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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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…