B V NAGARATHNA

The appellants, daughters‑in‑law of a deceased landowner, obtained a mutation order based on an unregistered will and later secured an ex‑parte injunction against the complainant who had purchased a share of the land from the testator's third son. The complainant subsequently filed a criminal complaint alleging conspir…

The appellants, Manchu Mohan Babu and his son, organized a rally and dharna on 22 March 2019 to protest the state government's refusal to reimburse student fees, despite a Model Code of Conduct prohibiting such gatherings without permission. The police registered FIR No.102 of 2019 alleging offences under IPC sections …

The original appellant, Khem Singh, had filed special leave petitions challenging the acquittal of three accused in a 1992 murder case. While the petitions were pending, Khem Singh died and his son, Raj Kumar, applied to set aside the abatement of the appeals and to be substituted as appellant. The Supreme Court examin…

The marriage between Madduri Venkateswara Rao and Madduri Sunanda was dissolved by a California divorce decree in 2007. After returning to India, Sunanda filed a matrimonial suit, a domestic violence case, and an FIR under sections 494 and 498A IPC against her husband and his relatives. The parties later resolved all d…

The appellant, Smt. N. Usha Rani, married her first husband in 1999, separated and executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2005, and subsequently married the respondent twice, the second marriage being registered. The respondent obtained a decree declaring the first marriage void and later filed a criminal revi…

The petitioners, who were witnesses to a 2016 Jat community agitation in Haryana that involved arson and loss of life, alleged that the trial in Jhajjar was compromised by the influence of a powerful advocate, threats to witnesses, and a biased prosecuting team. They filed a transfer petition under Article 139A(2) of t…

The appellant Sukhdev Yadav was convicted of murder, kidnapping and related offences and sentenced to life imprisonment fixed at twenty years without remission, along with fines. After serving the full twenty‑year term on 9 March 2025, he sought release but the Delhi High Court had earlier denied his furlough applicati…

The appellants purchased four acres of land that had been granted to Shri Ranga in 1946-47 and was subject to a Saguvalli Chit confirming a non‑alienation clause. Shri Ranga sold the land in 1969, but in 1992 a third party, Dodda Hanumaiah, filed an application under Section 5 of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Sche…

Shankar Lal Sharma, a 73‑year‑old man of limited means, filed a Special Leave Petition against Rajesh Koolwal & Ors. The Court appointed Sanchar Anand as amicus curiae, who represented the petitioner pro bono on fourteen occasions. The Court examined the duty of advocates to assist indigent litigants and the broader co…

Chunni Bai was convicted of murdering her two young daughters after the trial court and High Court upheld a Section 302 IPC conviction. She claimed she acted under the influence of an invisible power, asserting unsoundness of mind under Section 84 IPC. The Supreme Court examined the eyewitness testimony, medical autops…

The appellants imported oil from the UAE and declared it as Base Oil SN 50, but the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence re‑classified it as High Speed Diesel (HSD) and seized it. The Adjudicating Authority, CESTAT and the High Court each held the oil to be HSD, relying on three laboratory reports that tested only a por…

The Supreme Court examined the termination of two women judicial officers, Sarita Choudhary and Aditi Kumar Sharma, who were dismissed during their probation on the basis of low case disposal rates, adverse Annual Confidential Report (ACR) remarks, and pending complaints. The petitioners argued that the adverse remarks…

The case arose from a motor vehicle accident on 13 January 2016 in which the deceased, Vijay Jumnalkar, was killed after his vehicle was struck by a Bolero driven at high speed. The claimants, the deceased's wife and son, filed a claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicle Act seeking compensation, which the Motor Acc…

The appellant, a third‑generation Christian, sought to bury his deceased father, a pastor, in his native village of Chhindawada where his ancestors had been interred. Villagers objected, the Gram Panchayat refused, and the High Court dismissed his writ petition, directing burial at a designated Christian cemetery in Ka…

The appellant, a District Town Planner (Enforcement), ordered the demolition of unauthorized construction at Anupama College after a show‑cause notice and a restoration order under the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963. The college’s chairman filed a private cr…

The appellant, a self‑described social worker, was accused by a woman of having a decade‑long sexual relationship with her based on false promises of marriage, leading to an FIR under Sections 376, 420, 504 and 506 IPC. The appellant sought to quash the FIR under Section 482 CrPC, arguing that the relationship was cons…

The appellant, the Commanding Officer of the Railway Protection Special Force, appealed against a decision allowing the widow and heirs of a constable of the RPF to claim compensation under the Employees Compensation Act, 1923 for his death in service. The central question was whether a constable of the RPF, declared a…

The appellants challenged the compensation awarded by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. The High Court had fixed Rs 7,80,000 per acre (or Rs 19,85,700 per acre in one case) relying on its earlier decisions in Kapoor Singh and Surjit Singh. Those earlie…

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (formerly ING Vysya Bank) sought settlement of tax liabilities for several assessment years, disclosing additional lease income that had been treated as a financial transaction under RBI guidelines. The Settlement Commission, after considering the bank's cooperation and full disclosure, granted…

The appellant filed a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act alleging that the respondents had purchased Desi Ghee and that three cheques totalling Rs. 14 lakh were dishonoured. After summons were issued and before the complainant's cross‑examination, the appellant sought to amend the complaint t…

The appellant, Hem Raj, owned a vehicle insured by New India Assurance and sought reimbursement of INR 10,36,500 for death, funeral, and medical expenses arising from a road accident in Nepal. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and the State Commission ordered the insurer to pay the claimed amounts, but the…

The appellant, a 25‑year‑old student, was charged under IPC sections 376, 376(2)(n), 377, 504 and 506 for allegedly forcing sexual intercourse on a promise of marriage. The complainant, a previously married woman with a four‑year‑old child, claimed the appellant entered her house and had sexual relations after assuring…

The appellant Mahaveer Sharma claimed death benefits under a life insurance policy taken by his father, Ramkaran Sharma, from Exide Life Insurance. The insurer repudiated the claim alleging that the father had materially suppressed information by not disclosing other existing life insurance policies at the time of prop…

The appellant, Anukul Singh, challenged a FIR and charge sheet filed under Sections 420, 467 and 468 IPC alleging cheating and forgery arising from a dispute over a loan and property ownership. He contended that the FIR was a retaliatory measure linked to a civil dispute over land possession and that the complainant ha…

The Rajasthan government issued Notification S.O.377 on 9 March 2007, exempting VAT on asbestos cement sheets and bricks containing at least 25% fly ash, provided the dealer began commercial production in the state by 31‑December‑2006 and the exemption lasted until 23‑January‑2010 (later extended). The appellants, manu…

The appellant, a leaseholder of a Delhi parcel, obtained a decree for possession against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after the lease expired. While attempting to execute the decree, the MCD resisted, citing encroachment and pending land‑acquisition proceedings, leading the Executing Court to declare the de…

The case involves an alleged honour killing where the victim, Vikash Panwar, was shot dead by three accused who were related to his live-in partner. The accused were charged under Sections 302 and 120B of the IPC and Sections 3, 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. The High Court of Rajasthan granted bail to all three accused in…

The appellant filed an interlocutory application seeking clarification of paragraph 51 of the Supreme Court's judgment dated 27 March 2023 in Criminal Appeals Nos. 701‑702 of 2020, which had upheld a default bail order granted by the Bombay High Court under proviso (a)(ii) of Section 167(2) of the CrPC. The Court exami…

The appellant, a senior BIS officer deputed as Director of FSSAI, acted as Presiding Officer of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) investigating a sexual harassment complaint. She filed a counter‑affidavit on behalf of the complainant without the complainant’s consent, and later amended it when the complainant wis…

The respondents were convicted for murder and related offences arising from an incident on 17 January 2002. After being acquitted by the High Court, the Supreme Court restored the conviction in 2022, and the accused served more than four years of imprisonment. The accused then filed a miscellaneous application claiming…

The case concerns a challenge to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approval dated 18.10.2022 and the consequent decision dated 25.10.2022 for the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11. The petitioners argued that the approval suffered from procedural abnormalities, violated the righ…

The Supreme Court examined orders issued by a Single Judge of the Madras High Court that, after disposing a petition to transfer a single land‑grabbing case, on "special mentioning" directed the transfer of 864 other cases pending in special courts to ordinary jurisdictional magistrates. The Court held that the High Co…

M/s Mangalam Publications, a partnership engaged in publishing, filed returns for assessment years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 without regular books of account, citing seizure of records. The assessing officer later compared a balance sheet submitted to a bank in 1989-90 with a later balance sheet for 1993-94 and conc…

The appellant landlord sought relief against a tenant's revision petition under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, contending that the notice of ejectment issued on 24 July 2015 was valid. The dispute centered on whether the Uttar Pradesh State amendment of 1954, which changed the notice period from fif…

The Supreme Court considered whether assessees engaged in broadcasting television signals to subscribers are liable to pay both entertainment tax under State enactments (Entry 62, List II of the Constitution) and service tax under the Finance Act, 1994 (Entry 97, List I). The Court held that the activity of broadcastin…

M/s Suraj Impex (India) Pvt. Ltd., a merchant exporter of soybean meal, claimed a 1% All‑Industry Rate (AIR) customs duty drawback that it had been denied after availing CENVAT benefits. The dispute centered on whether Circular No. 35/2010‑Cus dated 17 September 2010, which clarified that the customs component of the d…

The Supreme Court examined whether the statutory vesting of enemy property in the Custodian for Enemy Property under the Enemy Property Act, 1968 amounts to an expropriation that transfers ownership to the Union of India, thereby invoking Article 285's tax exemption. It held that the Custodian acts only as a trustee fo…

The State of Punjab appealed the High Court's acquittal of Kewal Krishan, who had been convicted for murder under Section 302 IPC. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence: the deceased was last seen with the accused on 10‑12‑1998, the body was discovered on 12‑12‑1998, an alleged extra‑judicial confession to …

The appellant Bank of Baroda sought to overturn a High Court order that had restored a trial court decree appointing the respondent, Baljit Singh, on compassionate grounds. The respondent's father, a bank employee, died in 1999 and the 1998 compassionate appointment scheme required that the family’s monthly income be l…

Pinky Meena, a former Government Teacher, applied for and was selected as a Civil Judge in the Rajasthan Judicial Service. After resigning from her teaching post, she completed her probationary training but was later served a show‑cause notice and discharged on allegations of simultaneously obtaining LL.B. and B.Ed. de…

The appellant was convicted under the POCSO Act and sentenced by the Special Court to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. On appeal, the High Court and the Special Court altered the sentence to life imprisonment with a fine, leading the appellant to serve eleven years and eight months, exceeding the original term. Th…

The appellant was convicted under the POCSO Act and IPC for penetrative sexual assault on a four‑year‑old girl and sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment. In his appeal against conviction, the High Court affirmed the conviction but, finding that the trial court had overlooked aggravated provisions, issued a sh…

The plaintiff, a resident of Village Fakarhedi, challenged the appointment of Defendant No.3 as a Rajiv Gandhi Rural LPG distributor, alleging that the appointment was based on a fraudulent domicile certificate. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff's suit ex parte, and the first appellate court affirmed that dismiss…

The appellant, Smt. Laxmi Das, mother of Babu Das, was charged under Section 306 read with Section 34 of the IPC for abetment of suicide of Souma Pal. The High Court upheld the charge against her, finding prima facie material that she had allegedly told the deceased she need not be alive. On appeal, the Supreme Court e…

The Supreme Court examined whether mobile service providers (MSPs) could claim CENVAT credit on excise duties paid for mobile towers and prefabricated buildings (PFBs) used in their networks. The dispute arose from conflicting decisions of the Bombay High Court, which held the towers and PFBs to be immovable property a…

The appellant was charged under Sections 376(2)(n) and 506 of the IPC for an alleged forceful sexual relationship and intimidation, based on an FIR filed in 2019. The complainant claimed the appellant had threatened her and refused to marry her after a consensual relationship that began in 2017. The High Court rejected…

The Supreme Court examined applications for anticipatory bail filed by the husband and his family in a matrimonial cruelty case where the FIR was lodged in Rajasthan but the bail applications were made in Karnataka. The Court considered whether a High Court or Court of Session can grant anticipatory bail for an FIR out…

The Supreme Court entertained a miscellaneous application filed under Article 226 for correction of typographical errors in its earlier judgment dated 24 September 2021 in M/s Magadh Sugar & Energy Ltd. v. State of Bihar. The application sought to amend the monetary figures erroneously recorded as Rs 56 crores and Rs 6…

Ravi Agrawal filed a writ petition seeking retrospective application of the Finance Act, 2022 amendment to section 80DD of the Income Tax Act, which allows a subscriber to discontinue payments to a Jeevan Adhar scheme upon attaining the age of 60 and to use the accumulated benefit. He argued that the amendment should a…

The appellant, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police and licensing officer, ordered the removal of extra seats in the Uphaar cinema in 1979‑80 following a revocation of a prior notification. After the 1997 fire that killed 59 people, the CBI filed a closure report finding no criminal act by the appellant, which the ma…

M/s Bisco Limited imported 595 cases of second‑hand steel‑mill machinery to be stored in a notified public bonded warehouse. Because heavy rain made the warehouse inaccessible, the appellant obtained permission from the Superintendent under Section 64(d) to unload 264 cases outside the warehouse but within its factory …

The petitioners, both commercial pilots, claimed to have "solemnised" their marriage on 7 July 2021 and obtained a marriage certificate from Vadik Jankalyan Samiti, which was later used to register the marriage under the Uttar Pradesh Marriage Registration Rules, 2017. In reality, no Hindu rites or saptapadi were perfo…

M. Duraisamy, a Postal Assistant, fraudulently withdrew funds from 85 recurring deposit accounts and failed to credit deposits in 71 accounts, cheating the Post Office of Rs.16,59,065. After the fraud was discovered, he repaid the amount with interest and was subjected to a departmental enquiry, which found him guilty …

The NGO Avyaan Foundation filed a public‑interest writ seeking a mandamus directing the Union and State governments to construct feeding and child‑care rooms in public places for nursing mothers. The petition argued that lack of such facilities infringes the fundamental rights of mothers and children, invoking Article …

The petitioner-wife Rinku Baheti filed a transfer petition seeking to move a pending divorce suit to the Pune Family Court and opposed the respondent-husband Sandesh Sharda's application under Article 142(1) for a decree of divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The parties had a brief marriage o…

The complainant filed an FIR for offences under the IPC and later applied under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to summon several persons whose names were not on the charge‑sheet. The trial court issued a summons, which the High Court affirmed. The appellants challenged the summons, arguing that, per …

The appellant, owner of a Delhi premises insured under a household policy, claimed loss after heavy rains in August 2016 flooded his basement, causing extensive damage to contents. The insurer rejected the claim, asserting that the damage resulted from continuous seepage, a peril not covered under the policy, and commi…

The State of Haryana appealed against several Punjab and Haryana High Court orders that had set aside land acquisition notifications issued under Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, following writ petitions by land owners and subsequent purchasers. The petitioners sought relief under Section 24(2) of th…

The appellants, a group of social clubs including Secunderabad Club, deposited surplus funds in various banks, some of which were corporate members of the clubs, and earned interest on those fixed deposits. The central issue was whether such interest income fell within the ambit of the principle of mutuality and theref…

The petitioners, representing 25 villages affected by recurrent flooding of the Ghaggar basin, sought relief from the Supreme Court. The Court had earlier directed the Central Water Commission (CWC) to convene a meeting and ordered the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune to prepare a Mathematical Mod…

In 1987 three police constables were alleged to have shot dead Raj Kumar Baliyan during a night patrol. The prosecution relied on three eyewitnesses, ballistic reports and an autopsy that indicated a .12 bore weapon, not the rifles issued to the accused. The trial court acquitted the accused because the eyewitnesses co…

The petitioners, chartered accountants, challenged the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India's Guidelines dated 08‑08‑2008 that capped the number of tax audits a member could undertake under section 44AB of the Income Tax Act. They argued that the restriction was beyond the Council's competence, vi…

The petitioner was arrested in Punjab for alleged NDNDPS offences and was granted bail, which was later cancelled by the High Court after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation of related scheduled offences under the UAPA. The Central Government, invoking Section 6(5) and Section 8 of the N…

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, Baljinder Singh, alleged that the respondents, Mandeep Singh and Narinder Kumar, attacked him and his driver with wooden sticks, leading to the driver’s death. The respondents were charged under Sections 302, 323, 34, 427, 120B (with 148 and 149 later deleted) of the IPC and sought regular bail under Sec…

The appellants, the wife and daughters of a deceased property owner, filed a second suit challenging a power of attorney and seeking injunctions, after having earlier filed a first suit for similar reliefs. The defendants moved to reject the second plaint under Order VII Rule 11(d) of the CPC, arguing that the suit was…

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

The State of Himachal Pradesh prosecuted Chaman Lal for allegedly pouring kerosene on his wife Saro Devi and setting her on fire, leading to her death. The trial court convicted him based largely on the wife's dying declaration recorded by a Tehsildar, but the High Court acquitted him, extending the benefit of doubt du…

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 husband filed a divorce petition and sought to introduce secretly recorded telephone conversations with his wife as evidence, submitting memory cards, a CD and transcripts. The Family Court allowed the evidence, but the High Court set aside that order on the ground that the recordings violated the wife's right to p…

The appellant, Dhanasingh Prabhu, advanced a loan of Rs.21 lakh to the respondents who were partners of the partnership firm “Mouriya Coirs”. The respondents issued a cheque in the name of the firm which was dishonoured, prompting the appellant to serve a statutory notice under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments…

The appellants, senior civil judges in Jharkhand, qualified the suitability test for promotion to the Jharkhand Superior Judicial Service but were not selected because junior judges with higher marks were placed ahead of them in a merit list. They challenged the High Court's dismissal of their writ petition, arguing th…

The appellants, owners of land reserved for Development Plan Roads under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, constructed the roads at their own cost, surrendered the land to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and were granted 25% transferable development rights (TDR). They later claimed the balance 75% (or 10…

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 …

The appellants were convicted under Section 3 read with Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 for allegedly possessing and diverting government‑quota cement in 1994. The prosecution relied on the Maharashtra Cement (Licensing and Control) Order, 1973 and the Cement Control Order, 1967, but the Supreme Court …

Amar Sardar was convicted by a Fast Track Court for offences under Sections 376, 511 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment. He appealed to the Calcutta High Court, which upheld the conviction and sentence. The appellant contended that the High Court had merely reiterated the trial cour…

The appellants, who had adopted four minor girls under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, had their custody seized by police on the basis of an FIR and the children were placed under the Child Welfare Project Director. The appellants challenged the police action, arguing it was illegal and violated Articles…

The appellant filed a suit for specific performance of a sale agreement, but the trial court passed an ex‑parte decree after the defendants stopped appearing. The defendants later obtained condonation of delay for earlier applications under Order IX Rule 13, but the Supreme Court dismissed those condonation petitions i…

The appellant Rajesh Chaddha was convicted under Section 498A of the IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act for alleged cruelty and dowry demands by his wife, who claimed physical and mental torture, including a miscarriage. The High Court, exercising revisionary jurisdiction, upheld the conviction despite the …

The appellant, a widow, alleged that after her husband's death she was harassed by her in‑laws and denied her stridhana, prompting her to file an application under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 seeking protection, residence and compensation orders. The trial magistrate granted p…

The appellant, an independent non‑executive director of D.S. Kulkarni Developers Ltd., was named in complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for the dishonour of cheques issued by the company. The cheques were not signed by him and he had resigned from the board before the offences occurred. He so…

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 appellants, a husband and his in‑laws, sought to quash a FIR and charge‑sheet filed after the husband filed a divorce suit, alleging that the FIR was a retaliatory, vexatious measure. The FIR originally alleged rape under Section 376 IPC, but the charge‑sheet omitted that offence and no protest petition was filed a…

The marriage between appellant No.1 and respondent No.2 deteriorated, leading the wife to file an FIR under Section 498A IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Act alleging cruelty and dowry demands, while also implicating the husband’s parents and sisters-in-law. The appellants contended that the FIR was a retaliatory …

The appellant, JVRR Education Society, was accused of cheating and forgery for allegedly submitting a forged fire No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) to obtain recognition and renewal of affiliation for its college, which operated from a building 14.20 metres high. The charge sheet under sections 420, 465, 468 and 471 IPC c…

The appellant, a wife, obtained a maintenance order of Rs.12,000 per month and Rs.1,00,000 compensation under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in 2015. The respondent husband later filed an application under Section 25 seeking to set aside that order and to recover all maintenance …

The appellant, a Muslim husband, obtained a triple talaq and was ordered by the Family Court to pay interim maintenance of Rs.20,000 per month to his divorced wife, which the High Court reduced to Rs.10,000. He appealed, arguing that Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) does not apply to Muslim women af…

The appellant, daughter and nominee of a deceased insured, claimed death benefits under two life insurance policies, which the insurer repudiated alleging that the insured had concealed multiple other policies. The insurer relied on an unauthenticated tabulation of fifteen alleged policies without producing any documen…

The Union of India challenged the liability of several private companies, including Future Gaming Solutions, to pay service tax on the sale of paper and online lottery tickets for the Government of Sikkim. The High Court of Sikkim had set aside service‑tax notices issued under various amendments to the Finance Act, 199…

The respondents purchased land that had been subject to a Section 4 notification under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and objections were filed by the predecessor‑in‑title, Gajanand Mali. While the predecessor’s writ appeals challenging the Section 4 and Section 6 notifications (Writ Appeal No. 447 of 2009) were pendi…

The petitioners, three intending couples, had completed the embryo‑freezing stage of surrogacy in 2020‑2021, before the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 came into force on 25 January 2022. After the Act’s commencement, the statutory age limits (female ≤50, male ≤55) barred them from obtaining the eligibility certificat…

The appellant, Geeta, was convicted under Section 306 of the IPC for allegedly abetting the suicide of her neighbour, Sarika, who set herself on fire after a series of verbal and physical altercations. The trial court held that Geeta's abusive language and the involvement of her family created a hostile environment tha…

The Supreme Court examined a criminal appeal challenging the Allahabad High Court's order granting bail to Respondent No.2, who was accused of gang‑rape, sexual assault and recording the act against a minor under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. The FIR was lodged on 2 December 2024 and a chargesheet file…

The Supreme Court examined the interplay between Section 144C, which provides a special dispute‑resolution procedure for eligible assessees, and Section 153(3) of the Income Tax Act, which prescribes a twelve‑month limitation for fresh assessments. The Court held that the limitation under Section 153 applies only to th…

The appellants, who were registered lottery dealers in Kerala, bought state lottery tickets in bulk at a discount and resold them to retailers on an outright basis, earning a profit. The Central Excise authorities directed them to obtain service‑tax registration and pay tax under the heading ‘business auxiliary service…

Mysore Sales International Ltd., a Karnataka government undertaking that manufactures and bottles arrack, was directed by the Income Tax Deputy Commissioner to collect TDS from liquor vendors (excise contractors) under Section 206C of the Income Tax Act, treating the vendors as "buyers". The vendors obtained retail ven…

M/s Celestium Financial, a finance partnership, sued three borrowers for dishonouring cheques under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The trial magistrate acquitted the borrowers, finding the complainant had not proved a legally enforceable debt. The appellant sought special leave to appeal under Section 3…

The Supreme Court entertained miscellaneous applications seeking correction of certain phrases in paragraphs 10(a) and 77 of Justice B.V. Nagarathna's judgment in W.P. (C) No.59/2013, filed by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim. The Court observed that substantial amendments to the original writ petition had not…

The Supreme Court quashed the remission orders granted by the State of Gujarat to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, who were convicted for gangrape, murder, and rioting during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The Court held that the State of Gujarat was not the 'appropriate government' under Section 432(7) of the CrPC to gra…

The appellant alleged that the respondent borrowed Rs. 2 lakh and issued a cheque as security, which later bounced for insufficient funds, leading to a complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The trial court acquitted the respondent, finding contradictions in the appellant's testimony, lack of ev…

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) issued a 1983 advertisement reserving houses for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Chandigarh, a Union Territory (UT) where no Presidential Order under Article 342 had identified any STs. Tarsem Lal, a resident of Chandigarh for twenty years but recognized as an ST on…

The plaintiff filed an unnumbered suit in 1993 for specific performance of a 1991 sale agreement, which was rejected in 1998 for non‑payment of court fees. The plaintiff then filed a second suit in 2007 seeking the same relief, invoking Order VII Rule 13 of the CPC to avoid the effect of the earlier rejection. The defe…

The case involved M/s Jindal Steel & Power Ltd., which operated captive power plants to supply electricity to its own industrial units at Rs 3.72 per unit while selling surplus power to the State Electricity Board at Rs 2.32 per unit. The assessing officer reduced the deduction claimed under Section 80‑IA, treating Rs …

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence alleged that M/s Ganpati Overseas under‑invoiced imported tuners and saw‑filters from Hong Kong, evading customs duty. The department relied on unattested photocopies of the supplier's initial export declarations and statements recorded under Section 108, which were later retract…

NHPC Ltd. provides free bus transport for its employees and their children in Himachal Pradesh. The State assessed passenger tax on this service under the Himachal Pradesh Passengers and Goods Taxation Act, 1955, which the High Court had held did not apply to gratis transport. The State later enacted the Himachal Prade…

Eva Agro Feeds Private Ltd bid the reserve price of Rs.10 crore for a corporate debtor's property in an e‑auction and was issued a certificate of winning on 20 July 2021. The liquidator cancelled the auction the next day under Clause 3(k) of the E‑Auction Process Information Document without giving any reasons, prompti…

The father of a minor rape victim appealed against the Rajasthan High Court's order that suspended the conviction and sentence of the accused under Section 389 of the CrPC and released him on bail. The accused had been convicted under Sections 3/4(2) of the POCSO Act and Section 376(3) of the IPC, receiving a 20‑year r…

The appellant, Jaspal Singh Kaural, had a consensual physical relationship with the complainant after promising to marry her and care for her children, leading her to obtain a divorce. When the appellant later refused to marry and threatened her children, the complainant filed an FIR under Sections 376 and 506 IPC. The…

Sohom Shipping Pvt. Ltd. insured a single voyage of its barge Srijoy II from Mumbai to Kolkata with New India Assurance for the period 16 May‑15 June 2013, subject to a special condition that the voyage must commence and be completed before the monsoon sets in. The vessel departed on 6 June 2013, was forced to anchor d…

The appellant, a former judicial officer, was charged under Sections 376(2)(f), 417 and 506 IPC for allegedly promising marriage to a woman who was in the midst of a divorce, subsequently having a consensual relationship and later avoiding her. The complainant claimed the appellant used his position to exploit her, whi…

The appellant, owner of a Tata truck insured with National Insurance Company, suffered a fire loss on 8 June 2014 while the vehicle was covered by a valid National Permit. The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered the insurer to settle the claim on a non‑standard basis, relying on a prior judgment. The i…

The complainant alleged dowry demands, mental and physical harassment by her husband and in‑laws, and implicated the appellant Geddam Jhansi (her mother‑in‑law’s sister) and her son Geddam Sathyakama Jabali as pressurising her to obey her husband’s wishes. The High Court declined to quash criminal proceedings under Sec…

The appellants were sub‑plot owners of a 9,303 sq m parcel in Surat that had been declared excess land under the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 (ULC Act). The State issued a notice under s.10(5) of the ULC Act only to the original landowner, not to the appellants who were in actual possession, and subseq…

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) conducted an open auction for a 3,150‑sq‑m industrial plot, fixing a reserve price of Rs.25,600 per sq m. Golden Food Products India submitted the highest financial bid of Rs.29,500 per sq m, which was accepted as the highest bid. The GDA later cancelled the bid, citing that si…

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted an expert committee to investigate alleged environmental violations at Singrauli thermal power plants and uploaded its report and recommendations on 15 January 2022. The NGT then passed its final order on 18 January 2022 without giving the power stations an opportunity to o…

The appellants, Gopal Govind Lakade and another, filed a criminal application seeking the quashing of an FIR lodged against them. The Division Bench of the Bombay High Court, Aurangabad Bench, dismissed the application outright without issuing notice to the respondents and without providing any reasons. The appellants …

Supertech Ltd constructed Towers 16 and 17 in Emerald Court, NOIDA. The Allahabad High Court ordered their demolition for violating minimum distance requirements, green‑area norms, and provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Apartment Act, 2010 and the Uttar Pradesh Ownership Flats Act, 1975. The Supreme Court affirmed the dem…

The case arose from a High Court order directing NTPC Ltd. to complete recruitment of land oustees as Junior Mazdoors within two months of the judgment dated 17‑12‑2021. NTPC issued a fresh recruitment notification (No.1 of 2022) and cancelled the 2017 notification, leading the land oustees to file a contempt petition …

The appellant, Ghanshyam Soni, was accused under sections 498A, 34 and 406 IPC for alleged cruelty and dowry demands by his wife, a police officer, with incidents said to have occurred in 1999. The complainant filed a complaint on 3 July 2002, leading to an FIR on 19 December 2002 and a charge‑sheet in 2004, after whic…

The appellant Vaibhav was convicted for murdering his friend Mangesh under Sections 302 and 201 IPC and for illegal possession of a firearm under the Arms Act, based solely on circumstantial evidence. He contended that Mangesh accidentally shot himself with his father's service pistol, citing the bullet trajectory, lac…

The appellants, K.S. Mehta and Basant Kumar Goswami, were non‑executive directors of Blue Coast Hotels & Resorts Ltd. and were implicated in criminal complaints under Section 138 read with Section 141 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for dishonoured cheques issued to repay an inter‑corporate deposit. They neither atte…

The Koushik Mutually Aided Cooperative Housing Society sued for specific performance of a sale agreement, and the respondents were set ex‑parte, resulting in an ex‑parte decree on 15‑02‑1999. The respondents later filed an application under Order IX Rule 13 of the CPC to set aside the decree and sought condonation of a…

The appellants, recruited as Sub‑Inspectors of Police through direct recruitment, challenged a Government Order dated 21‑11‑2017 that granted seniority to 20% in‑service candidates over those recruited from the open market. The order retrospectively amended Rule 25 of the Tamil Nadu Police Subordinate Service Rules, 19…

The Punjab government amended section 29 of the Punjab Value Added Tax Act, 2005 in 2013, extending the time limit for tax assessment from three to six years and inserting a new sub‑section (10A). Several assessees challenged the amendment, arguing that it was prospective, violated Articles 14 and 19, contravened natur…

The respondents filed a consumer complaint alleging that the sole proprietor developer failed to complete construction and pay dues under a 1996 Development Agreement. The developer died during the pendency of the case, and the legal representatives were directed by the NCDRC to both pay monetary amounts and to perform…

The appellant, B.N. John, owned a hostel for underprivileged children and alleged that officials raided it illegally on 3 June 2015, falsely accusing him of assaulting them. An FIR was lodged under IPC s.353, and a charge‑sheet later added s.186, leading the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) to take cognizance and issue …