Judgments of 2023

The appellants, Hewlett‑Packard India Sales Pvt. Ltd., imported all‑in‑one integrated desktop computers and self‑assessed them under tariff item 8471 50 00 of the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985. During customs examination the goods were re‑classified as tariff item 8471 30 10, a category for "portable" automatic data …

Shridhar Chimurkar, a retired government superintendent, died in 1994 leaving a widow, Maya Motghare, who adopted Sri Ram Shridhar Chimurkar in 1996, two years after the death. The appellant sought family pension under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, but the government rejected the claim on the ground…

The child H, aged about seven, went missing on 8 October 1999 and his body was discovered two days later in a sugarcane field. The father filed an application under Section 156(3) CrPC on 19 November 1999, leading to an FIR on 21 November 1999. The trial court convicted the three accused under Sections 302, 364 and 201…

The petitioners, practising advocates, filed a writ under Article 32 challenging the constitutional validity of Sections 16 and 23(5) of the Advocates Act, 1961 and Rule 2 of Order IV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, alleging that the designation of senior advocates creates an unlawful class violating Articles 14, 19 …

The case concerned Bharti Hexacom Ltd. and other telecom operators who paid a variable annual licence fee to the Department of Telecommunications under the New Telecom Policy of 1999. The issue was whether these payments were capital in nature, requiring amortisation under Section 35ABB of the Income Tax Act, 1961, or …

The appellant, a qualified electrical engineering graduate, was selected for the post of Assistant Engineer (Electrical) with Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) but was denied appointment after a medical examination revealed mild colour‑vision deficiency. The High Court had directed his appoi…

The appellant, Ambalal Parihar, challenged eight FIRs registered against the second to fourth respondents. After two petitions under Section 482 of the CrPC were dismissed without interim relief, the respondents filed a civil writ petition seeking to club the eight FIRs and obtain a direction that no coercive action be…

The petitioner, a 27‑year‑old mother of two, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking a medical termination of her pregnancy after discovering she was about 24 weeks pregnant, citing postpartum depression and financial constraints. The Court initially ordered termination, but a doctor from the AIIMS Medical Board…

The Maharashtra State Electricity Board filed a Special Civil Suit for recovery of money against Miraj Electric Supply Co. and its directors. During the plaintiff's evidence, the defendants' counsel withdrew his vakalatnama, and the trial court proceeded under Order XVII Rule 2 CPC, ultimately decreeing the suit ex par…

The petitioner challenged the election of a Gram Panchayat Sarpanch on the ground of insufficient lighting at three polling booths and filed an election petition before the Sub‑Divisional Officer (SDO) seeking only a recount of votes. The SDO ordered a recount, after which the petitioner was declared elected, but the d…

Pesala Nookaraju, a bootlegger, was preventively detained under Section 3(2) of the Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, with a 12‑month order confirmed by the State Government. He challenged the detention through a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that the proviso to Section 3(2) limits detention…

The case concerned Dr. Bikartan Das, a Research Assistant appointed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), who sought to have his retirement age enhanced from 60 to 65 years in line with the benefit granted to AYUSH doctors under a Cabinet decision. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) …

The original plaintiff, Mrs. Cherian, sued the Mathew family for title and possession of a 2.81‑acre land parcel. The trial court dismissed the suit, but the High Court later restored it and the decree of possession was finally passed in 2000, with a later modification requiring the defendants to pay compensation. Afte…

The deceased, Muchamy @ Muthusamy, fell from a moving passenger train on 27 September 2014 and died on the spot. His son purchased a valid ticket for the journey and handed it to him; the incident was investigated under Rule 7 of the Railway Passengers (Manner of Investigation of Untoward Incidents) Rules, 2003, with F…

Dr. Manu joined Sree Sankaracharya University as a Lecturer in July 1999 holding a Ph.D., and was granted four advance increments under Clause 6.16 of the UGC Scheme (G.O. 21‑12‑1999). When he was later placed in the Selection Grade, the university denied two further increments prescribed by Clause 6.18, relying on a l…

The appellant, a common carrier, was assessed under Section 69A of the Income Tax Act for short delivery of bitumen, with the assessing officer deeming the bitumen as an "other valuable article" owned by the appellant. The Supreme Court examined whether a carrier can be considered the owner of goods for tax purposes an…

The Supreme Court examined a large jobs‑for‑cash scam in Tamil Nadu where public servants allegedly accepted bribes for appointments, triggering investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Court held that the bribe money itself constitutes "pr…

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

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

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

The employer, M/s. Creative Garments Ltd., appealed against a Labour Court award that reinstated employee Kashiram Verma with back wages. The employee never reported for duty despite multiple communications, and his permanent address was never furnished; only a "care of Union" address was provided. The Supreme Court fo…

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

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

The case concerned Nursing Assistants employed by the Border Security Force who were paid a Hospital Patient Care Allowance and claimed entitlement to the Nursing Allowance granted to Staff Nurses. A single judge of the Gauhati High Court allowed the claim, holding that the duties performed were similar and that educat…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired land and took possession on 27 September 2012, depositing the full compensation amount with the Treasury but not disbursing it to the landowner. The Delhi High Court held that, under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Reha…

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

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) acquired a parcel of land in 2007 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, taking possession by drawing a panchnama. The land was later sold to Beena Gupta in 2010, who filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that the acquisition had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Government of NCT of Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order that had declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. T…

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

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

The dispute concerned the seniority of Assistant Radio Officers in the Uttar Pradesh Police Radio Service, where 50% of vacancies were to be filled by direct recruitment and 50% by promotion from Radio Inspectors. Promotee candidates received appointment letters on 31 January 1996 while direct recruits were appointed o…

The appellants, heirs of the late Shivkumar Daga, filed a civil suit seeking declaration that a conveyance deed of 17‑12‑2019 and several development agreements were void. The respondents moved a Section 8 application under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, relying on arbitration clauses in two earlier Tripar…

The case concerned a slum rehabilitation project in Lower Parel, Mumbai, where a developer and a minority group of hutment dwellers (Sayunkta Sangharsh Samiti) entered into a private Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allocate flats in towers D, E and F exclusively to the society members, bypassing the Slum Rehabilit…

Ram Kishor Arora, founder of Supertech Ltd, was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement on 27 June 2023 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). He challenged the arrest, alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) failed to furnish him a copy of the grounds of arrest at the time of arrest, viol…

The case concerned M/s Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd., a multi‑state cooperative society in India, which held a 25% share in an Omani joint‑venture (OMIFCO) and earned dividend income from it. The dividend was exempt from tax in Oman under Article 8(bis) of the Omani Company Income Tax Law and a clarification letter …

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

Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiary Western Coalfields Ltd challenged the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) finding of abuse of dominant position, arguing that the Competition Act, 2002 does not apply to them because they are government companies created under the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 and ar…

The case involved a private limited company with an authorised capital of Rs.1 crore, where the board of directors resolved to issue additional shares on a 1:1 basis and sought to increase the authorised capital to Rs.2 crore following a bank's advice. The V.P. Patel and Sheth groups alleged oppression and mismanagemen…

The case arose from a 1955‑56 partition suit concerning the estate of Nawab Khurshid Jah, where a preliminary decree dated 28‑06‑1963 declared certain lands as Mathruka property. The decree was later used by decree‑holders and their assignees to claim title over the land, leading to numerous execution and claim petitio…

The Supreme Court examined whether a credit note issued by an automobile manufacturer to a dealer, for replacing a defective part under a warranty, constitutes a sale liable to sales tax. It held that when the dealer uses a part from his own stock or purchases it from the market and is reimbursed by a credit note, the …

The Alpha G184 Owners Association, a society of housing project allottees, filed several consumer complaints before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking possession, compensation for delay and other reliefs against Magnum International Trading Company, the builder. The builder challenged the assoc…

The deceased Rahul Pundlik Meshram was last seen with the accused at the house of PW‑8 and later found dead with multiple stab wounds. The trial court convicted the three surviving accused under IPC sections 302 and 34 based solely on circumstantial evidence, including the "last seen" theory, recovery of a weapon, and …

The appellants were recruited to the post of Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) by nomination in 2014, underwent training and were appointed in 2016, while the respondents were promoted to ACF in 2014 without undergoing the training. The appellants sought declaration that their appointment and service should be coun…

Dr. S. Athilakshmi, a registered medical practitioner and associate professor of dermatology, was inspected by a Drugs Inspector who seized a small quantity of lotions and ointments from her private practice premises. The Inspector alleged that she had "stocked" and sold the drugs without a valid licence, invoking Sect…

The Commercial Tax Officer appealed against a Telangana High Court order that set aside attachment notices issued against Neeraja Pipes Pvt. Ltd. for alleged VAT arrears. The assessee claimed it never received copies of assessment orders for assessment years 2009‑10 and 2010‑11, arguing that without proper service unde…

The Tourism Finance Corporation of India advanced a Rs 30 crore loan to Rainbow Papers Ltd, whose Managing Director Ajay Kumar Goenka signed a post‑dated cheque that was later dishonoured. A demand notice under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act was issued and a criminal complaint was filed against the compa…

The appellants' small parcels of land in Sultanpur were acquired by the State of Haryana for an expressway under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The initial award fixed a market value of Rs.12.5 lakh per acre based on a government circular, which was later enhanced by the Reference Court to Rs.43.17 lakh and then by th…

The case involved the murder of four members of the Vijay Pal family and the grievous injury of Smt. Pinky (PW‑1) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The accused – Ajai alias Ajju, Braj Pal, Ravi and Mukesh – were convicted under IPC sections 302, 149 and 307 and under the Arms Act, with the trial court imposing death sentenc…

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) sought relief on the basis of a letter dated 24 May 2011 between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority, alleging it affected the computation of the Hypothetical Regulatory Asset Base (HRAB). The Sup…

The appellant, Saumya Chaurasia, a Deputy Secretary in the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister’s Office, was arrested in connection with an extortion‑linked money‑laundering case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. She sought bail under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C., but the High Court rejected her application, prompting…

The Supreme Court heard an appeal by Mohammed Abdul Wahid against Nilofer & Anr concerning whether a party to a civil suit can also be treated as a witness and whether CPC provisions bar the production of documents for cross‑examination of a party. The High Court had held that a party could not be equated with a witnes…

U.P. Singh, a clerk‑cum‑cashier of Punjab National Bank, was suspended for disorderly conduct and ordered to report to a new branch. He failed to join, received notices under Clause XVI of the 1984 Bipartite Agreement, and was deemed to have voluntarily retired on 5 December 1984. Six years later he challenged the deem…

Air Commodore N.K. Sharma, a Judge Advocate General (Air) in the Indian Air Force, claimed that the Ministry of Defence failed to form a policy for filling the upgraded AVM JAG (Air) post and that his promotion was unjustly denied. He filed a complaint under Section 27 of the Air Force Act, which led the Armed Forces T…

The dispute concerned the eligibility of Dinesh Singh for inclusion in Register A‑1 of the Haryana Civil Service (Executive Branch) under Rule 9 of the 2008 Rules. The State argued that the cut‑off date of 1 November 2018 applied uniformly to all eligibility criteria, including the condition that a candidate must not b…

The appellant, a director of Bharti Retail, was charged with misbranding food products on 29 November 2010 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA). Although the PFA was still in force, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) – including its penalty provision (Section 52) and overriding clause (…

The testator, Jayant Shivram Salgaonkar, died leaving fixed deposits and mutual fund securities for which he had nominated certain family members under Section 109A of the Companies Act, 1956 and Bye‑law 9.11.1 of the Depositories Act, 1996. The nominees claimed that the nomination gave them absolute beneficial ownersh…

Afzal Ansari, a sitting Member of Parliament, was convicted under Section 3(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti‑Social Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced to four years' imprisonment, resulting in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act. He appealed t…

The Kerala State Co‑operative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank Ltd. (KSCARDB) claimed a deduction under s.80P(2)(a)(i) of the Income Tax Act for profits earned by providing credit facilities to its member co‑operative societies. The Assessing Officer held that KSCARDB was a "co‑operative bank" within the meaning…

The appellant, a police constable, was reverted from Head Constable to Constable and had adverse remarks entered in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR). After a series of representations, the Inspector General of Police partially and later fully expunged the remarks, which the Director General of Police (DGP) later ch…

Gosaidas Samanta executed a will in 1929 bequeathing his extensive property to his sons and grandson. The attesting witnesses to the will were dead, and the propounder relied on depositions of the testator's sons, a witness who saw the signing, and related documents such as a 1945 partition deed and an acknowledgment d…

The State of Goa sought deletion from three writ petitions filed in the High Court of Sikkim challenging a Goa notification levying a 14% GST on lotteries. Goa argued that a state‑legislated notification could not be judicially reviewed by a high court of another state and that no cause of action arose within Sikkim. T…

The appellants claimed that they had acquired possession of a village plot in Delhi before the respondents obtained a registered sale deed and mutation in 1989, and they challenged the mutation on the ground of adverse possession, leading the Financial Commissioner to set aside the mutation and vest the land in the Gao…

The appellants were convicted for murder under Section 302 IPC, alleged to have participated in an unlawful assembly that killed Kartikram. The prosecution’s case relied on the testimony of interested and injured witnesses, while the accused claimed they were falsely implicated and highlighted a four‑hour delay in lodg…

The appellant was convicted under Sections 302 r/w 34 and 201 of the IPC for the murder of two boys, the conviction being based solely on an alleged extra‑judicial confession. The prosecution alleged that the appellant confessed to several witnesses (PW‑1 to PW‑9), but the key witnesses (PW‑7, PW‑8, PW‑9) gave inconsis…

The Supreme Court considered curative petitions filed by the Union of India seeking to increase the US$470 million settlement awarded in 1989 for the Bhopal gas disaster. The Union claimed errors in victim counts, inflation, and additional environmental and rehabilitation costs, arguing that the original settlement was…

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Chennai ordered the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to make it mandatory for all petroleum retail outlets to obtain Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) before setting up or operating, in addition to directing the installation of vapour recovery systems (VR…

The appellant, who was the original defendant, challenged a lower‑court order that allowed the plaintiffs to amend their suit seeking redemption of a mortgage and possession of a shop. The plaintiffs had earlier filed a small‑cause suit that was dismissed for non‑prosecution, and later filed a civil suit under Section …

The Supreme Court considered a dispute arising out of a corporate insolvency resolution process involving Avani Towers (the corporate debtor), Energy Properties (the ostensible owner of a 10.19‑acre land), and Victory Iron Works (a licensee of a 10,000 sq ft portion). The corporate debtor had financed the purchase of t…

The petitioner, a medical student, challenged his low marks in a descriptive physiology paper, seeking a writ of mandamus for re‑checking of his answer sheet by different examiners and an amended result. The High Court ordered the answer sheet to be re‑evaluated by three examiners, awarded the petitioner the average of…

The Supreme Court examined whether an arbitration agreement embedded in an unstamped or insufficiently stamped contract is void, unenforceable, or merely inadmissible under the Indian Stamp Act. It held that such agreements are only inadmissible as evidence under Section 35 of the Stamp Act and that non‑stamping is a c…

The appellant, a Physical Training Instructor (PTI)/Sports Officer at Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, was retired at age 60 under university regulations, but contended that he should be classified as a "teacher" and thus retire at 62 like other teachers. The university argued that PTIs are non‑teaching personn…

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

The original landholder owned 7,499.20 sq m in Saharanpur, of which 5,499.20 sq m was declared surplus under the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 in 1977 and vested in the State through notifications in 1978‑79. The State claimed it had taken actual possession of the surplus land in March 1979, while the l…

The Supreme Court examined two appeals filed by the Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax challenging High Court orders that granted service‑tax refunds to Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. (SPCL) for construction work at IIT Patna and NIT Rourkela. The core issue was whether these educational institution…

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

The appellants, retired physical instructors of Karnataka government colleges, sought the benefit of a revised University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scale that was granted to similarly placed employees under a Government order dated 15 November 1999. They were denied this benefit, leading to litigation in the Karnatak…

The Supreme Court was asked to consider whether a holder of a light motor vehicle (LMV) licence may drive a transport vehicle of the same class (unladen weight up to 7,500 kg) without a separate endorsement. The issue arose from the earlier decision in Mukund Dewangan v. Oriental Insurance Co., which had interpreted th…

The petitioners sought to overturn a Permanent Lok Adalat order directing the closure of a slaughterhouse in Tonk, alleging the Adalat lacked jurisdiction. The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) later issued directions under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, after ins…

The dispute concerned the registration of Pei May Chinese High School as a separate society under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961. The Registrar granted registration in 2010, but the Chinese Tannery Owners’ Association alleged forged signatures and suppression of material facts and sought cancellation,…

The Supreme Court examined the appropriate procedure for police to conduct media briefings during ongoing criminal investigations, balancing the public’s right to information under Article 19(1)(a) with the accused’s presumption of innocence and victims’ privacy under Article 21. An amicus curiae was appointed who coll…

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

The appeal arose from an order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) that, on the basis that the corporate debtor Springfield Shelters Pvt. Ltd. was an MSME, the promoter need not compete with other resolution applicants to regain control of the debtor. The Resolution Professional, acting under the Ins…

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

The appellant's son was driving a Maruti Alto that collided with a gas tanker lorry, killing him and five passengers. The police filed an FIR under IPC sections 279 and 304A, but the charges against the son abated due to his death. After a further investigation, the police submitted a final report stating the accident …

Parsvnath Developers Ltd entered into a development agreement with the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) for the Pride Asia project, which included a flat buyer agreement containing clause 9(c) that provided compensation for delay. A dispute over land possession led to arbitration, where the sole arbitrator awarded liabil…

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

The appellant National Insurance Co. Ltd. denied fire‑insurance claims of Harsolia Motors, a commercial enterprise, which led the respondents to file a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (CPA 1986). The Gujarat State Commission held the respondents were not "consumers" because the insurance was for a com…

The case concerned a Shia waqf‑al‑aulad created in 1934, whose property was allegedly alienated by two void sales in 1960 and 1974 without the sanction of the Waqf Board. The respondents, who were beneficiaries of the waqf, claimed title by adverse possession, while the appellant argued that limitation provisions (Arti…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute between Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (the appellant) and wind power developers over a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) executed on 29‑03‑2012 under the REC Regulations, 2010. The respondents sought to have the tariff in the PPA revised after the Central Electricity Regulatory Commissi…

The Union of India appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared land acquisition proceedings to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because compensation had not been paid. The land in question was an agricul…

The Delhi High Court had held that the acquisition of certain land had deemed lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 because neither possession nor compensation had been effected, relying on Pune Municipal Corporation …

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared land acquisition proceedings as deemed to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The High Court had relied on Pune Municipal Corporat…

The Government of NCT of Delhi acquired a parcel of land (Khasra No.115) measuring 20 biswa, taking possession of 19 biswa and issuing a notice under Section 12(2) of the 1894 Land Acquisition Act for the payment of compensation to the landowner, who failed to collect it, leading to the amount being deposited in the re…

The Government of NCT Delhi had taken possession of land on 11 July 2008 under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but had not paid compensation to the landowner, Jai Pal. The Delhi High Court held that the acquisition proceedings had deemed to lapse under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in…

The appeal arose from a writ petition challenging appointments to the higher judiciary in Madhya Pradesh that allegedly exceeded the 10% quota for limited departmental competitive examinations mandated by the Supreme Court in All India Judges Association v. Union of India (2010). The High Court had dismissed the petiti…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The land had an award under the Land Acquisition Act, 1…

The land in question was awarded under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 in 1992, and possession was taken in 2006 and handed over to the DDA. A private respondent filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that the acquisition had deemed lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in La…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that had allowed a writ petition filed by M/s Beads Properties Pvt. Ltd., a subsequent purchaser of land, declaring that the acquisition of the land was deemed to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land A…

The State of Karnataka appealed against the High Court’s order allowing Input Tax Credit (ITC) claimed by several purchasing dealers, including M/s Ecom Gill Coffee Trading Private Limited. The Assessing Officer had denied ITC on the ground that the transactions were not genuine and the sellers were either deregistered…

Shinhan Bank entered a Leave and Licence agreement and a contemporaneous Amenities agreement with Carol Info Services for office premises. After termination, the parties disputed the refund of security deposits and alleged fees, and the bank invoked an arbitration clause contained in the Amenities agreement. The respon…

The petition challenged the increase in seats of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Legislative Assembly and the constitution of a Delimitation Commission under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 and the Delimitation Act, 2002. The Court held that Article 170, which governs State legislatures, does not a…

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of Rule 19(b)(II)(vi) of the Tamil Nadu Development Control Rules and Regulation 29(7)(a), which require that layouts exceeding 10,000 square metres reserve 10% of the area as open space for communal and recreational purposes and transfer that land to the local authority free of co…

The petitioners, old Indian settlers of Sikkim, challenged the definition of “Sikkimese” in Section 10(26AAA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the proviso that excluded a Sikkimese woman who married a non‑Sikkimese after 1 April 2008 from the tax exemption. They argued that the exclusion of settlers whose names were not…

The Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department entered into a water‑supply agreement with Rattan India Power Ltd on 22 May 2012, stipulating an irrigation restoration charge of Rs 1,00,000 per hectare. The respondent later sought to reduce the charge to Rs 50,000 per hectare, arguing that the rate applicable at the tim…

The State of Haryana appealed a High Court order that had declared the acquisition of certain lands to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, on the ground that the subsequent purchasers (respondents) had not bee…

The petitioners, convicted of violent offences and serving life sentences, applied for premature release under Section 432(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Special Judge rejected their applications but did not provide the detailed reasons required by law. The Supreme Court, recalling its earlier judgment in Laxma…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that had declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The land had an award dated 1992 and physical posse…

The Government of NCT of Delhi appealed a Delhi High Court order that declared the acquisition of a parcel of land to have lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The respondents, who were subsequent purchasers of the …

The case arose from a search under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act on the Khoday Group, where the appellant K.L. Swamy, a director, was served a notice under Section 158BD to file a return for the block period. He filed the return late, and the Assessing Officer levied interest under Section 158BFA(1) and surcharge u…

M/s Oswal Plastic Industries held a fire insurance policy (standard fire & special perils) that provided for reinstatement of damaged plant and machinery. After a fire on 17‑10‑2009, a surveyor valued the loss at Rs. 29,17,500 on a reinstatement basis and Rs. 12,60,000 on a depreciated basis. The State Consumer Dispute…

The petitioners sought transfer of a Delhi High Court writ petition (WP (C) No. 8905 of 2019) and a Rajasthan High Court civil writ (CW/13784/2019) to the Supreme Court to obtain uniformity in the minimum age of marriage for men and women across various statutes. The respondents informed the Court that the Rajasthan pe…

The appellant, C. Haridasan, entered into an agreement to sell Kanam and Kuzhikoor rights in 2005, paid a nominal advance and was to pay the balance within six months after the defendants provided title documents. The defendants failed to provide the documents, the plaintiff delayed serving a legal notice until Novembe…

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

The Himachal Pradesh government imposed a special road tax under s.3A(3) of the Himachal Pradesh Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1972 on transport vehicles operating without a valid permit. The High Court struck down this provision, holding it to be a penalty and ultra‑vires the State’s legislative competence under List I…

The petitioner, Rajpal, challenged the denial of his bail application, arguing that his co‑accused had been granted bail by a coordinate bench of the Rajasthan High Court for the same FIR. The Supreme Court noted that despite its earlier directives, High Courts continue to list bail applications arising from the same F…

The University of Bihar advertised vacancies for Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) in four constituent colleges, requiring separate applications for each college and specifying eligibility criteria. The university’s selection committee conducted four separate interviews for each candidate on the same day, assigning …

The appellant was married to the deceased for four and a half years during which she alleged continuous cruelty and assault by him and his parents. After being left at her parents' house, the deceased poured kerosene on herself and died, leading to charges under Sections 498A and 306 of the IPC. The trial court convict…

The appellant UCO Bank dismissed its former manager, M.B. Motwani, after he attained superannuation, issuing a charge‑sheet only on 7 December 1991. The employee had been served a show‑cause notice and suspended before retirement, but no formal disciplinary proceeding was deemed pending at the time of his superannuatio…

The Ideal Fine Arts Society runs two educational institutions – the Ideal Institute (8 employees) and Mathosri Manikbai Kothari College of Visual Arts (18 employees) – on the same campus. The Enforcement Officer reported a total of 26 employees, triggering coverage under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous…

A. Valliammai entered into an agreement to sell land to K. Sriram in 1988, with an advance paid and the balance due by May 1989, later extended to November 1989. After disputes and notices in 1991 indicating Valliammai's refusal to perform, Sriram filed an injunction suit, which was later dismissed, and assigned his ri…

The State of West Bengal appealed against a High Court order directing the execution of a mining lease for dolomite to M/s. Chiranjilal (Mineral) Industries (the respondent). The dispute centered on whether the respondent's 1998 application for a mining lease remained eligible under the Mines and Minerals (Development …

Axis Bank Limited (appellant) appealed against the admission of a Section 7 petition filed by State Bank of India (respondent No.2) against Shreem Corporation Limited (the corporate debtor). The dispute centered on whether the petition was time‑barred under the three‑year limitation period, given that the debtor was de…

The respondents claimed ownership of land that had been recorded in the 1962 Record of Rights and later allotted to the Reserve Bank of India. They appealed to the Settlement Officer in 1990, filed a civil suit in 2003 (withdrawn in 2007 without permission to re‑file), and finally filed a writ petition in 2008 seeking …

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

The Kerala High Court, after conducting a written test and viva‑voce for recruitment to the Higher Judicial Service, imposed a minimum cut‑off for the viva‑voce despite the 1961 Rules and the 2012 examination scheme expressly providing that no cut‑off would apply. Eleven candidates challenged this decision, arguing tha…

Magic Eye Developers Pvt. Ltd. challenged the Delhi High Court’s order referring its dispute with Green Edge Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. and others to arbitration, arguing that no valid arbitration agreement existed. The appellant contended that the arbitration clause was present only in certain agreements (SHA‑1, SHA‑2, …

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigated alleged tampering of e‑tender bids that led to charges under the IPC, IT Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Because those offences are scheduled under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the ED opened a money‑laundering investigation and the accused,…

The petitioners, senior civil judges, challenged the Gujarat High Court's select list and the State Government's notification promoting 68 judges to the district judge cadre, alleging that the selections violated Article 14 of the Constitution and Rule 5 of the Gujarat State Judicial Service Rules, 2005, which require …

The Supreme Court revisited the guidelines it had laid down in 2017 for the designation of Senior Advocates under Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961. It held that voting by secret ballot should be an exception rather than the rule and that the reasons for resorting to such a vote must be recorded. The Court refined …

Dr. V. R. Sanal Kumar, a senior ISRO scientist, was dismissed from service under Rule 16(iii) of the Department of Space Employees (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1976, which allows dismissal without an inquiry when the President is satisfied it is not expedient in the interest of the security of the State.…

The Union of India amended a customs exemption notification under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962, withdrawing a 5% concessional duty for a high‑speed printing machine imported by A.B.P. Pvt. Ltd. The assessees challenged the amendment, arguing it was ultra vires and that the High Court correctly set it aside be…

Aureliano Fernandes, a lecturer at Goa University, was accused of sexual harassment by several female students and was served notice to explain. A Complaints Committee conducted an inquiry in May 2009, but the appellant, citing health issues, was denied extensions and the proceedings were held ex‑parte, resulting in a …

The appellants, K.B. Tea Product Pvt. Ltd. and others, set up small‑scale units for blended tea under a tax‑holiday scheme that exempted manufacturers from sales tax under the West Bengal Sales Tax Act, 1994. The scheme was based on the then‑existing definition of "manufacture" which included "blending of tea". In Augu…

George Elias & Associates, engaged in road works, purchased Hot Mix Plants and obtained an Acknowledgement Certificate under the Kerala Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Facilitation Act, 2019, as well as "Consent to Establish" from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. Their application for a licence to in…

The appellants, who were government servants, were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on allegations that they had paid money to a terrorist organization. They obtained bail from a Special Court, which held that their payments were made under compulsion and that they were cooperating with th…

The appellant alleged that the respondents forged a personal recognizance bond and a surety bond before they were filed as evidence in a criminal case pending before a Judicial Magistrate. The lower courts dismissed the appellant's complaint and the revisional court directed a preliminary enquiry under Section 340 of t…

The Anil Agarwal Foundation, a private company at the time of land acquisition, sought 6,000 acres of agricultural land in Odisha to establish a university. The State issued Section 4(1) notifications and proceeded with acquisition despite the company’s conversion to a public company occurring only after the notificati…

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

The case involves the death of two young men, J and M, who were allegedly detained and assaulted in the house of accused Lal Chand and his sons. The trial court convicted five of the accused under sections 302, 148 and 149 of the Ranbir Penal Code, while acquitting two; the High Court upheld these convictions. On appea…

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

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

The appellants, North Eastern Chemicals Industries Ltd. and another, claimed payment of principal and interest from Ashok Paper Mill (Assam) Ltd. under the Jogighopa (Assam) Unit of Ashok Paper Mills Limited (Acquisition Transfer of Undertaking) Act, 1990. The Commissioner of Payments awarded the principal but initiall…

The President of India issued Constitutional Orders 272 and 273, which applied the entire Constitution of India to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and abrogated Article 370. Simultaneously, Parliament enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, bifurcating the State into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashm…

The Union of India appealed against the Tribunal and High Court orders that directed the appointment of Ankur Gupta (the third respondent) as Postal Assistant, after he was excluded from training on the basis of his vocational‑stream intermediate qualification. The dispute centered on whether the amendment to the 1990 …

The appellant, Astha Gopal Khakra, sought recognition as a member of the Nomadic Tribe‑Lohar (Ghisadi‑Lohar) under the Maharashtra Caste Certificate Rules, 2012, and was issued a caste certificate in 2012. The District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee later invalidated the certificate, stating she could not prove h…

The dispute concerned the appointment to the solitary post of Physical Education Trainer (PET) at a Gram Panchayat school in Odisha. The appellant, Bichitrandanda Behera, was appointed by a Managing Committee on 14 May 1994, while Respondent No.5 claimed to have been appointed on 10 January 1993 based on a resolution o…

RPS Infrastructure Ltd entered into a development agreement with KST Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, which later led to an arbitral award in favour of RPS in 2016. While the award was under challenge under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act, a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) was initiated against KST Infrastructu…

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

The appellants obtained a decree for partition of property in 2012. The defendants filed a regular appeal after a delay of 2,945 days, which the first appellate court dismissed. They then filed a regular second appeal under Section 100 of the CPC before the Karnataka High Court, which condoned the delay, remanded the m…

The CBI registered a case against Dr. R.R. Kishore for alleged bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, but conducted the investigation without the prior approval of the Central Government required by Section 6A(1) of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. The Delhi High Court allowed the trial …

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) issued a notification on 28 June 2018 that treated a B.Ed. degree as an essential qualification for appointment as a primary school teacher (Level‑1). This was challenged by B.Ed. candidates and by candidates holding a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) who argu…

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

The dispute arose from a government contract where the arbitrator, in 1999, awarded 18% compound interest on the sum due. The Union of India challenged the award under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the Allahabad High Court reduced the interest to 9% simple interest, also striking a compe…

The appellant, Sathyan, was arrested in October 2003 for carrying five litres of arrack in his autorickshaw and was convicted under Section 8 of the Abkari Act based solely on the testimony of two official witnesses, an Excise Inspector and an Assistant Excise Inspector. He challenged the conviction, arguing that the l…

The petitioners challenged the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Act, 2021, the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Act, 2021 and the Fundamental (Amendment) Rules, 2021 on the ground that they allowed arbitrary extensions of the tenure of the Director of Enforcement and the Director of CBI, thereby e…

The landlord (Ravi Khandelwal) filed an eviction suit in 1985 against the tenant (M/s Taluka Stores) for a shop in Jaipur. The suit was dismissed by the trial court in 2002 for violating Section 14(3) of the Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act, 1950, which bars eviction suits within five years of lett…

The appellant, Priya Pramod Gajbe, secured admission to an MBBS programme under a Scheduled Tribe (ST) seat, claiming membership in the Mana tribe. The Scrutiny Committee rejected her claim on the basis that she failed the Affinity Test and could not prove ancestral residence in the tribe's traditional area; the High C…

The appeal concerned an Inspector, Sanjay Dubey, who was found prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty for failing to ensure DNA testing in a sensitive case involving offences under the IPC, POCSO Act, SC/ST Act and IT Act. While the High Court, hearing a bail application under Section 439 CrPC, directed departmental…

Canara Bank (successor to Syndicate Bank) filed an application under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) against its corporate debtor, Kranthi Edifice Pvt. Ltd., alleging default on a secured overdraft facility and bank guarantees. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the petition a…

Raj Kumar (also known as Suman) was convicted for murder and attempted murder arising from a 1995 incident, based solely on the testimony of PW‑5 that he was standing with a katta (handgun) near the gate of the crime scene. The trial court failed to put this material circumstance to the accused during his Section 313 e…

The respondent landlord filed a tenancy case seeking eviction of the appellants for non‑payment of lease rent for Fasli years 1419‑1424 (2009‑2014). The Revenue Court ordered the appellants to pay 31½ bags of paddy (or equivalent) within two months of receipt of the order dated 04‑02‑2019. The appellants received the o…

After the 2019 Maharashtra elections a coalition government (MVA) led by Uddhav Thackeray collapsed in mid‑2022 when the Shiv Sena split into two factions headed by Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. The Governor, relying on letters from opposition leaders and a resolution of 34 Shiv Sena MLAs, directed Thackeray to prove hi…

The Supreme Court examined a 2015 Union Ministry notification that gave the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi control over "services" in addition to public order, police and land. The Court held that, under Article 239AA(3)(a), the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) has legislative and co…

The appellants, KPTCL, denied annual increments to several employees who had completed a year of service with good conduct because the increment, under Regulation 40(1) of the Karnataka Electricity Board Employees Service Regulations, 1997, was deemed to accrue on the day after it was earned and the employees had retir…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) sought to acquire several parcels of land under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and the compensation was deposited with the Land Acquisition Collector but not paid to the owners. The owners filed writ petitions under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency …

The FIR dated 01.12.2010 named five persons as perpetrators of a lathi‑blow assault that resulted in the death of Bhawani Singh. Although the charge‑sheet initially named only two accused, the remaining three were later added and tried separately under Section 319 Cr.P.C. The High Court acquitted the respondent Vijendr…

The appellant, a charitable trust, owned land forming part of Khasra No. 4833 and filed a suit for possession alleging encroachment by the respondents, who claimed they had been in possession for over 34 years and had acquired ownership by adverse possession. The trial court decreed possession in favour of the trust, b…

The Land and Building Department appealed a Delhi High Court order that held the acquisition of land in Ghonda, Delhi had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act because compensation had not been paid. The High Court relied on Pune Municipal Corporation v. Misirimal Solanki, interpreting the provision to require bot…

The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (HSIIDC) and the State of Haryana appealed against a Punjab & Haryana High Court judgment that declared land acquisition proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 to have "deemed lapse" under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensat…

The Tamil Nadu Government appealed against a Madras High Court order that directed the creation of posts and reinstatement of village‑level workers (Makkal Nala Paniyalargal) who had been discontinued in 2011. The Supreme Court examined whether the courts can compel the State to create posts and regularise such workers…

The State of Punjab challenged the Governor of Punjab for refusing to assent to four Bills passed by the Vidhan Sabha and for questioning the legality of sessions reconvened after an adjournment sine die. The petition also sought a declaration that the June and October 2023 sessions were valid and that the Governor mus…

The appellants Kamal Prasad, Shersingh and Bhavdas were convicted for murder, attempted murder and offences under the Explosive Substance Act based on the testimony of three eyewitnesses who identified them at the scene where bombs and weapons were used, resulting in the deaths of Chetram and his son Kapildeo. The appe…

The appellant, a former partner of a partnership firm, challenged a criminal complaint filed under Section 138 read with Section 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, alleging that the complaint did not specifically allege that he was in charge of the business at the time the cheque was issued and that he had resigned…

The appellant, an 89‑year‑old retired Air Force officer, filed for divorce on the grounds of cruelty and desertion under Sections 13(1)(ia) and 13(1)(ib) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The District Court granted the decree, but the High Court reversed it, holding that the appellant failed to prove either ground. The …

The dispute arose from a 1982 contract between National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd (NPCCL) and Royal Construction Company Private Ltd (RCCPL) for earth‑work in Iraq, which stipulated payments in Iraqi Dinars and US Dollars. An arbitrator awarded a sum in Iraqi Dinars and a separate rupee amount, directing co…

Solaris Chem Tech Industries Ltd, a water consumer, challenged notices demanding payment of arrears on revised water tariffs, arguing that the notices violated the contractual rate provisions and statutory procedures. The High Court dismissed the writ petition and the subsequent writ appeal, relying on Clause 11 of the…

The respondent, a former officer of Syndicate Bank, was dismissed in 1997, a dismissal later set aside by the Karnataka High Court in 2005. While the writ proceedings were pending, the parties executed a Joint Compromise Memo on 17 June 2019, wherein the bank agreed to replace the dismissal penalty with a reduction in …

The appellant, Gulam Mustafa, Managing Director of GM Infinite Dwelling, was named as Accused No.18 in an FIR filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and several IPC provisions, arising from a long‑standing land ownership dispute that had been litigated in civil courts for o…

The appellant, a society, challenged the applicability of various Central and State statutes to the Sundargarh district of Orissa, which had been declared a Scheduled Area under Clause 6 of the Fifth Schedule. It contended that non‑tribals could not settle, vote, or contest elections there and that all constituencies s…

The appeal concerned the appropriate starting point of limitation for filing an application under Rule 95 of Order XXI of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, after a property was sold in execution. The sale was confirmed on 16 July 2009, a sale certificate was issued on 5 February 2010, and the purchaser filed a Rule‑95…

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. built a power plant for the State of Goa under a Power Purchase Agreement, but the State failed to pay for the electricity generated. The parties referred their dispute to a sole arbitrator, who awarded Rs. 278.29 crore with interest at 15% per annum. The High Court reduced the interest rat…

The Supreme Court heard an appeal by the National Capital Territory of Delhi and others against a Delhi High Court order that declared land acquisition proceedings to be deemed lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, b…

The appellant, Pramod Singla, was detained under the COFEPOSA Act for alleged involvement in a gold smuggling syndicate and filed representations to the detaining authority, the Central Government, and the Advisory Board. The Court examined whether there was a conflict between the Pankaj Kumar and Abdullah Kunhi judgme…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed appeals after the Punjab & Haryana High Court, exercising its power under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code, quashed the criminal proceedings against Aryan Singh and Gautam Cheema, holding that the charges were not proved and the prosecution was malicious. The ac…

The appellant was arrested on 29 January 2022 and the 90‑day period under Section 167 of the CrPC was set to expire on 29 April 2022. The investigating officer sought a 30‑day extension on 22 April 2022, which the trial court granted without the accused being present, and the accused was informed of the extension on 23…

The appellant (original defendant) challenged the High Court's order that an unregistered Agreement to Sell, executed on 10‑09‑2013, could be admitted as evidence in a suit for specific performance. The dispute centered on whether the Tamil Nadu Amendment Act, 2012, which made agreements to sell immovable property of R…

NTPC Ltd. and SPML Infra Ltd. entered into a contract for installation services. After SPML completed the work, NTPC released the final payment but retained SPML's bank guarantees, linking their release to disputes in other projects. The parties settled the matter through a Settlement Agreement that released the guaran…

The State acquired land in Kozhikode for an IT Park under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, issuing a notification on 21‑08‑2009. While many landowners accepted a negotiated price of Rs 1,00,000 per cent, a group of owners dissatisfied with the compensation filed references under Section 18, leading the Reference Court t…

The CBI arrested Vikas Mishra for offences under sections 409 and 120B of the IPC and obtained a seven‑day police‑custody remand on 16 April 2021. Mishra was hospitalized on 18 April and subsequently released on interim bail on 21 April, which was later cancelled on 8 December 2021 for non‑cooperation. He filed an appl…

Suzlon Energy Ltd imported engineering design and drawing blueprints from its sister companies abroad for manufacturing wind turbine generators and classified them as "paper" goods for customs, claiming nil duty and arguing they were not liable to service tax. The Revenue issued show‑cause notices demanding service tax…

M/S. Saraf Exports, a partnership engaged in manufacturing and exporting wooden handicrafts, claimed deductions under s.80‑IB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 for amounts received under the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) and Duty Drawback schemes for AY 2008‑09. The Deputy Commissioner disallowed the deductions, a decisi…

The appellant, a cooperative society, sought to set aside an arbitral award under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, but filed the application after the 90‑day statutory period and the additional 30‑day discretionary period had expired because the court was on winter vacation. The appellant argue…

The appellant, M/s US Technologies International Pvt. Ltd., had deducted tax at source (TDS) but remitted it to the government after a delay of up to ten months. The Revenue levied a penalty equal to the amount of TDS under Section 271C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which the High Court upheld. The appellant contended t…

Sri M. Narasimha Prasad, a Civil Judge (Junior Division) of Karnataka, was suspended on allegations of gross misconduct and subjected to departmental inquiries. The Full Court of the Karnataka High Court, after finding several serious charges proved—particularly pronouncing the operative portion of judgments without th…

Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd. appealed against the Kerala Commercial Taxes Department’s classification of several of its products under the Kerala VAT Act. The appellant claimed that mosquito mats, coils, vaporizers and Mortein insect killers were insecticides (Entry 44(5), HSN 3808) taxable at 4%, that Harpic and Liz…

The State Bank of India, as authorized officer, conducted an e‑auction of a secured asset of a defaulting borrower. The highest bidder, C. Natarajan, paid 25% of the sale price but failed to pay the balance within the extended deadline and sought further extensions, which were refused. The officer forfeited the 25% dep…

The petitioner, a practising advocate, challenged a Bar Council of India (BCI) office order dated 1 November 2022 that allegedly halted the verification of advocates' educational qualifications and certificates of practice. The Court examined the BCI's concern that many advocates who had not submitted verification form…

The appellants, five companies incorporated under the Sikkim Companies Act, claimed to be residents of Sikkim and argued that their income from cardamom commissions for assessment years 1987-88 to 1989-90 was taxable only under the Sikkim State Income‑Tax Manual, 1948, as the Income Tax Act, 1961 had not yet been exten…

The Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community sought a mandamus directing the State of Maharashtra to enforce the Bombay Protection of Ex‑communication Act, 1949, challenging the Supreme Court's earlier decision in Sardar Syedna which held the Act void for violating Article 26(b). The Act had been repealed by the Mahara…

The Government of NCT of Delhi had taken possession of certain land on 12 March 1981 but had not paid compensation to the owners. The Delhi High Court, relying on Pune Municipal Corporation v. Harakchand Misirimal Solanki, held that the acquisition had deemed to lapse under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensati…