BELA M TRIVEDI

The Supreme Court examined the corporate insolvency resolution of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), where Piramal Capital submitted a resolution plan (RP) that allocated recoveries from Section 66 applications to itself. The plan was approved by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) and the National Company Law …

The appellants, who bought a building in 1992, sought to evict two tenants after a municipal demolition notice was issued in 2002, invoking sections of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 relating to bona‑fide need, demolition and rent default. The trial and appellate courts granted eviction decrees, finding the lan…

The case arose from a murder trial where the accused (Respondent No.2) first sought discharge under Section 227 of the CrPC, which was dismissed by the Sessions Court and upheld by the High Court. He then filed a fresh application under Section 216 seeking alteration of the charge, which was also dismissed by the Sessi…

The appellants, owners of a parcel of land, entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and an irrevocable Power of Attorney (IPA) dated 6‑July‑2013 in favour of Respondent No.2, a builder, to develop the land and construct flats. The builder subsequently sold units to the complainants and the complainants filed consu…

The appellant lodged an FIR alleging assault and other offences, after which the police submitted a final report under Section 173 CrPC. Dissatisfied, the appellant filed a Protest Petition, and the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) rejected the police report and treated the petition as a complaint, proceeding under Sect…

The State of Chhattisgarh appealed against the High Court’s order that acquitted accused Ashok Bhoi and upheld the acquittal of co‑accused Vikash Khubwani in a murder‑related case. The prosecution’s case was based solely on circumstantial evidence, notably the testimony of a witness who saw the deceased with Ashok Bhoi…

The appellants, Vijaya Singh and his mother Basanti Devi, were convicted for the murder of Devaki, the appellant's wife, based largely on circumstantial evidence and statements recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC. The appellants challenged the conviction, arguing that the FIR was delayed, the circumstantial evidence…

The case involved the abduction and subsequent death of Neelam, whose husband and brother‑in‑law alleged that seven accused, including Vijay Singh and Tanik Singh, abducted her from her father's house over a property dispute. The trial court convicted five of the accused under Sections 302/34 and 364/34 IPC and acquitt…

The Indore Vikas Praadhikaran (IDA) issued a notice inviting bids (NIT) to lease a 3,382‑sq‑m plot, fixing a reserve price of Rs 21,120 per sq m. Shri Humud Jain Samaj Trust submitted the highest bid of Rs 25,671.90 per sq m, but the Tender Committee discovered an outstanding property‑tax demand and cancelled the tende…

The original suit (Civil Suit No.3 A/02) was decreed in favour of the plaintiff, Govind Singh, on 1 October 2005. The defendants, Raheem Shah and another, filed a regular first appeal under Section 96 of the CPC but did so 52 days after the decree, prompting an application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act for cond…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet on 15 October 2022 against 75 persons, including Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan, for alleged conspiracy, fraud and corruption involving DHFL. The respondents applied for default bail under the proviso to Section 167(2) of the CrPC, arguing that the char…

Parveen Kumar was married to Raksha Devi, who filed multiple complaints alleging cruelty, including an FIR under Section 498-A and a maintenance petition under Section 125 CrPC. Within two years of marriage, she died by ingesting aluminum phosphide tablets, and her brother lodged an FIR accusing the husband of cruelty …

The trial court acquitted Ms. Uma and co‑accused of murder, holding that the prosecution had not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, particularly discounting medical evidence in the absence of an eyewitness. The State appealed, and the Madras High Court reversed the acquittal, convicting the appellants on charges …

The Supreme Court examined applications filed by the petitioners seeking to exclude the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trust (SPSTT) from a special audit ordered under paragraph 116(g) of its earlier judgment dated 13 July 2020. The Court considered reports of the Temple’s Administrative and Advisory Committees, which hig…

The Supreme Court examined two civil appeals arising from NCDRC orders that barred the appellants from filing written statements because they missed the statutory 30‑day period under Section 13 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. In both cases the appellants had filed their written statements together with applicatio…

The appellant Dinesh Sahu was convicted, along with a co‑accused, for murder under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the IPC. The prosecution alleged that the accused attacked the victim with a khukri, leading to his death, and that the weapon and the victim's blood group were recovered from the appellant's house. On…

The appellant‑trust owned lands in Nashik that were acquired by the Agricultural Produce Market Committee under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. An award under Section 11 was made on 12 January 1996, but the parties entered into consent terms on 20 October 1997, agreeing that the market value would be fixed as of 17 Dec…

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigated members and office bearers of the Popular Front of India (PFI) for alleged offences under the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including conspiracy, recruitment, and weapons training aimed at establishing an Islamic state. The respondents were…

The petitioners, claiming to be social activists, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking that the Union and State governments formulate and implement Community Kitchens to combat hunger, malnutrition and starvation, and also sought a National Food Grid beyond the Public Distribution Scheme. The Court noted that…

The appellant, a Sub Registrar, was convicted under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs.1500 as gratification. The complainant had died before trial, and the prosecution relied on pre‑trap and post‑trap witnesses and documentary evidence t…

The Rajasthan High Court advertised 120 vacancies for Civil Judges and published cut‑off marks for each category except the Persons with benchmark disabilities. Appellants Rekha Sharma (40% visual disability) and Ratan Lal (55% locomotor disability) applied under the disabled category, appeared for the Preliminary Exam…

The appellants filed a title suit seeking declaration of ownership and possession of land, which the trial court decreed in their favour. The respondents appealed, and the High Court, in a second appeal, framed four additional substantial questions of law that were not raised before the trial or appellate courts, and d…

The dispute concerned 15 acres of land in Sy. No. 3, where the plaintiff claimed title based on a sale deed from the vendor, while the defendant relied on occupancy rights granted to his predecessor under the Mysore (Personal & Miscellaneous) Inam Abolition Act, 1954. The vendor had applied for occupancy under section …

The Supreme Court examined criminal appeals filed in the name of Bhagwan Singh, who alleged that his son‑in‑law and daughter had fabricated vakalatnamas, affidavits and other documents to lodge a Special Leave Petition and related proceedings without his knowledge, thereby attempting to falsely implicate Ajay Katara, a…

The appellant was accused of murdering his nephew, a two‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old child, whose body was later recovered from a well after the appellant allegedly confessed to the victim's father (PW‑1). The trial court acquitted the appellant, finding the extra‑judicial confession unreliable and the circumstantial evidence …

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized large quantities of Tramadol and Zolpidem tablets in multiple operations and arrested Kashif and co‑accused. Kashif applied for bail, which the Delhi High Court granted solely on the ground that the NCB had not complied with Section 52A of the NDPS Act within a reasonable time,…

The Supreme Court examined a consumer complaint filed by two trusts on behalf of credit‑card users alleging that banks were charging exorbitant interest rates of 36%‑49% p.a., which the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had deemed an unfair trade practice and capped at 30% p.a. The Court held that…

The appellant, Siddique, was charged under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC for alleged sexual abuse, with the FIR filed in August 2024. He sought anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC, which the Kerala High Court rejected. On appeal, the Supreme Court noted that the complainant filed the complaint nearly eigh…

The Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates‑on‑Record Association filed miscellaneous applications seeking clarification and modification of the directions in paragraph 42 of a September 2024 judgment that limited the marking of advocates’ appearances. They argued that the directions prejudice adv…

The Supreme Court examined bail applications of Satyendar Kumar Jain, a former Delhi minister, and his associates Vaibhav and Ankush Jain, who were charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly using shell companies to launder approximately Rs 4.81 crore through accommodation entries. The Co…

The land owners challenged the compensation awarded by the Punjab and Haryana Improvement Trust for lands acquired under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, alleging that the High Court erred by applying a one‑third deduction for development charges and by ignoring recent sale deeds of shop premises. The High Court had en…

The appellant, Hitesh Umeshbhai Mashru, was charged under Sections 493 and 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and a sexual offence, with an FIR lodged on 16 July 2022. The Gujarat High Court rejected his application for anticipatory bail, but the Supreme Court had earlier granted him protection against arr…

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…

The petitioner N. Eswaranathan, convicted of several offences, filed a first Special Leave Petition (SLP) which was dismissed by the Supreme Court with an order to surrender. He subsequently filed a second SLP on the same grounds, with the same Advocate-on-Record (AOR) P. Soma Sundaram and counsel S. Muthukrishnan fili…

The Auroville Foundation (appellant) appealed against a Madras High Court order that set aside a standing order appointing members nominated by the Residents' Assembly to the Auroville Town Development Council. The respondent, Natasha Storey, had filed a second writ petition seeking the same relief as an earlier petiti…

The Auroville Foundation appealed against the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) directions that required it to prepare a new township plan and to obtain environmental clearance before completing the Crown Road and other roads in Auroville, alleging that the Tribunal had exceeded its jurisdiction. The respondents, residen…

The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, was added as accused No.37 in FIR No.29/2021 alleging massive misappropriation of funds related to skill development projects, invoking offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the IPC. He sought quashing of the FIR and the remand order…

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 Supreme Court, exercising suo moto jurisdiction, took notice of a surge in reported child rape cases and issued directions in 2019 to establish exclusive POCSO courts in districts with more than 100 cases, along with measures for forensic support, sensitisation of officials, and public awareness. Over subsequent ye…

The Supreme Court heard a Special Leave Petition filed by Ishwar Chanda Sharma challenging a High Court order that directed the appointment of a receiver for Sri Giriraj Temple in Mathura with a preference for a person from the Vaishnav Sampradaya rather than a practising advocate. The Court examined the long‑standing …

The Supreme Court examined whether secured creditors could claim priority over assets attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Maharashtra Protection of Investors and Depositors Act (MPID Act) by invoking the SARFAESI Act and the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy (RDB) Act. It also considered…

The Bar of Indian Lawyers filed a civil appeal challenging a National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) order that allowed a consumer complaint alleging deficiency in service against an advocate. The appellant argued that legal services are a "contract of personal service" and therefore fall within the exc…

The Supreme Court heard applications arising from the long‑standing illegal mining controversy in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts of Karnataka. The petitioners sought directions for demarcating seven mining leases that straddle the Karnataka‑Andhra Pradesh boundary, for the implementation of Reclamation and R…

The Indore Development Authority (IDA) allotted a plot to Dr. Hemant Mandovra in 1995 under a tender, requiring 50% payment upfront and the balance in installments. The respondent failed to pay the balance, leading to cancellation of the allotment in 2000. After a High Court order in 2006 directing the IDA to hand over…

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigated money‑laundering offences arising from three FIRs and an ECIR filed against India Bulls Housing Finance Ltd (IHFL) and its officers after the financial institution recovered dues from defaulting borrowers under the SARFAESI Act. The borrowers challenged the FIRs and the ECI…

The appellant, Dablu Kujur, challenged the High Court's dismissal of his bail application in a case involving offences under the IPC and Arms Act. The Supreme Court examined whether the police report (charge sheet) filed under Section 173(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 complied with the statutory requiremen…

The Union of India, represented by the Enforcement Directorate, appealed against a Patna High Court order that granted regular bail to Kanhaiya Prasad in a PMLA case involving alleged money laundering of proceeds from illegal sand mining by his father. The High Court had released the respondent without satisfying the t…

The trial court acquitted three accused of murder after finding the eyewitnesses' testimonies implausible and noting contradictions in medical evidence. The High Court reversed the acquittal, relying on the same eyewitness accounts and post‑mortem report to convict the accused under section 302 IPC. On appeal, the Supr…

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 Chandigarh Administrator sold a 99‑year leasehold booth site to Manjit Kumar Gulati and others in 1989, requiring 25% premium upfront and the balance in three installments. The allottees failed to pay the remaining 75%, were served a show‑cause notice, given multiple opportunities to clear dues, and their lease was…

The case arose from a land acquisition dispute where the Reference Court enhanced compensation for landowners, prompting the Union of India to file an appeal before the Delhi High Court. The appeal was filed 479 days after the order, exceeding the limitation period, leading the Union to seek condonation of delay under …

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued multiple summons under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) requiring the appellants, Abhishek Banerjee and Rujira Banerjee, to appear in Delhi and produce documents related to a coal theft and money‑laundering investigation. The appellants challenged the s…

The Supreme Court examined whether a company’s purchase of luxury cars for the personal use of its directors fell within the definition of a "commercial purpose" under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and whether defects in the cars entitled the buyer to compensation. It held that such purchases are for personal use …

Four ex‑recruits of the Maratha Light Infantry were dismissed in 2013 on the ground that they had secured enrollment under the Unit Headquarters Quota by producing forged relationship certificates. The appellants contended that they had applied as general‑category candidates and never submitted any such certificates. T…

The appellant, Mamta Kaur, was charged under Section 306 of the IPC in FIR No.13 dated 14‑02‑2023. She applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the CrPC, which the Punjab & Haryana High Court rejected. On appeal, the Supreme Court observed that the appellant had cooperated with the investigation and that the …

The State of West Bengal and other public authorities sued PAM Developments for alleged wrongful debarment arising from a road‑strengthening contract. After a series of debarment orders and procedural challenges, the respondent sought to amend its plaint to include later debarment orders, arguing that they formed a con…

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) investigated alleged fraud involving the Adarsh Group and filed a criminal complaint before a Special Court, which took cognizance of offences under the Companies Act, 2013 and the IPC and issued bailable and later non‑bailable warrants against 16 respondents. The responden…

Sixteen claimants filed a reference under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for compensation on land acquired in 1989. Three claimants, including Pathapati Subba Reddy, died during the pendency of the reference and their heirs were not impleaded. After the reference was dismissed in 1999, the heirs of the deceased claiman…

The appellant's vehicle was seized under the Gujarat Prohibition Act after the driver was found carrying liquor well beyond the permissible limit. The appellant filed a Special Criminal Application under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution with the High Court seeking the vehicle's release, without first invoking Secti…

The case concerned the kidnapping for ransom of Dr. Shashi Kumar Sinha and his driver in February 2006. Six persons were convicted under IPC sections 364A (kidnapping for ransom) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court examined whether the prosecution had proved the existenc…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) introduced the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme on 1 September 2008, superseding the earlier Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme under which certain employees claimed a second financial up‑gradation effective January 2009. The Delhi High Court, relying on Union…

The appellant, Hariprasad, was convicted under Section 302 IPC for allegedly poisoning Bisahu Singh by mixing a herb in liquor, based largely on the deceased's dying declaration and a forensic report that arrived a year later. The Supreme Court examined whether the more than one‑year delay in filing the FIR was fatal t…

The State of Punjab prosecuted Hari Kesh under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, after a sanction order dated 19‑Nov‑2018 was issued. The trial had commenced and the prosecution had examined several witnesses when the accused filed a petition in the High Court seeking quashing of the sanct…

The appellant, Sonu Choudary, was convicted under Sections 324 and 452 of the Indian Penal Code for assaulting the owner of a restaurant with a blade after being denied water for alcohol. While the prosecution proved that the appellant voluntarily caused hurt, the question arose whether the restaurant qualified as a "h…

The German company Iveco Magirus Brandschutztechnik GmbH (appellant) challenged a summons issued by an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Delhi after a private complaint of defamation was filed by Nirmal Kishore Bhartiya (respondent). The complaint alleged that letters written by the appellant’s authorised age…

The Bihar Technical Service Commission (BTSC) issued an advertisement on 8 March 2019 for 6,379 Junior Engineer (Civil) vacancies, requiring AICTE‑approved diplomas. Private candidates whose diplomas were from institutions not approved by AICTE were declared ineligible, leading to writ petitions challenging Rule 9(1)(i…

Banshidhar Construction Pvt. Ltd. (the appellant) submitted a technical bid for a coal‑mining mega‑project tender floated by Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL). The Technical Bid Committee rejected the appellant’s bid, alleging non‑compliance with Clause 10 of the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) concerning the Power of Att…

The Supreme Court examined appeals challenging two Madras High Court orders that declared the 7‑3‑2022 Special Synod meeting of the Church of South India (CSI) invalid, set aside the amendments to the CSI Constitution, and ordered re‑election of all office bearers. The Court held that the Special Synod meeting was duly…

The State of Delhi appealed against a Delhi High Court order granting bail to Rajeev Sharma, who was arrested under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and Section 120B of the IPC. Sharma filed multiple bail applications, all of which were dismissed, and later invoked Section 167(2) of the CrPC claimi…

Level 9 Biz Pvt. Ltd. challenged a Himachal Pradesh High Court order that allowed HIMUDA to withdraw its cancellation of an earlier tender and let the originally successful bidder, M/s Vasu Constructions, execute the project on the same terms despite the tender having been cancelled on grounds of irregularities. The Hi…

The State of Jharkhand appealed against a High Court order that granted bail to Sunny Kumar, who was charged under Section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. After being released on bail, the accused was arrested again on 12 July 2023 for a similar NDPS offence, and the trial in the origin…

Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL) sought extensions and directions from the Supreme Court to finalize compensation and rehabilitation benefits for land oustees of four villages (Tumulia, Jhupuranga, Ratansara, Kirpsira) acquired for coal mining. The Court had earlier, in its 03.11.2022 judgment, fixed the Gopalpur model f…

The appellants, MSME borrowers, challenged the classification of their loan accounts as non‑performing assets by Canara Bank and other banks, contending that the banks had violated the procedural framework prescribed in the Government’s 29 May 2015 Notification under Section 9 of the MSMED Act. The High Court had held …

The appellant was convicted under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly abetting the suicide of his former tenant, X, who died after consuming organophosphate poison. The prosecution's case relied on testimonies of family members and neighbours, alleging that the appellant had threatened X to marry him and…