Respondent Nos. 1‑7) filed a civil suit seeking declar…

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) allowed its ex‑employees to retire under a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in 1993. The respondents, who had taken periods of unauthorised absence/leave without pay, were denied pension benefits because those periods were excluded from qualifying service. The Supreme Court held t…

The case concerns a land acquisition of 136 acres where the award initially fixed compensation at Rs 25 lakh per acre. The Reference Court later raised it to Rs 41.81 lakh per acre, but the petitioner (M/s Model Economic Township Ltd., holding 15 acres) did not file a reference application. It subsequently filed an app…

The Union of India issued show‑cause notices under Section 73 of the Finance Act, 1994, demanding service tax from Coastal Container Transporters Association and its members, classifying their activities as "cargo handling services". The respondents contended that their services fell under the "goods transport agency" …

Jitendra Singh, a resident of village Saini, challenged the allotment of two village ponds (recorded as ‘pokhar’ in revenue records) to private industrialist Sharp Enterprises by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA). The ponds had been leased to Sharp in 2012, but GNIDA relied on a 2016 Government…

The case involved a 1986 agreement to sell land between the original vendors (appellants) and original vendees, followed by four 1987 agreements where the vendees purportedly assigned their rights to the plaintiffs (respondent No.1). The plaintiffs sought specific performance of both the 1986 and 1987 agreements, claim…

The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) issued an advertisement on 18 June 2013 for recruitment to State and Subordinate Services. A press note dated 12 November 2014 allowed candidates to correct mistakes or change categories in already‑submitted online applications, but did not invite fresh applications. Sever…

Miss XYZ, a personal assistant to the managing director of a company, filed a complaint alleging that the director repeatedly blackmailed her with nude photographs, threatened her employment, and raped her on several occasions. An FIR was lodged under Sections 376, 499 and 506(2) of the IPC. The director filed a specia…

The Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (Central)-1 sought to dismiss a miscellaneous application filed by NRA Iron & Steel Pvt. Ltd. for a recall of a Supreme Court judgment on the ground that the company had not been served with the notice of the Special Leave Petition (SLP). The company alleged that the notice was …

The petitioners, the Himachal Pradesh Bhakra Beas Management Board and others, challenged a High Court order that refused to condone a revision filed under Section 48 of the Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005 after the 90‑day period prescribed for such revisions. The issue was whether Section 5 of the Limitatio…

The Supreme Court examined whether Khalsa Girls High School, a Sikh‑run school in West Bengal, qualifies as a linguistic minority institution under Article 30 of the Constitution and consequently whether Rule 28 of the 1969 Management Rules governs its teacher appointments. The Court held that the school was founded by…

The appellant, a Christian minority college, challenged three Government Orders (G.O.M. No. 57, 92 and 98) that prescribed criteria for determining minority status of B.Ed. candidates, mandated centralized counselling, and required vacant management‑quota seats to be filled by non‑minority students on merit. The colleg…

The petitioners, shareholders of La‑Fin Financial Services Pvt. Ltd., challenged a winding‑up petition filed by IL&FS under Section 433(e) of the Companies Act, 1956, which had been transferred to the NCLT as a Section 7 application under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The dispute arose from a 2009 share pur…

Lt. Col. Kuldeep Yadav, an officer of the Army Corps of EME, was found to have maintained unauthorized contact with a Brazilian national for over two years, stayed with her in Army premises, and kept official documents on a laptop connected to the internet. A Staff Court of Inquiry recommended censure, and the competen…

Madhya Pradesh Power Management Co. Ltd. (appellant) and Dhar Wind Power Projects Pvt. Ltd. (respondent) disputed which tariff rate applied to a 12‑15 MW wind project. The 2013 Tariff Order fixed a rate of Rs 5.92 per unit for projects commissioned up to 31 March 2016, while the 2016 Tariff Order reduced the rate to Rs…

The appellant and respondent entered into a contract for the sale of iron ore pellets that contained an arbitration clause stating that arbitration would be governed by the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 and that the venue of arbitration would be Bhubaneswar. A dispute arose and the respondent filed a pe…

The Supreme Court examined whether the continuous humiliation and taunting of an 18‑year‑old girl by her relatives amounted to abetment of suicide under Section 306 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The Court held that the accused’s repeated insults, aimed at destroying the victim’s self‑esteem, constituted instigation …

The appellant, Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, alleged that his son was murdered and that the accused, the second respondent, was a juvenile at the time of the offence. The accused claimed juvenility based on a CBSE matriculation certificate showing a birth date of 17‑12‑1998, while school records, a transfer certificate, Aadhaar…

The appellants Ranjit Kumar Haldar and Mamta Mohanta were convicted for the murder of Netai Mohanta, whose body was found concealed under wooden flooring in a house they had rented. The prosecution relied on the discovery of the body, statements of witnesses, and a disclosure statement by the wife of the deceased. The …

The respondent, Atindra Nath Bhattacharyya, a chief manager of State Bank of India, was charge‑sheeted with 16 allegations of financial irregularities and was removed from service after an inquiry found ten charges proved. The Calcutta High Court Single Bench set aside the removal on the ground that the employee was no…

The assessee, Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd (SPIL), was amalgamated into Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) effective 1 April 2012. For Assessment Year 2012-13, a notice under s.143(2) of the Income Tax Act was issued to SPIL, which no longer existed, and a final assessment order adding Rs. 78.97 crore was passed in SPIL's n…

Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, a charitable trust, obtained approval for its heart hospital project under Section 35AC of the Income Tax Act, enabling donors to claim tax deductions for contributions. After receiving large donations in 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Finance Act, 2016 inserted sub‑section (…

The petitioner, Rajan, was convicted of multiple offences including dacoity, murder, and illegal possession of arms, receiving seven years' rigorous imprisonment for IPC 395, five years' rigorous imprisonment under the Arms Act, and life imprisonment for three counts of IPC 302 and four counts of IPC 307. He sought pre…

The case arose from a sale deed executed in 1965 by defendant No.3, the Karta of the family, transferring a family house to Bansilal. After Bansilal's death, defendants No.1 and No.2 inherited the property and obtained a decree in 1975 confirming their title. The sisters of defendant No.3 later filed a suit claiming th…

The Union of India issued an order on 30 June 2016 concerning an exploration licence, which was challenged by a writ petition (W.P. No.5734 of 2016). The Delhi High Court set aside that order, not on the merits, but because the counsel for the Union had made a statement that was later disclosed to be based on incorrect…

The appellants booked a residential flat with the developer who required a booking amount of 25% of the sale price. Through email correspondence in February 2008, the parties agreed to reduce the booking amount to 15%, which the appellants paid in excess of that amount. The developer later cancelled the allotment, clai…

The appellant, a real‑estate developer, entered into a buyer's agreement with the respondent to deliver possession of a row house by 31 December 2008 with a six‑month grace period. The respondent paid Rs 39,29,280 but the developer failed to hand over possession, and the respondent filed a consumer complaint in 2011 se…

The appellant, Pavan Vasudeo Sharma, was arrested during a raid on a kidnapping case and a 9 mm service pistol, live cartridges and two mobile phones were seized from him. The prosecution alleged that the pistol, originally belonging to a police Naik, was used to murder Bhima Waghmare and that the seized mobile phone w…

Mahavir Road and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, engaged in road resurfacing in Nashik, obtained an insurance policy covering material damage but expressly excluding normal wear and tear and gradual atmospheric deterioration. The company claimed that abnormal rainfall and water logging between 25 June and 5 July 2007 caused th…

The Association for Consumer Welfare and Aid filed a consumer complaint before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) seeking possession of flats and restraint of extra charges, alleging that Three C Universal Developers Private Limited was the main promoter of the Lotus Panache project. The NCDRC …

The respondents, Ankur Gupta and Geetika Agarwal, applied to adopt a child in India on 19 July 2016 as Indian prospective adoptive parents, although Geetika was already a U.S. citizen and Ankur later acquired U.S. citizenship on 5 December 2016. After obtaining foreign citizenship, they were re‑registered as Overseas C…

The suit concerned property of Petha Gounder that had been sold by his son Balaraman both in his own name and on behalf of his minor son Palanivel without court permission, violating Section 8 of the Hindu Minority & Guardianship Act, 1956. The plaintiffs, sons of Kannan, filed a suit in 1992 for declaration and posses…

The dispute concerned whether Adani Power Ltd. was entitled to an adjustment in its monthly tariff payments – including carrying costs – after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry withdrew SEZ duty and service‑tax exemptions in 2015‑16. The parties relied on Article 13 of their Power Purchase Agreements, which provide…

The appellant's wife, suffering from multiple serious illnesses, was admitted to a hospital where a doctor treated her with intravenous antibiotics but later switched to oral administration after a cannula failure. She was discharged in stable condition, but subsequently deteriorated, was admitted to two other hospital…

Four ad‑hoc Fast Track Court District Judges applied for regularisation under the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Service Rules, 2007. They passed the written examination with the required minimum marks but failed to obtain the requisite marks in the viva voce and the combined (written + viva) aggregate as prescribed in the Su…

Ramesh Sanka, a former CEO of a limited company (Respondent No.12), filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seeking a mandamus directing the CBI to investigate alleged financial irregularities of the company and its associates. The petitioner claimed the company had contravened various statutes and c…

The appellant, a retired Brigadier and trustee of a regimental welfare trust, was convicted for cheating in the sale of trust agricultural land. He sought to introduce a 1989 trust deed and a resolution authorising the sale as additional evidence under Section 391 of the CrPC during his appeal, but the trial and appell…