KULDIP SINGH

The Supreme Court considered appeals and special leave petitions filed by several teachers' training institutes in Tamil Nadu claiming minority status under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. The State had refused to recognise them because they did not satisfy the conditions laid down in the Tamil Nadu Minority Schools…

The Supreme Court entertained writ petitions filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta under Article 32, seeking relief from severe air pollution caused by mechanical stone crushers operating in Delhi and adjoining areas of Haryana. The petitioners alleged that the stone‑dust and smoke emitted by the crushers endanger…

The National Council for Cement and Building Materials, a society, was challenged by its employees’ association to prepare certified standing orders under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The society argued that it was not an “industry” within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and …

The widow of a deceased IAS officer, a "specified landlord", filed four applications under Section 13A of the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, 1949 (as amended by Act No. 2 of 1985) to evict tenants from a building in Chandigarh that had been let out in four separate parts. The Punjab & Haryana High Court, relyi…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu, initiated contempt proceedings against Anil Kumar Verma for submitting a forged experience certificate to oppose his wife's petition to transfer a matrimonial suit from Delhi to Unnao. The principal of the college affirmed the certificate was fabricated, and the respondent could not …

The respondent, K. Rajeshwar Rao, sold cumin that was found to be adulterated on 13 March 1976. He was charged under Section 16(1)(a)(i) read with Section 7(1) of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The trial court and the High Court acquitted him on the ground that his father owned the shop and that the san…

The petitioners, a group of licensed child‑welfare agencies including the Central Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency, sought various reliefs concerning adoption procedures, such as allowing Indian‑adopted children to retain citizenship till majority, issuing birth certificates on the basis of adoption documents, quashi…

The petitioners, research scholars employed on projects in various medical institutions, sought security of service and regularisation under Article 32 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court observed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the research body funded by the Union, and that better coordinatio…

The North Eastern Railway (NER) applied for registration under the U.P. Sales Tax Act, 1948 through its Chief Commercial Superintendent, declaring Gorakhpur as its principal place of business. The Sales Tax Officer in Gorakhpur accepted the registration and later issued assessment orders based on a return filed by the …

Chander Bhan Gill, appointed as Assistant (Legal) in 1985, completed one year of service on 26 January 1986 and became eligible for an annual increment. The Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 1986 came into force on 1 January 1986, and the Government issued a clarification on 4 May 1987 stating that increments…

The case concerned a house owned by Rajubai, who died in 1975. Her daughter Jaitunbi claimed she was the sole heir under Muslim law, while her grandson Shamsuddin asserted that Rajubai had given him the ground floor of the house during her lifetime. The lower courts had ruled in favour of Jaitunbi, but the Supreme Cour…

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) issued a resolution on 28 February 1976 delegating its power under Section 85‑B of the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 to levy damages, to the Director General and authorising him to further delegate that power to any officer. The Director General subsequently author…

The petitioners, owners of coking coal mines, claimed that the Central Government, as custodian, had failed to credit them for the value of coke stock lying in the mines on the date immediately before the appointed day of nationalisation, and sought compensation under the Coking Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1972. …

The case concerned promotions in the Indian Statistical Service where senior general‑category officer Tushar Ranjan Mohanty (respondent 1) was superseded by eight Scheduled‑Caste/Tribe officers (respondents 2‑9). Mohanty challenged the promotions before the Central Administrative Tribunal, arguing that the service rule…

Rollatainers Ltd., a manufacturer of printed cartons, claimed exemption from central excise duty under Notification No. 55/75, which exempts "all products of the Printing Industry". The Superintendent of Central Excise held that printed cartons are products of the Packaging Industry and not eligible for exemption. The …

The respondents were found to have copied answers verbatim from incriminating material during a B.A. examination, and the university's standing committee disqualified them for two years under its Ordinances 10, 11 and 13. The respondents challenged the disciplinary action in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which qua…

The appellant owned a shop with a verandah that formed a continuous passage used by the public in Connaught Circus, New Delhi. The New Delhi Municipal Committee, invoking Section 171(4) of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, declared the verandah and similar ones as "public streets" for public safety and convenience. The a…

The dispute concerned agricultural lands in Karnataka that were originally hereditary Watans. Basappa Bheemappa, the former Watandar, re‑granted the lands under the Bombay Watans (Abolition) Act and subsequently sold them to the tenants, Huchappa Yellappa Radder and his father, on 31 March 1969. The plaintiff, Ningappa…

Sangita, a young married woman, was found burnt to death in the house of her in‑laws on the night of 14‑15 September 1984. She had previously complained of dowry‑related harassment and physical abuse by her husband, father‑in‑law, mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law. The trial court acquitted all four accused of murder, co…

The appellant, K.D. Dangde, was a tenant of agricultural land owned by Anjanabai, a widow and member of a joint family, from before 1 April 1957. A partition suit in 1961 resulted in the land being allotted to Anjanabai, who later applied for an exemption certificate under Section 88C of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricult…

The Chandigarh Administration allotted 10.5 acres of land to the managing society for 99 years in 1975, fixing the ground rent at Rs 100 per acre per annum, which was lower than the rate mandated by Rule 13 of the Chandigarh Lease‑hold of Sites and Buildings Rules, 1973. In 1991 the Estate Officer issued a notice deman…

The case involved a dispute between two rival managing committees of Sri Ratnamuni Jain Inter College, Agra. The education authorities initially recognized the appellants' scheme of administration but later withdrew that recognition, prompting the appellants to file a civil suit seeking an interim injunction. The respo…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta challenging the lease of forest land on the banks of the River Beas to Span Motels Private Limited, a company linked to former Environment Minister Kamal Nath. The petition alleged that the motel had encroached on protected …

The Supreme Court examined whether medical services rendered by doctors, hospitals and nursing homes fall within the definition of "service" under Section 2(1)(o) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and thus attract consumer‑redress. It held that services provided for consideration – even if partially free or paid th…

The Supreme Court considered whether workmen of the Government Mint in Calcutta, who were allotted government accommodation and therefore did not receive house rent allowance (HRA), could notionally include HRA in the "ordinary rate of wages" for calculating overtime allowance under Section 59 of the Factories Act, 194…

The Bihar Government advertised for 32 Additional District and Sessions Judge vacancies and selected 32 candidates from a merit list of 129. The Patna High Court, relying on a resolution, held that the remaining candidates should be considered for future vacancies and directed the State to fill one‑third of the direct‑…

Syed Naseem Zahir, a Superintending Engineer, was considered for promotion to Chief Engineer by the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) in October 1987. Because disciplinary proceedings were contemplated, the DPC placed its recommendation in a sealed cover, although the charge sheet was only served in April 1988. Za…

The Supreme Court examined whether bank employees on strike were entitled to wages for the strike period. It held that entitlement to wages requires the strike to be both legal and justified, and that questions of legality and justifiability are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the industrial adjudicator under the …

The petitioners, engineering diploma holders in the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Tamil Nadu Agricultural Engineering Service and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, challenged service regulations that fixed promotion ratios favouring degree holders over diploma holders. They contended that the provisions viola…

The appellants were teachers in a state‑financed minority college who went on strike. When they were called back, a group of them, including seven teachers, failed to report within the stipulated time, prompting the appointment of alternate teachers. The teachers sought to be absorbed back into service and claimed sala…

The Supreme Court allowed a civil appeal by the mother, sister and brothers of Abdul Rehman, a 20‑year‑old college student who was killed when a municipal truck hit his bicycle. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal and the Allahabad High Court had dismissed the claim for compensation, relying on the testimony of two inte…

The appellants, owners of agricultural land in Gujarat as well as land in other Indian states, challenged Sections 6(3A), 4, 10 and 11 of the Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling Act, 1960, on the ground that the provision which requires the land held outside Gujarat to be taken into account while computing the ceiling a…

The petitioners, class‑IV employees designated as Storm Water Drains (SWD) Beldars and Mates of the New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC), sought the pay‑scales recommended by the Shiv Shankar Committee (SS Committee) which had already been granted to other class‑IV staff of the NDMC. The NDMC had extended the SS Commit…

An auction of the judgment debtor's property was held on 25 May 1981. The debtor's objections under Order 21 Rule 90 were dismissed on 4 May 1982, after which he filed an application under Order 21 Rule 89 on 28 May 1982 seeking to set aside the sale. The executing court entertained the application, but the auction pur…

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) succeeded East India Coal Co. and held a 999‑year mining lease over 627 bighas in Kenduadih, including surface land. A small part of the surface was used for a bazaar and a cinema for workers. The State of Bihar, invoking the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, served a notice under Section 4 de…

The plaintiff, P. Muthayya, filed a suit for partition and redemption of a mortgage deed executed by Mathevan Pillai, who claimed to be the Karanavan (head) of the Tarwad comprising defendants 2‑19. The lower appellate court held that the senior Karanavan, Raman Pillai, had died before the mortgage was executed in 1088…

The appellants, originally members of the Railway Board Secretariat Service, were promoted to the Indian Railway Personnel Service and were granted seniority by backdating their increment dates up to five years under Principle (vii) of the seniority rules. Respondent No.1, a direct recruit to the IRPS, challenged this …

The petitioners, junior engineers in the Telegraph Engineering Service Group B, sought promotion to Assistant Engineer based on the year they passed the qualifying departmental examination under paragraph 206 of the P&T Manual, rather than on seniority. They also claimed retroactive promotion with back wages and a re‑f…

The petitioners, who were already serving as Superintendents Grade II, challenged the promotion of former Secretarial Assistants (respondents 2‑13) to Superintendent Grade I. They argued that the note in Schedule VII, Column II of the 1981 Recruitment Rules, which allowed the Assistants’ service between 1 January 1973 …

Saru Smelting (P) Ltd. appealed against the Commissioner of Sales Tax, Lucknow, contending that its phosphorous bronze, made of copper, tin and a small amount of phosphorous, fell within entry 2(a) of Notification No. ST‑II‑333/X‑1012‑1971 and was therefore liable to a reduced sales‑tax rate of 1%. The respondent argue…

The case concerned the determination of ceiling area for Raghubir Singh under the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955, where the Sub‑Divisional Officer (SDO) treated the father and his minor son Surendrapal Singh as separate units and allotted each 62 bighas 8 biswas. Raghubir Singh appealed the SDO's order, which was upheld b…

The appellant was selected by the Union Public Service Commission for the post of Senior Public Prosecutor, CBI, and was medically declared fit, but no appointment order was issued while other candidates were appointed. After unsuccessful representations to the Director, CBI and the Government of India, he filed a mand…

The State of Karnataka appealed against Sunagar Bros., who had challenged a best judgment assessment for the year 1972-73. The first and second appellate authorities dismissed the appeal on the ground that the assessee had not paid the tax "not disputed in appeal". The Karnataka High Court reversed this, holding that t…

The widow of Major Dalip Singh and his two minor sons filed a claim before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal after a bus collided with their car, killing the Major and injuring the children. The Tribunal awarded compensation based on the assumption that the deceased spent half his salary on personal expenses, used a …

The petitioners were detained under Section 3(2) of the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 and filed representations against their detention on 23 August 1995. They alleged that the State and Central Governments failed to dispose of these representations promptl…

The appellant, Arumugam Chetiyar, occupied a house as a tenant from 1971. In 1977 the landlord executed a mortgage deed in favour of the appellant. The issue was whether the mortgage deed implied a surrender of the appellant's tenancy rights, thereby converting him merely into a mortgagee. The trial court and the Karna…

The Rajasthan Civil Servants (Revised Pay Scales) Rules, 1983 revised the pay of Upper Division Clerks (UDCs) with effect from 1 September 1981. While UDCs of the Secretariat received the higher revised scale, UDCs of subordinate offices were later granted the same scale only from 1 February 1985 by a notification. Gop…

Dinesh Prasad Yadav, a member of the Managing Committee of the Katihar District Central Co‑operative Bank, was elected on 20 January 1991, but the State Government, a major shareholder, made its statutory nominations only on 2 March 1993. The State Government then ordered that the Committee's three‑year term would end …

Brace Transport Corporation of Monrovia sold a vessel to Orient Middle East Lines Ltd. and its nominee under a contract that provided for arbitration in England. An arbitral award granted the appellant a monetary sum, part of which remained unpaid. The vessel was subsequently sold to a third respondent (an Indian gover…

Two Rakshaks of the Railway Protection Force, appointed and later dismissed by the Assistant Security Officer, challenged their dismissals on the ground that only the Chief Security Officer could appoint and dismiss under the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957. The High Court had set aside the dismissals, holding the A…

The case concerned the interpretation of a circular dated 19 June 1982 issued by the Fertilizer Industry Coordination Committee (FICC) regarding the payment of a differential subsidy for Single Super Phosphate (SSP). Surya Phosphate Ltd. argued that the circular promised a subsidy based on the actual ex‑factory price i…

The Jammu & Kashmir Hotel (Amenities and Services) Tariff Taxation Act, 1980 imposes a tax on amenities and services provided by hotels. East India Hotels Ltd. and others challenged its constitutional validity, arguing that the tax was effectively on the hotel keeper's gross receipts, i.e., income, which under the Cons…

The Himachal Pradesh Government issued an office memorandum in 1980 prescribing a recruitment procedure for Class III and IV posts, granting weightage of 10 marks each for candidates from families with no member in organised employment and for families with annual income not exceeding Rs.6,000, and defining "family" as…

The Kerala University Act, 1974, Calicut University Act, 1975 and Mahatma Gandhi University Act, 1985 empower the university Senate or Syndicate to frame statutes, but grant the State Government a one‑time power to make "First Statutes" under Section 83 (or Section 100 for Gandhi University). The appellants challenged …

The predecessor-in-interest of the respondents bought an evacuee property at an auction in 1962 but failed to pay the full price, leading to cancellation of the sale. After a High Court set aside the cancellation, the full price was paid in 1980 and a sale certificate was issued on 31 March 1981, confirming title effec…

The case concerned whether employees holding the post of Superintendent in the Punjab Labour Department, whose pay‑scale (Rs.350‑450) is higher than that of a Labour Inspector (Rs.200‑450), could be promoted to the Inspector post under Rule 8(1)(a)(i) of the Punjab Labour Department (State Service Class‑III) Rules, 196…

Girwar Singh, a large zamindar, died leaving agricultural and other property, leading to multiple testamentary suits and a pending civil suit over the non‑agricultural portion. While the civil suit was pending, consolidation proceedings under the U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953 were initiated, and the civil su…

The Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation prescribed promotion criteria for the post of Manager that allocated 25% of marks to an interview, 50% to performance appraisal based on confidential reports, and 15% to seniority for service of five years or more, without any written test. Several employees whose promotio…

The Christian Children Fund Inc., a charitable organization, applied for exemption from property tax on its Delhi branch office premises under Section 115(4) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. The municipal corporation rejected the exemption, holding that the premises were used for office purposes and not fo…

The Kerala Government, invoking the Kerala Cashew Factories (Acquisition) Act, 1974, issued a common notice to 36 cashew factories stating they were closed and would cause large‑scale unemployment, and subsequently declared the factories transferred to the State. The owners, who were also occupiers, challenged the noti…

The petitioners, contract labourers employed through various contractors at SAIL's Rourkela plant for 10‑20 years, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking parity in pay and absorption as regular employees, alleging that the contractor arrangement was a camouflage to deny them rights. The Supreme Court held that …

Om Prakash booked a tractor on 12‑12‑1990, paying an advance and was first on the dealer's booking list. The dealer delayed delivery, supplied tractors to lower‑ranked customers, and when the tractor was finally delivered on 21‑9‑1991 the price had risen, causing a loss of Rs 40,690 to the consumer. The consumer filed …

The Sarva Shramik Sangh, a labour union, sought dearness allowance for daily‑rated workers at the same rate as monthly‑rated workers, retrospectively from 15 November 1965. After failed conciliation in 1965‑67, the union reiterated the demand in a 26 April 1968 memorandum, leading to a government reference to the Indus…

Sakharam, a 16‑year‑old boy, was living alone with his grandfather when his aunt, Awadhrani, stayed with him for about eight to ten days. On 29 October 1968 a gun‑shot was heard; neighbours found Awadhrani dead with a 12‑bore gun nearby and Sakharam standing nearby, crying. The trial court, relying on circumstantial ev…

The Orissa State Lift Irrigation Corporation Ltd. reorganised its three service cadres—Mechanical, Electrical and a Composite Mechanical‑Electrical cadre—into two cadres by amalgamating the composite cadre into either the Electrical or Mechanical wing. It invited objections, considered the options given by employees, a…

The Madras Race Club, a company that conducts horse races, challenged the Tamil Nadu Horse Races (Abolition and Wagering or Betting) Act, 1974 and the Madras Race Club (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1986. The Court held that horse racing is a game of "mere skill" under Section 49 of the Police Act and …

The Allahabad High Court had directed the U.P. State Road Transport Corporation (the Corporation) to employ apprentices who had completed training in its workshops, relying on the doctrine of promissory estoppel based on a 1977 circular. The Corporation appealed, contending that Section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act, 19…

The Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), Thapar Polytechnic and the Technological Institute of Textile & Science (TIT&S) reserved a small percentage of seats for the wards of their employees, despite being private or aided technical institutions. The affiliating university and the Punjab State Governm…

The petition, filed under Article 32, sought to stop intensive and semi‑intensive prawn farming in ecologically fragile coastal zones, to prohibit use of waste/wet lands for such farms, and to constitute a national coastal management authority. The Court examined whether modern shrimp aquaculture constitutes a prohibit…

Rattanlal filed a declaration under Section 12 of the Maharashtra Agricultural Land (Ceiling and Holdings) Act, 1961. The Surplus Land Determination Tribunal declared 9 acres 8 guntas of his land surplus, an order affirmed by the Revenue Tribunal after a modification. Later the Additional Commissioner discovered that R…

The Supreme Court examined Notification No. 146/74 issued under the Central Excise Rules, 1944, which provided a rebate on excise duty for sugar produced in excess of the average production of the preceding five years. The dispute centered on whether the percentage rebates in sub‑clauses (a) to (e) should be calculated…

The appellant, a co‑owner of a shop, obtained a defined share of the premises through a partition among brothers. The respondent, a tenant, continued to pay rent to the elder brother and refused to pay rent to the appellant after the partition, leading to termination of his tenancy and an eviction petition under the Hy…

The Supreme Court, hearing a petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta under Article 32, examined the earlier order that prohibited any construction within a 5 km radius of Badkhal Lake and Surajkund in Haryana and mandated conversion of open areas into green belts. Municipal authorities and developers sought…

The petition challenged the 1994 allotment of 52 shops/stalls by the then Minister of Urban Development, Smt. Shiela Kaul, alleging that the allotments were made arbitrarily to her relatives, friends and staff in violation of the prescribed tender policy. The CBI report confirmed that the minister bypassed the policy a…

George Kutty Kuncheria, an Indian citizen, was arrested in Kerala following a U.S. request for his extradition on charges of embezzlement and related offences. The United States supplied authenticated documents, and the Indian Government ordered a magisterial inquiry under the Extradition Act, 1962. The appellant chall…

Anil Kumar Sawhney and Gulshan Rai, shareholders of a private company, settled a dispute by a deed of compromise wherein Sawhney would transfer his shares to Rai for Rs.10 lakh payable by eight post‑dated cheques. Several of those cheques, dated in 1991, were later returned unpaid with the endorsement "not arranged for…

T.P. Srivastava, employed as a Section Salesman by National Tobacco Co., was terminated in July 1973 for alleged unauthorized absence. The Government of Rajasthan referred the matter to the Labour Court to determine whether the termination was lawful and whether Srivastava qualified as a "workman" under the Industrial …

The petitioners, women belonging to the Ho and Oraon Scheduled Tribes of Chhota Nagpur, challenged Sections 7 and 8 of the Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, on the ground that restricting succession to the male line violated the equality guarantees of the Constitution. The State of Bihar set up a committee which reporte…

Seven accused were tried for rioting, murder and related offences arising from the killing of Madda Lakshamandas. The trial court convicted six under Sections 148 and 302 read with Section 149 of the IPC; the high court later acquitted four of them, retaining convictions of three (A‑1 to A‑3) on the basis that they for…

The Supreme Court was approached to resolve disputes arising from the Karnataka amendment that restricted admissions to private professional colleges to Karnataka students only, and to address grievances about the fee gap between free and payment seats, the NRI quota, and the applicability of the Unnikrishnan scheme to…

The Supreme Court examined whether medical representatives employed by Sandoz (India) Ltd. qualified as "workmen" under Section 2(s) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and the Maharashtra Recognition of Trade Unions & Prevention of Unfair Labour Practices Act, 1971. The Court held that the work of a medical represent…

Two junior clerks in the Gujarat civil courts, R.M. Gurjar and D.N. Jadhav, were found to have falsely identified three persons before a magistrate and admitted the charge. The District Judge, as disciplinary authority under Gujarat Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1971, imposed a permanent stoppage of futur…

The State of Madhya Pradesh issued directions prohibiting agriculturists from selling their produce through commission agents. The commission agents challenged the directions, arguing that under the Madhya Pradesh Krishi Upaj Mandi Adhiniyam, 1972, agriculturists are classified as "traders" and therefore may sell throu…

The appellant, P.K. Jain, joined the Central Government service in 1974 and was later directly recruited by the Union Public Service Commission as Assistant Meteorologist in the Indian Meteorological Department in 1977, a permanent vacancy. He completed his two‑year probation, crossed the efficiency bar in 1983, and wa…

Marn Ram, a large landowner, had 61 acres and 9 units of land partitioned among his sons. Under the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, 9 acres and 3¾ units were declared surplus in 1961 and the order became final in 1962. The Haryana Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, Section 12(3) deemed such surplus land ves…

The Uttar Pradesh Bhumi Sudhar Nigam Ltd. advertised for a Financial Controller and prepared a three‑member merit panel, with Shiv Narain Gupta placed second. After the first candidate failed to join, the corporation abolished the post because a World Bank‑funded project was delayed. Gupta filed a writ petition under A…

The Supreme Court examined the constitutional validity of Section 52‑A inserted by the Tamil Nadu Revenue Recovery (Amendment) Act, 1972, which allowed recovery of loans advanced by state‑owned corporations as arrears of land revenue. The petitioners challenged the provision on two grounds: lack of legislative competen…

Ram Sewak Prasad, appointed Excise Sub‑Inspector in 1964, was promoted on an ad‑hoc basis to Excise Inspector in February 1972 and thereafter performed the duties and received the salary of an Inspector. He was omitted from the seniority list and denied promotion, while direct recruits to the Inspector cadre were promo…

Air Vice Marshal S.L. Chhabra, who had cleared all prior promotion grades, was considered by the Selection Board for promotion to Air Vice Marshal in 1987 but was not recommended because only one appraisal report was available and his performance was to be watched for a year. Adverse remarks in his 1986 appraisal were …

This landmark judgment concerns the scope of Article 356 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the President to impose President's Rule in states upon failure of constitutional machinery. The case consolidated challenges to proclamations dissolving legislative assemblies in Karnataka, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Madhya…

The male testator executed a 1941 will granting each of his two wives a life interest in half of his property, with his daughter as ultimate beneficiary. After the testator's death in 1958, one widow executed a 1966 will transferring her interest to a stranger. The daughter (respondent) sued, arguing the widow only had…

The Supreme Court considered applications filed by the revenue challenging certain observations made in its earlier judgment in the appeals of Kerala Financial Corporation and others. The contested observations (paras 9‑15) held that when advances are written off and become bad debts, the assessee could claim a refund …

The landlady Sultana Begum obtained a decree for eviction of her tenant Prem Chand Jain. The tenant claimed that possession had been handed over to the landlady's attorney, who then allowed him to remain as a licencee on payment of a licence fee, arguing that this amounted to an adjustment of the decree and rendered it…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by M.C. Mehta challenging the employment of children below fourteen in hazardous factories and mines in Sivakasi and elsewhere, alleging violation of the fundamental right under Article 24 of the Constitution. The Court examined the constitutional mandate under…

Assam Sillimanite Ltd., a public company that owned a refractory plant, challenged the Assam Sillimanite Ltd. (Acquisition & Transfer of Refractory Plant) Act, 1976 which vested the plant in the Central Government and fixed a payment of Rs 1,07,17,000. The company argued that the amount was illusory, arbitrary and viol…

The landlady (respondent) sought eviction of the tenants (appellants) under Section 14(1)(b) of the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent Control) Act, 1960, claiming she needed to demolish an old building to erect a new shopping complex. The Rent Controller found the landlord's requirement bona‑fide and ordered evictio…

The petition concerned the cancellation of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued under Rule 144 of the Petroleum Rules, 1976 to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd for operating a petrol pump on a lease‑hold site. The District Magistrate, invoking Rule 151, cancelled the NOC on the ground that the licensee no longer had…

The appellant, Poonam Verma, sued Dr. Ashwin Patel (a registered homoeopathic practitioner) and Dr. Rajeev Warty for negligence after her husband died following treatment with allopathic medicines prescribed by Dr. Patel, who was not qualified to practice allopathy. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission d…

The case arose from the abduction and alleged murder of Advocate Kulwant Singh, his wife and their two‑year‑old child, for which the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association sought an independent inquiry. The High Court declined to intervene, prompting a civil appeal before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dir…

M.C. Mehta filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking control of air and noise pollution from stone‑crushers, pulverisers and mining operations near the tourist resorts of Badkhal Lake and Surajkund in Haryana. The Haryana Pollution Control Board and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute …

The Supreme Court examined the Delhi Development Act, 1957 which mandates the relocation of hazardous, noxious, heavy and large industries from Delhi and the subsequent use of the land vacated. Various committees (Alphons, Jain, Khanna) submitted schemes on how the land should be utilized. The Court held that the land …

The petitioners, Hindu wives, challenged the validity of their husbands' second marriages after the husbands converted to Islam without dissolving the first Hindu marriage. The Court examined whether conversion to Islam permits a Hindu husband to contract a second marriage, whether such a marriage is valid under the Hi…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment that had held the electricity duty payable by Mis. Birla Jute Manufacturing Co. Ltd. for power consumed at its limestone mine premises should be calculated at the lower rate under Item (2) of the Table to Section 3 of the Madhya Pradesh E…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu, examined a contempt petition filed by T.M.A. PAI FOUNDATION after discovering that the Government of Maharashtra had issued rules reserving fifteen percent of seats in medical, dental and engineering colleges for NRIs/foreign students, contrary to its earlier orders of 5 April 1994 a…

The teachers of recognised private aided schools in Himachal Pradesh filed a writ petition seeking salary parity with government school teachers and a 95% grant‑in‑aid for their schools. The State argued that its financial capacity did not permit such disbursement and relied on a statutory maximum limit on the grant. T…

Vidya Devi, a co‑bhumidhar of a Delhi landholding, filed a partition suit under Section 55(1) of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954. Prem Prakash, another co‑bhumidhar, defended the suit by claiming exclusive title over the whole land by adverse possession since 1953‑54 and asked that the question of title be referred to…

The widow of Ram Kishore Pandey filed a claim before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal for compensation of Rs. 1,17,747.70 after her husband was killed in a car accident. The Tribunal awarded only Rs. 40,600, assuming a life expectancy of 58 years and deducting 33% for a lump‑sum payment, and dismissed the claim agai…

The Gujarat Public Service Commission conducted examinations for Executive Engineers in 1980 and 1982, fixing a 50% viva voce qualifying mark which was later struck down, leading to revision of merit lists and appointments of some candidates. Subsequent petitions sought to use the waiting lists from those examinations …

The appellant, Tribhovandas Haribhai Tamboli, leased agricultural land and, under Section 32(1) of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, became a deemed purchaser from tillers' day (1 April 1957). Because the landlord was a lunatic, his purchase right was deferred under Section 32‑F until the landlord’s …

The case concerned the death of Shashi Bala, wife of Satish Kumar, who was alleged to have been strangled and her body burnt to destroy evidence. The trial court convicted Kumar under Sections 302 and 201 IPC based on the post‑mortem report, medical testimony and circumstantial evidence, while acquitting his relatives.…

The petitioner, a teacher who joined before the Delhi Education Act, 1973, claimed she was entitled to retire at age 60 under Section 208 of the Delhi Education Code, which was protected for existing employees by Section 8(1) of the Act and Rule 110 of the Rules. The school management, a society run by Air Force office…

The case concerned whether a High Court or an Administrative Tribunal could compel the State of Andhra Pradesh to amend the Andhra Pradesh Animal Husbandry Service‑Special Rules, 1977, which governed promotions of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons. Petitioners sought to have promotions made solely on seniority, challenging…

Senior advocate V.C. Mishra, also Chairman of the Bar Council of India, was alleged to have shouted, threatened and insulted a judge of the Allahabad High Court during a hearing, prompting the judge to write a letter that led the Supreme Court to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings. Mishra contested the jurisdiction…

The case concerned applications under Section 28‑A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (as amended in 1984) for re‑determination of compensation for land acquired for the Beas Dam project. The petitioners argued that the three‑month limitation for filing such applications should be measured from the first court award mad…

The Municipal Corporation of Pune collected octroi duties from the Poona Cantonment under a 1963 schedule of octroi rules, which the respondents challenged as illegal. The Supreme Court examined whether the 1881 Government Notification authorising octroi collection allowed rates and articles to be varied over time, and…

The petition challenged the appointment of K.N. Srivastava as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court on the ground that he did not satisfy the qualifications under Article 217(2) of the Constitution. The Court examined the meaning of "judicial office" and held that it must be an office within the judicial service defined by…

The petitioners, who belong to the general category, challenged the Punjab Government's reservation policy for promotions in the Punjab Service of Engineers, arguing that the roster system and the percentage of reserved posts should cease once the prescribed quota was met and that backward‑class candidates already prom…

The appellants, who were Lower Division Clerks, were promoted to Upper Division Clerks (UDC) by the Director of Municipal Administration under the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Act. Their promotions were later reversed when the Director downgraded the posts, but they were re‑promoted by a government order on 20 December 197…

The Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation (the appellant) had advanced loans to Gar Re‑rolling Mills (the respondent) which defaulted, leading the corporation to first obtain an order under Section 31 of the State Financial Corporations Act and later to invoke Section 29 to sell the mortgaged concern. The High Cou…

The petitioners imported ball bearings that arrived at Madras port on 20 February 1989 but could not be unloaded due to a strike. They presented a bill of entry on 27 February, which was received on 28 February, and entry inward was granted on 2 March 1989. The rate of excise duty was increased on 1 March 1989, leading…

Three miscreants broke into a Christian missionary school in Uttar Pradesh on the night of July 12/13, 1990, assaulting and raping two nuns and looting cash and jewellery. The police arrested four persons, recovered some watches, and filed a charge‑sheet, but the victims refused to identify the accused in the magistrat…

The State Bank of India issued Staff Circular No. 42, which laid down a three‑option procedure for promotion of clerks to Head Clerk, with permanent debarment if the final offer is refused. The respondents, clerks in the Madras Regional Office, declined the first two offers and were then given a third offer for a Head …

Pashora Singh and his brother Lahora Singh were tried for offences under Sections 307, 447, 326, 324 and 323 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code for inflicting injuries on Amar Singh and Pal Singh in 1981. The trial court convicted them of the latter four offences and, as they were not previous convicts, gran…

Crescent Iron and Steel Corporation Ltd., a private foundry, locked out its operations in July 1985 and referred the matter to the BIFR under Section 15(1) of the Sick Industrial Company (Special Provisions) Act, 1985. While the reference was pending, it sought closure permission under Section 25 of the Industrial Disp…

The petitioners, ex‑servicemen re‑employed in Central Government posts, challenged the denial of dearness relief on their pension, alleging discrimination compared with civilians re‑employed in public‑sector undertakings. They argued that a 1975 Ministry of Defence letter extending dearness relief to armed‑forces pensi…

Builders sought permission to construct buildings in an area where chemical factories operated, prompting the Bombay High Court to prohibit any construction within a 1 km radius of the factories. The chemical manufacturers appealed, arguing that the prohibition infringed the residents' right to reside and that the High…

The appellants, teachers employed by the Hinganghat Municipal Council before November 1956, claimed that their statutory retirement age was 60 years under the Madhya Pradesh Secondary Education Act, 1951 and the subsequent Maharashtra Secondary Schools Code, which provided an exception for Vidarbha teachers. The Munici…

The plaintiff's ancestor leased a vacant plot of land to Binny Company in 1889, which then constructed a building and installed ginning and pressing machines before the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging Houses Rates (Control) Act, 1947 came into force. The lease was subsequently transferred to the appellant, who was late…

The Supreme Court, hearing numerous interlocutory applications in the T.M.A. Pai Foundation matter, clarified that the fee structures it had fixed for the academic years 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 are confined to those years only and are not refundable. It ordered that the fee order of 11 August 1995, applicable to 1…

The petitioners, a charitable society and a trust, challenged the High Denomination Bank Notes (Demonetisation) Act, 1978, claiming that the Act extinguished their property rights in high‑denomination notes without compensation, violated Articles 19(1)(f), 19(1)(g) and 31(2) of the Constitution, imposed unreasonable ti…

The appellant Indian Bank forwarded Bills of Exchange to a French bank on behalf of the respondent M/s. Satyam Fibres, which later went into liquidation. The respondent claimed the bank was negligent for not securing co‑acceptance of the bills, relying on a covering letter (letter No. 2776) that allegedly instructed th…

The Supreme Court examined challenges to the Lok Sabha election of C.K. Jaffer Sharief from Bangalore North, alleging that the candidate engaged in corrupt practices by arranging large‑scale free mass feedings of electors, exceeding election‑expenditure limits, and using spurious ballot papers. The Court held that mass…

The petitioners, teachers employed in schools run by the Ordnance Factories under the Defence Department, challenged their compulsory retirement at age 58, alleging discrimination because teachers in other central government departments were allowed to retire at 60. They invoked Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, …

The brothers of the former ruler of the princely State of Nabha filed suits in the Patiala Sub‑Judge Court seeking possession of a parcel of land called ‘Bir Bhadson’, relying on a 25 April 1948 letter from Maharaja Pratap Singh that they claimed granted the land to them. The State of Punjab, as the successor to Nabha …

Associated Cement Companies Ltd, a cement manufacturer, supplied cement to the Cement Manufacturing Company of India Ltd, which acted as its exclusive marketing agent. The appellant claimed that the sales to the marketing company were exempt from Madhya Pradesh sales tax under the Explanation to Article 286(1)(a) of th…

The Uttar Pradesh Government decided to privatise the loss‑making Uttar Pradesh State Cement Corporation Ltd. and entered into a memorandum with Dalmia Industries Ltd. for the latter to acquire 51% of the shares. While the transfer was pending, the High Court stayed the privatisation and issued several interim orders. …

S.P. Goel applied to register a will, but the Sub‑Registrar impounded it, deeming it a deed of conveyance that was not duly stamped. The Collector of Stamps required additional documents and payment of stamp duty before registration could proceed. Goel filed a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, alleging…

The dispute concerned the inter‑se seniority of promotees and direct recruits in the Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (DANI) Police Service. The respondents, promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police on an officiating basis under Rule 25, argued that their long‑standing officiating service should be treated as …

The case concerned ex‑servicemen who were re‑employed in civil posts of the Government of India and the validity of the Union's decision to deny dearness relief (DR) on their pensions and family pensions, as well as to reduce their pay by an amount equivalent to the enhanced pension of those who were in post on 1 Janua…

The Supreme Court examined a public interest writ petition challenging the allotment of 52 shops and stalls by the then Minister of Urban Development, Smt. Sheila Kaul. The Court found that the allotments were made without public notice, contrary to the policy she herself had framed in 1994, and were granted to her rel…

S.S. Shrivastava, a member of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1972, but died while his appeal was pending. The High Court set aside the conviction, and his wife, as his legal heir, claimed retrospective promotion and related monetary benefits that would have …

A complaint was lodged against the respondents alleging forgery and conspiracy. The magistrate ordered an investigation under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, after which the police submitted a final report under Section 173(2) stating the complaint was false, and the magistrate accepted it. The police later ordered a fresh…

The wife lodged a written complaint with the Women’s Commission alleging that her husband had contracted a second marriage (offence under IPC 494) and was harassing her for dowry (offence under IPC 498A). The Commission forwarded the complaint to the police, who investigated both offences and filed a charge‑sheet; the …

The Karnataka Government framed special recruitment rules in 1985 to appoint Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates to certain Group A and B posts, prescribing a Board‑conducted oral test and a specific procedure for publishing merit lists. Unsuccessful candidates challenged the Board’s selections before the Ka…

The State of Madhya Pradesh appealed against an order of the Madhya Pradesh Administrative Tribunal that had directed equalisation of pay scales between lecturers in Government Higher Secondary Schools and non‑technical lecturers in Technical Schools. The respondents, lecturers in Higher Secondary Schools, claimed that…

The respondents were involved in the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor that caused several deaths, and were detained under Sections 3(1) and 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum‑grabbers Act. They fil…

D.H. Brothers Pvt. Ltd., a dealer in machinery, claimed that a sugarcane crusher (kohlu) was an "agricultural implement" exempt from sales tax under the Uttar Pradesh Sales Tax Act, 1948, relying on a 14 November 1980 government notification that listed exempt agricultural implements. The Commissioner of Sales Tax reje…

The State of Uttar Pradesh issued a notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 declaring 22.11 acres of land a reserved forest. The respondents, recorded as Sirdari holders, claimed they had acquired ownership under the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act and therefore the forest no…

The Supreme Court examined the Delhi Master Plan (2001) under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, which categorises hazardous, noxious, heavy and large industries (H‑a and H‑b) as prohibited in Delhi and mandates their relocation within three years. The Court found that 168 such industries continued to operate illegally, …

The petitioners, Assistant Engineers in the Central Public Works Department, challenged the 1979 (amended 1982) Rules that made seniority for engineers appointed after 22 December 1959 depend on the date of confirmation, arguing that this classification unfairly disadvantaged promotees and violated Articles 14 and 16(1…

The Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association filed a public‑interest writ petition seeking a judicial enquiry into the abduction and alleged murder of Advocate Kulwant Singh, his wife and child, which had triggered a prolonged strike by lawyers. The High Court admitted the petition but a five‑judge bench later dismi…

Mahabir Cold Storage, a partnership firm newly constituted after the original firm Prayagchand & Hanumanmal took on Periwal & Co. as a partner, claimed a development rebate for machinery installed by the original firm in 1959‑60. The claim was made in the 1962‑63 assessment year. The issue was whether the new firm, a s…

The respondent, Biju Patnaik, was assessed for the year 1957-58 but allegedly failed to disclose a Rs.15 lakh capital gain from the sale of his mining business. The Income Tax Officer, after obtaining approval, issued a notice under sections 147(a) and 148 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 to reopen the assessment, alleging …

Partap Singh and his co-accused were charged under IPC sections 302 and 326 read with section 34. The charge‑sheet framed the appellant only vicariously under section 34, as the prosecution had no material linking him directly to the knife injuries. At trial, the prosecution led eye‑witness testimony that Partap actual…

Prof. Sumer Chand was acquitted of several IPC offences after being prosecuted by police officers. He subsequently filed a civil suit for Rs. 3,00,000 damages alleging malicious prosecution against the police officers who had registered the false report and filed the challan. The respondents contended that the suit was…

Brahmadeo Singh, a coparcener in a Mitakshara joint family, filed a suit for partition of his share. The suit was dismissed and while the appeal was pending he died. His alleged daughter, Pavitri Devi, filed an application for substitution, claiming she was his heir and that a registered gift deed dated 5 August 1980 c…

The case concerned a usufructuary mortgage created in 1947 and a second mortgage in 1966, where the mortgagee filed a redemption suit and obtained a preliminary decree requiring payment by May 6, 1970. The mortgagee later withdrew an earlier interlocutory application and, after the mortgagor purchased the property, fil…

D.K. Yadav, a workman of J.M.A. Industries Ltd., was deemed to have abandoned his post after being absent for more than eight days and was terminated under clause 13(2)(iv) of the company's certified standing orders. The employer did not conduct a domestic enquiry nor gave Yadav an opportunity to be heard, and the Labo…

The appellants were charged with murder under IPC sections 302 and 149. The trial court acquitted them, rejecting the testimony of five eyewitnesses and finding the identification parades perfunctory. The High Court reversed the acquittal, relying on the two eye‑witnesses and the identification parades, and convicted t…

The petitioners, tribal women from Bihar, challenged Sections 7, 8 and 76 of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 as discriminatory against women and violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. The Court examined whether the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and the Indian Succession Act, 1925 applied to Scheduled …

The respondent engaged the appellant as counsel in a suit that was later compromised, directing the appellant to withdraw Rs 50,379 from the court receiver and remit the amount to the respondent. The appellant withdrew the money but paid only Rs 18,000, retaining the balance. A complaint was filed before the Bar Counci…

K. Ashok Reddy filed a writ petition seeking a declaration that High Court judges could not be transferred under Article 222 of the Constitution, alleging that transfers were arbitrary, biased and eroded judicial independence, and that the Supreme Court's Judges' Case‑II had wrongly excluded judicial review, conflictin…

The Supreme Court examined whether two State Government orders of 1955 and 1958 granted land to the Ziarat Shareef of Hazrat Baba Ibrahim (a Wakf) or to the father of the defendants in his personal capacity. The Committee of Muslim Wakf sued the managers of the Ziarat, alleging they were treating the land as personal p…

The State of Kerala challenged K.D. Hills Produce Co. Ltd.'s claim of absolute ownership over a 150‑acre concession in the Kanan Devan Hills, originally granted by the Poonjar Raja in 1877 and later transferred to the company. In 1963 the company clear‑felled the area and sought free passes to transport the timber, but…

The case concerned the constitution of the Selection Committee for the post of Additional Chief Engineer (Level‑II) in U.P. Jal Nigam. The petitioner, G. Gupta, claimed that the 1989 Committee was invalid because the Chairman of the Jal Nigam was nominated as the "expert" instead of a technical engineering specialist, …

Vijay Cotton & Oil Mills Ltd. owned 6 acres in Kutch, which the Government of Gujarat took possession of on 19 November 1949 under an agreement to provide equivalent land, but later issued a notification under Section 6(1) of the Land Acquisition Act on 1 February 1955 to acquire the land. The Collector awarded compens…

Lakshmi Bangle Stores booked a railway wagon in June 1964, declaring the value of the consigned glass bangles as Rs.25,000. The wagon was involved in an accident on June 22, 1964 and the goods were delivered after an open assessment on September 4, 1964, revealing that more than half were damaged. The appellant claimed…

Gitarani Paul purchased land from the Bauries, who were under‑Raiyats, after the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act, 1953 came into force. She sued Dibyendra Kundu and Dasarathi Dutta for declaration of title and possession, alleging that on 5 June 1960 the defendants, aided by police, destroyed her crops and disturbe…

United Bank of India sued the Official Liquidator of Naskarpara Jute Mills Ltd., which was in liquidation, to recover a debt and to prevent the sale of the mortgaged land. The High Court, acting under Section 535 of the Companies Act, ordered the liquidator to disclaimer the lease of the land on the ground that it was …

The State of Rajasthan issued a notification on 30 May 1978 under Section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954, appointing all Colonisation Tehsildars to perform the functions and exercise the powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the same Act. The Tehsildars used this authority to initiate eviction pr…

The Banwasi Seva Ashram filed a writ petition under Article 32 challenging the eviction of its members from areas declared reserve forest under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The Supreme Court had earlier appointed commissioners to prepare land records, identify forest land and decide the final action, but …

The Supreme Court examined whether the Bihar State Government could, by executive order, merge the cadre of District Engineers (part of the Rural Engineering Organisation, created by a 1965 executive order) with the cadre of Executive Engineers governed by the statutory Bihar Engineering Service Rules, 1939. The appell…

The workmen of Kettlewell Bullen & Co. claimed a customary bonus for the years 1974‑1977, arguing that the company had been paying a bonus since 1959, at a uniform rate of 10.5% of salary from 1965‑1973, before the Puja festival and irrespective of profits. The Industrial Tribunal held that this long‑standing, uniform,…

The appellant, a landlord of a non‑residential shop, sought to evict his tenant on the ground of bona‑fide personal use, a right that had been removed by the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1956. He challenged the amendment as violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, arguing that the classificat…

Advocate Ajay Kumar Pandey filed petitions and letters containing intemperate, insulting language against two Supreme Court judges, demanded apologies and compensation, and threatened to prosecute them, also filing a criminal complaint in a magistrate's court. The Supreme Court, after giving him opportunities to delete…

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) developed a housing scheme and allotted a flat to M.K. Gupta, who paid the full price but was not given possession because construction was incomplete. Gupta filed a complaint before the District Forum under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, alleging deficiency in service, delay…

The case concerned a sale of agricultural land by Mitter Sen, the mortgagor‑vendor, to Randhir Singh and others. The appellants, Ram Chand and his heirs, were tenants of the land, having been inducted by the usufructuary mortgagee under Section 76(a) of the Transfer of Property Act. They claimed a right of pre‑emption …

The appellants were charged with murder, rioting and unlawful assembly under IPC ss. 147, 149 and 302 for the killing of Hanuwa, a villager, during a group rivalry. The prosecution’s case relied mainly on the testimony of the victim’s mother (PW‑1) and sister (PW‑5), who were close relatives and thus interested witness…

The Bihar State University Service Commission had initially recommended temporary promotions of several lecturers to Readers under a Time‑Bound Promotion Scheme, but later withdrew its recommendations alleging that the screening committees were not constituted as required by the statute. The Vice‑Chancellors consequent…

The assessee, a registered dealer under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, purchased coconut husks and converted them into coconut fibre, claiming that no manufacturing process was involved and thus the purchase value should not be taxed under Section 5A. The Sales Tax Officer and appellate authority disagreed, assessin…

The Supreme Court examined the arbitrary allotment of fifteen petrol pumps by the then Minister of Petroleum, Capt. Satish Sharma, finding that the allocations were made without any official application, advertisement, or criteria, and favoured relatives and associates, thereby violating Article 14 of the Constitution.…

Utkal University advertised for a Professor of Philosophy and a Selection Committee, constituted under Section 21(2) of the Orissa Universities Act, 1989, unanimously recommended Dr. Prafulla Kumar Mohapatra for the post. After the recommendation, three expert members of the Committee sent letters to the Vice‑Chancello…

The petitioners sought a direction that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) include Sanskrit as an elective subject in its secondary school syllabus, arguing that Sanskrit, being an Eighth Schedule language, should be promoted under Article 351 of the Constitution. The Board opposed, contending that inclusi…

R.S. Raghunath, an officer in the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Department, challenged the promotion of another officer to Deputy Commissioner of Transport, arguing that the Special Rules of 1976 required promotion by selection, not seniority‑cum‑merit. The Karnataka Administrative Tribunal dismissed his claim, holding that…

The petitioners challenged the criteria adopted by the States of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for identifying the 'creamy layer' to be excluded from reservation benefits under Articles 14 and 16(4) of the Constitution. Both states had introduced multiple conditions – such as a minimum salary of Rs.10,000 per month, a gradua…

The Board of Revenue, Uttar Pradesh appealed against a judgment of the Allahabad High Court which had held that a mortgage deed of immovable property situated in an area covered by the U.P. Town Improvement Act was a deed of transfer but that the additional duty under Section 67‑H of that Act was not stamp duty and the…

The Supreme Court examined appeals by the State of Tamil Nadu against a Madras High Court order that had quashed preventive detention orders issued under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Boot‑leggers, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act, 1982, a…

The petitioners, owners of cinema halls in Lucknow, challenged the theatre tax imposed by the Lucknow Nagar Mahapalika under Sections 172 and 2(77) of the U.P. Nagar Mahapalika Adhiniyam, 1959, arguing that the statute unlawfully delegated legislative power to the Mahapalika and that the classification of cinemas based…

Jay Laxmi Salt Works (P) Ltd. sued the State of Gujarat for damages after flood water from a government‑built reclamation bundh entered its factory in July 1956. An official committee assessed the loss at Rs 1,58,735, which the State refused to pay. The trial court dismissed the suit as an act of God and barred it by l…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Union Public Service Commission's practice of fixing 1 August as the cut‑off date for determining age eligibility in the Civil Services Examination was arbitrary, especially after the introduction of a preliminary exam held before that date. The Court held that the cut‑off date wa…

The Supreme Court considered two appeals involving Bank of India and a private company concerning wage deductions during industrial actions. In the first appeal, employees participated in a four‑hour strike covering crucial banking hours; the Bank had issued a circular stating that participants would forfeit the full d…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ filed by Common Cause seeking enforcement of statutory provisions that require political parties to disclose their sources of funding and maintain audited accounts. The Court examined the obligations under Section 293A of the Companies Act, 1956, Sections 13A, 139(48…

The petitioners, Major Genl. B.M. Bhatiacharjee (Retd.) and another, alleged that Russel Estate Corporation and its managing partner had allotted two flats on the 8th floor to third parties in violation of a Supreme Court order dated 1 August 1991 which prohibited any further allotment of flats. The respondents contend…

The plaintiff sought recovery of a sum and, during trial, obtained court summons for the Income Tax Department to produce assessment records of the defendants for years 1964-65 to 1971-72. The Department produced the records in sealed covers, claiming privilege under the then‑applicable Section 137 of the Income Tax Ac…

R.R. Bhanot entered the service of the erstwhile State of Punjab in 1937. After the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, he was provisionally allocated to Himachal Pradesh from 1 November 1966, but he contested this allocation. Himachal Pradesh prematurely retired him in 1968; the Himachal Bench of the Delhi High Court qua…

U.D. Dwivedi, a scientist in the Defence Research and Development Organisation, challenged his promotion assessment on the ground that the Recruitment and Assessment Centre (RAC) was chaired by Prof. S. Sampath, a former member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The Central Administrative Tribunal held the …

The Steel Authority of India issued a price circular on 17 March 1989 offering an additional discount to any customer whose monthly off‑take of thinner gauge steel exceeded 400 metric tonnes. Six traders, after receiving a clarification letter dated 2 December 1989, formed a group and sought to avail the discount on th…

The plaintiff, a Wakf trustee, sued the tenant for possession of a plot in Thanjavur, alleging the tenant held over after a two‑year lease dated 17‑Nov‑1955 and had erected unauthorised structures. The tenant contended that he had been in occupation since 1942, that the 1955 deed was merely a renewal of an existing ten…

Birendra Kumar Rai was arrested under the Arms Act and Motor Vehicles Act and was in jail when a complaint under the NDPS Act was filed. While he remained in custody, a detention order under Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 (PITNDPS) was issued, c…