S A BOBDE

The appellant, a law officer of Syndicate Bank, was repeatedly deputed to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and later applied for and was appointed as Presiding Officer of the DRT while still on deputation. He sought permission from the bank to take up the new post, but received no response for eleven months and consequ…

The case arose from a 1993 political clash in Kerala where the deceased, Suresh Babu, was stabbed and beaten to death by members of an unlawful assembly. The trial court convicted several accused under Section 302 read with Section 149 IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonment, also convicting others under Section 32…

During a hearing of Criminal Appeal No.400/2006, Senior Counsel Mr. R. Basant highlighted several common inadequacies in criminal trial procedures, such as lack of standardized witness and exhibit lists, poor recording of depositions, and inconsistent referencing of parties and evidence. He urged the Supreme Court to i…

The claimants filed a claim under the Motor Vehicles Act after the husband/father suffered a road accident, and the Motor Vehicle Accidental Claim Tribunal ordered the National Insurance Company to pay Rs.2,47,500. The insurer appealed to the Patna High Court, challenging its liability to pay, and the claimants filed a…

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL) cancelled the results of a 1978 recruitment for Class IV posts after discovering irregularities, terminating all appointees including Ram Gopal and Shyam Behari Lal. Shyam Behari Lal obtained relief from the Allahabad High Court on equitable grounds, which was later set …

The State of Odisha entered into a dispute with M/s Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) over the transport of iron ore that JSPL had purchased, processed and stored within the leasehold area of the mining company, Sarda Mines Pvt Ltd (SMPL). After the environmental clearance for SMPL expired, the State refused a transit …

The Supreme Court examined whether mining leaseholders in Goa, whose second renewal leases were set aside, could transport iron ore that had been mined before the cut‑off date of 15 March 2018. The Court held that paragraph 154.6 of the Goa Foundation‑II judgment only prohibited mining after that date and did not bar t…

The Himalayan Co‑operative Group Housing Society expelled several members, including Balwan Singh, for defaulting on deposit payments. The expulsion was approved by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies and upheld by the Revisional Authority. The respondents approached the High Court under Articles 226/227 seeking to …

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 and nine individuals were tried, resulting in convictions of seven and acquittals of two; the High Court later upheld five convictions. In 2016, Dr. Pankaj Kumudchandra Phadnis filed a writ petition seeking to reopen the case, questioning the existence of a fourth bullet and requ…

The Supreme Court heard a batch of writ petitions and intervention applications filed under Article 32 seeking a fair investigation into the gang‑rape and murder of a 19‑year‑old girl in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, and alleging illegal cremation of the victim. The State Government had already ordered the Central Bureau of …

Ashok Kumar Giri, a person with disability, filed a writ petition seeking the 3% reservation guaranteed under Sections 32 and 33 of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. The Patna High Court had refused relief, holding that the reservation could not be applied because the vacancies in the identified post amounted to…

Petitioner Sheetal Shankar Salvi, at 27 weeks of pregnancy, sought a direction from the Supreme Court under Article 32 to allow medical termination of her pregnancy because the fetus was diagnosed with Arnold‑Chiari malformation type II with severe anomalies. A seven‑member Medical Board examined her case and reported …

The State of Jharkhand issued Notification S.O. No.25 on 25 June 2001 reducing the Central Sales Tax rate to 3% for the "sale of all types of glass and glass sheets" in interstate trade. M/s Laopalarg Ltd., a manufacturer of glassware, claimed that its products fell within the "types of glass" and therefore were eligib…

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Ltd sought to quash an FIR registered under Sections 34, 471, 468, 467, 420, 419 and 406 IPC for alleged installation of defeat devices in its vehicles. The High Court refused to quash the FIR, granting only protection against arrest. The petitioner argued that the police could not i…

Vivek Singh applied for the Combined State/Upper Subordinate Service Examination 2001 under the physically handicapped category, preferring the post of Deputy Collector. He was selected and appointed as a Trade Tax Officer, but later sought appointment as Deputy Collector, invoking a 2011 state requisition to fill back…

Gurvail Singh was convicted of murdering four persons under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC and was sentenced to death. The High Court upheld the death sentence, but the Supreme Court commuted it to life imprisonment with a direction that the petitioner serve 30 years without remission. The petitioner filed a writ petit…

The appellant, M.K. Indrajeet Sinhji Cotton P. Ltd., filed a suit in the Ahmedabad City Civil Court for recovery of money from Narmada Cotton Co‑op. Spg. Mills Ltd. before the cooperative society was wound up. After the winding‑up order, the appellant sought leave to continue the suit under Section 112 of the Gujarat C…

The Supreme Court examined the NCLAT order that had declared Tata Sons' affairs oppressive and prejudicial, reinstated Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (CPM) as Executive Chairman and Director, restrained the Tata Trust nominees, and set aside the conversion of Tata Sons from a public to a private company. The Court held that the…

The Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause filed two interlocutory applications seeking a stay on the sale of electoral bonds under the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, alleging that the scheme permits donor anonymity and violates transparency in political funding. The Court examined the scheme’s statutory bas…

Indus Biotech Private Ltd sought arbitration against Kotak India Venture Fund and related entities over the formula for converting optionally convertible redeemable preference shares into equity shares, claiming no default existed. Kotak filed a petition under Section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) seeki…

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) allowed its ex‑employees to retire under a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in 1993. The respondents, who had taken periods of unauthorised absence/leave without pay, were denied pension benefits because those periods were excluded from qualifying service. The Supreme Court held t…

The case concerned whether the Union of India, as the tax authority, must pay interest on a tax refund made to M/s Tata Chemicals Ltd, a resident deductor who had deducted tax at source under Section 195(2) and later obtained a refund under Section 240. The Assessing Officer and the first appellate authority denied int…

The appellant Devraj was convicted under Section 302 IPC for murdering his cousin amid a land dispute. The prosecution relied on three eye‑witnesses, two of whom were declared hostile, but their testimony was corroborated by other evidence showing Devraj’s assault on the victim. The defence argued that hostile witness …

Tej Bahadur, a former Border Security Force officer dismissed in 2017, filed an election petition challenging Narendra Modi's election to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi, alleging his own nomination was wrongly rejected and the election was vitiated. He had filed two nomination papers in April 2019 but failed to attach the…

Anurag Mittal obtained a decree of divorce from Rachna Aggarwal in 2009 and appealed against it, obtaining a stay. The parties later settled, and Mittal filed an application to withdraw the appeal on 28 November 2011, which was deemed withdrawn on that date. He married Shaily Mishra Mittal on 6 December 2011, before th…

Twenty-two employees (record clerks and office assistants) filed a writ petition seeking promotion to the post of Junior Bailiff without the required SSLC qualification, relying on a 2009 High Court order and arguing that the vacancies arose before the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016. T…

The Delhi Administration appealed the acquittal of Vidya Gupta, a sweet shop vendor, who was charged under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 for storing adulterated ghee used to make jalebis. The Supreme Court held that Section 7, read with its explanation, deems any person who stores adulterated food for t…

The accused, alleged to be a contract killer and member of an organized crime gang, was arrested under Section 3(1) of the U.P. Gangster and Anti‑Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 for the murder of Rajnarain Singh. The Allahabad High Court granted him bail on liberal terms despite his prior involvement in fiftee…

The appellants, members of Alaknanda Cooperative Group Housing Society, had paid instalments for flats but the Society refunded their money and terminated their membership alleging default on payments. The appellants filed complaints under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, seeking restoration of membersh…

M/S Mamta Surgical Cotton Industries, a dealer under the Rajasthan Sales Tax Act, purchased raw cotton and processed it into surgical cotton. The assessing authority taxed the surgical cotton at 4% for AY 1992-93, treating it as a separate commodity, and the Rajasthan Tax Board upheld this view for AY 1993-94 to 1998-9…

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) entered into a 2011 agreement with SMS AAMW Tollways Private Ltd for toll tax collection, which included Clause 16 detailing a two‑stage dispute‑resolution mechanism: first to a Competent Officer and then an appeal to the Commissioner. After a loss of about Rs 80 crore due t…

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) appealed against a Madras High Court order that awarded four grace marks for each of 49 mistranslated Tamil questions in the NEET‑UG 2018 exam, benefitting about 24,000 candidates. The High Court had held that the Tamil translations were ambiguous and that the students la…

The appellant, a former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate, alleged that respondents deliberately suppressed material facts about a mistaken Interpol notice, causing him to remain in judicial custody for 36 days. He filed a criminal contempt petition under Article 215 of the Constitution, claiming the respo…

The petitioners, National Alliance for People’s Movements and others, challenged the categorisation adopted by the High‑Powered Committee (HPC) of Maharashtra for granting interim bail or parole to prisoners during the Covid‑19 pandemic, alleging that the exclusion of certain categories—such as serious economic offence…

The case arose from a protracted dispute over a one‑acre property in Bengaluru that had been sold multiple times, leading to conflicting claims and a series of suits for declaration, possession, and execution. The decree‑holders obtained a decree for possession, but the judgment debtors and subsequent purchasers repeat…

The State of Rajasthan prosecuted Ramesh for the death of his daughter Sheela, alleging that he slapped her, took her inside the house and caused her death by strangulation and throttling. The defence claimed the death was a suicide by hanging. The trial court convicted Ramesh under Sections 302 and 201 IPC, but the Hi…

The Supreme Court, hearing a public‑interest writ petition filed by Lok Prahari, addressed the chronic backlog of about 57 lakh cases and the roughly 40% vacancy rate in High Courts. It held that the dormant constitutional provision under Article 224A can be invoked to appoint retired judges as ad‑hoc judges to clear o…

The Supreme Court, exercising suo motu jurisdiction under Article 32, examined widespread inadequacies and inconsistencies in criminal trials across India, such as poor documentation of witnesses, exhibits, and material objects, and procedural delays. After issuing notices to all High Courts, State Governments and Unio…

The appellant and respondent, brothers, entered into an agreement to sell one floor of their ancestral property, which the respondent later sought to enforce through a suit for specific performance. The appellant repeatedly failed to file a written statement within the timelines prescribed by Order VIII Rule 1 of the C…

M/s Kaledonia Jute and Fibres Pvt. Ltd. (appellant) sought to recover a debt from M/s Axis Nirman and Industries Ltd. (first respondent) and filed a petition under Section 7 of the IBC before the NCLT. Simultaneously, a winding‑up petition against the first respondent was pending before the Allahabad High Court, which …

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals by the Commissioners of Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax against CESTAT orders that had remanded assessments of several plywood manufacturers for re‑adjudication. All the cases involved allegations that the assessee had under‑valued their excisable goods, thereby ev…

Ghanshyam Upadhyay, a lawyer, filed a criminal miscellaneous petition seeking the dissolution of a Commission of Inquiry that was set up to investigate the alleged encounter killing of Vikas Dubey. He alleged bias and conflict of interest against the Commission's Chairman, Justice B.S. Chauhan, and its member, K.L. Gup…

The petitioners, environmentalists, sought protection for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican, arguing that overhead power lines in Rajasthan and Gujarat cause fatal collisions. They requested that the states and the Union underground all future power lines in priority and potential habitats, convert exi…

The appellant, a director of Devi Polymers Private Limited, was prosecuted under IPC sections 409, 468 and 471 and IT Act sections 65 and 66 for allegedly forging a website that portrayed Devi Consultancy Services as a separate entity and for misappropriating funds. The High Court refused to quash the proceedings, hold…

The case involved a dispute between ITC Limited, the auction purchaser of a five‑star hotel, and Blue Coast Hotels Ltd., the original borrower, under the SARFAESI Act. The borrower argued that the creditor (IFCI) violated s.13(3A) by not replying to its representation for loan rescheduling and that the inclusion of agr…

The Ananda Social and Educational Trust was formed on 30 May 2008 and applied for registration under section 12AA of the Income Tax Act on 10 July 2008, having not yet undertaken any charitable activities. The Commissioner of Income Tax rejected the application on the ground that, in the absence of actual activities, t…

Suresh Shah, the landlord, sub‑leased a property to Hipad Technology India Private Limited. A dispute arose under the sub‑lease dated 14‑11‑2018, and the lease contained an arbitration clause. Shah issued a notice invoking the clause, nominated retired Justice Mukul Mudgal as sole arbitrator, and filed an arbitration p…

In the biennial Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand, MLA Amit Kumar Mahto cast his vote at 9:15 a.m. on 23 March 2018, but was convicted later that afternoon. The petitioner, Pradeep Kumar Sonthalia, challenged the validity of that vote, arguing that the conviction rendered Mahto disqualified under Article 191(1)(e) of…

Mahesh Dahiya, a senior engineer of H.P. State Electricity Board, was charged with willful absence from duty and disobedience of orders to appear before a medical board. A disciplinary inquiry was conducted under the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, and the inquiry officer’s report dated 29‑12‑2007 found the charges proved. Howe…

The appellants, shareholders of Upper Assam Plywood Products Pvt. Ltd., sought winding up of the company before the NCLT, which dismissed their petition on 25 October 2019. They applied for a certified copy of the order, received it on 19 December 2019, and filed an appeal before the NCLAT on 20 July 2020 together with…

The case concerned the abduction and murder of Ramesh Jain, for which six accused were convicted under sections 120B, 364A, 302, 328A and 201 of the IPC. The prosecution relied on disclosure statements, recovered items, and Call Detail Records (CDRs) of the accused’s mobile phones. The principal issue was whether the C…

The appellant, Jeetendra, was arrested in 2019 for alleged forgery of property documents that had earlier been used as a personal bond for his bail in a matrimonial dispute. Two police closure reports—one in 2013 and another in September 2019—concluded that no offence was committed. Despite these reports, the High Cour…

During his son’s wedding in Uttarakhand, the appellant fired a licensed gun towards the roof, causing pellets to strike five guests, two of whom died. The trial court convicted him under Sections 302 and 307 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment and five years’ rigorous imprisonment, respectively. On appeal, the S…

Ex‑Gunner Virender Prasad was convicted by a Summary General Court Martial under Section 69 of the Army Act for murdering a fellow gunner while allegedly acting in a delusional state of a terrorist attack. The conviction and life sentence were affirmed by the Armed Forces Tribunal, and the appellant appealed to the Sup…

Ved Priya, a probationary civil judge, was not confirmed after a two‑year probation and his services were terminated by the State Government on the recommendation of the Rajasthan High Court. He challenged the termination, alleging it was punitive, based on corruption allegations and violated his right to a hearing und…

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) issued an online reverse auction for hiring heavy equipment. Due to connectivity problems, the auction automatically closed at 1:03 pm after AMR‑Dev Prabha’s (Respondent 1) bid remained unresponded for 30 minutes. BCCL, through its facilitator C1‑India, restarted the auction at 2:30 pm aft…

The case concerned the promotion of seven teachers to the post of Principal in Chhattisgarh polytechnic colleges. Respondent No.1, a senior HOD, claimed that a Ph.D. was an essential qualification for the post under the 2010 AICTE Regulations and sought to quash the promotions, relying on a 2016 AICTE Notification that…

The appellant, a 50‑year‑old manhole worker, was convicted of raping and murdering an eight‑year‑old girl based on circumstantial evidence, including eyewitness identification and forensic findings. The trial court and High Court upheld the conviction and imposed the death penalty, deeming the crime "rarest of rare". O…

The appellants, who were Social Security Assistants in the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu regions of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), were transferred to the Kerala region and appeared for a departmental competitive examination for promotion to Enforcement Officer/Accounts Officer (EO/AO). Private responden…

The appellant, Yogendra Singh, was convicted under IPC sections 302, 326A and 460 for throwing acid on his former lover, Smt. Ruby, resulting in her death and injuring her relatives. The trial court and High Court affirmed the conviction and imposed the death penalty, relying heavily on the victim's dying declaration a…

The Supreme Court examined the conduct of R.K.D.F. Medical College, which had been permitted to admit MBBS students but was found to have repeatedly failed to meet minimum standards. An enquiry revealed that the college fabricated patient records and falsified documents to mislead the Court and the Medical Council of I…

The landlord, a retired armed forces officer, held land under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Act, 1948, which was occupied by the tenant. Under Section 32F the tenant could purchase the land by giving notice within one year of the landlord's retirement, provided the landlord did not terminate the tenancy; the land…

Balasore Alloys Ltd filed an arbitration petition under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 seeking appointment of a sole arbitrator based on Clause 7 of 37 purchase orders. Medima LLC contended that the parties were bound by an earlier ‘Umbrella’ (Pricing) Agreement dated 31‑03‑2018, which contain…

The Supreme Court, acting suo motu under Article 32, examined the massive backlog of cases filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, which was impeding the disposal of other criminal matters. After hearing the Amicus Curiae, the Solicitor General, the Reserve Bank of India and various state repre…

Kotak Mahindra Bank appealed against a Delhi High Court order that allowed guarantors Ambuj Kasliwal and others to file an appeal before the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) without making any pre‑deposit of the debt due, as required under Section 21 of the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993 (RDBA). The …

Meera Santosh Pal, a 22‑year‑old woman, petitioned the Supreme Court under Article 32 seeking permission to terminate her 24‑week pregnancy after the fetus was diagnosed with anencephaly, a lethal condition that also endangered her life. A seven‑member Medical Board examined her and concluded that continuation of the p…

Anand Kumar Mohatta and his wife entered into a 1993 development agreement with Ansal Properties, under which the developer deposited Rs.1 crore as a security to be refunded upon handing over possession. The agreement became impossible to perform due to new building regulations, and the Mohattas retained the security w…

The petitioners were granted bail by the Gauhati High Court under the default bail provision of Section 167(2) CrPC. The respondent sought cancellation of that bail alleging misrepresentation and that the direction to the CID under Section 173(8) did not render the charge‑sheet infructuous. The High Court entertained a…

The appellants were added as accused under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in a murder trial and were later discharged by the trial court under Section 227. The High Court set aside the discharge, prompting a Supreme Court appeal. The Court examined whether a person summoned as an accused under Section 31…

The Hospitality Association of Mudumalai and other private land owners challenged the Tamil Nadu Government's notification of an elephant corridor on the Sigur Plateau, arguing that the corridor was not scientifically justified and that the State lacked statutory authority to create it. The High Court had upheld the no…

Kum C. Yamini was appointed as an ad hoc District Judge to preside over a Fast Track Court (FTC) in 2003 under the Andhra Pradesh State Higher Judicial Service Special Rules for Ad Hoc Appointments, 2001. After a 2013 notification inviting applications for regular District Judge posts, she was selected and appointed to…

The appellant, Popatrao Vyankatrao Patil, was the highest bidder for a sand block auctioned by the Maharashtra State Government and deposited the full auction amount of Rs.62,26,085. Despite his payment, he was never given possession of the sand block nor allowed to excavate sand, due to local opposition, and the file …

The appellants, a charitable trust, entered into a 38‑year lease deed with the respondents for development of trust land. The lease deeds of 1996 and 1997 were neither registered nor sufficiently stamped under the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, and the respondents failed to pay the deficit stamp duty and penalty directed b…

The Supreme Court considered an appeal by landowners whose compensation for land acquired for the Hubli-Ankola railway line had been reduced by the Karnataka High Court from Rs 10,00,000 per acre to Rs 5,10,000 per acre. The original award of Rs 10,00,000 per acre had been granted by a Reference Court after enhancement…

More than 90 candidates who appeared for the Main (Written) Examination for Civil Judge (Junior Division) challenged the selection process, alleging that the evaluation was arbitrary, lacked a model answer key, and that only nine out of 1,195 candidates qualified. The Supreme Court examined the examination’s security, …

The appellants were initially appointed on an ad‑hoc basis to the Ambedkar Nagar Judgeship between 1999 and 2001 and continued in service after a 2006 High Court order allowing them to remain pending a recruitment process that was later cancelled. They sought regularisation; a District Judge formed a Committee which re…

Siraj Ahmad was appointed on an ad‑hoc basis as Junior Engineer in 1987 under the U.P. Development Authorities Centralised Service Rules, 1985, without the concurrence of the U.P. Public Service Commission. While in service he obtained a B.Sc. (Engineering) degree and sought promotion to Assistant Engineer under sub‑ru…

The appellants, Salim Shamsuddin Shaikh (A‑2) and Mohmed Rafiq Abdul Rahim Shaikh (A‑4), were convicted under Sections 25(1)(a) and 25(1AA) read with Section 35 of the Arms Act, 1959 for possession of prohibited ammunition found in a car owned by A‑2 and in a bungalow occupied by A‑4. The prosecution relied solely on t…

The appellant, a tenant of a small shop in Doiwala, Dehradun, received a notice of termination under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act on 19 September 1972 and the landlord filed an eviction suit on 1 October 1972. The issue was whether the tenancy was protected by the United Provinces (Temporary) Control of …

The case concerned a search under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act on two premises of the Bhatia Group, which led the assessing officer to record a satisfaction note under Section 15880 on 15 July 2005, after the block assessment of the searched person was completed on 30 March 2005. The respondent, M/s Calcutta Knitw…

The petitioners filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking emergency relief from the severe air‑pollution in the National Capital Region caused by the widespread use of fireworks during Diwali and the marriage season. They alleged that the pollution breached fundamental rights, especially the right to life and heal…

Dr. Jagmittar Sain Bhagat, a former medical officer of the Haryana Health Department, claimed that his retiral benefits, including gratuity and penal rent, were not fully paid after his voluntary retirement in 1985. He filed a complaint before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in 1995, which dismissed the …

The petitioner obtained a writ from the Gauhati High Court directing the Union of India to re‑designate him as a Warrant Officer and extend his pay. The Union appealed to the Supreme Court (Civil Appeal No. 25 of 2008), which dismissed the appeal, thereby upholding the High Court’s directions. The petitioner later file…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Syndicate of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University could prescribe norms for granting affiliation to additional courses under Section 30(2) of the University Act, even though the university statutes were not yet in force. The Court held that the power to lay down such norms flo…

The appellant Imax Corporation and the respondent MIS E‑City Entertainment entered into a contract containing an arbitration clause that referred to the ICC Rules of Arbitration and stipulated that the agreement would be governed by Singapore law. The parties submitted their dispute to the ICC, which after consulting t…

Saritha S. Nair filed nominations from two Lok Sabha seats but her nominations were rejected because she had been convicted in two criminal cases, each carrying a three‑year imprisonment, invoking disqualification under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. She challenged the rejection through ele…

The instant appeals arose from five suits between 1950 and 1989 over a 1500 sq yard land in Ayodhya, claimed by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram (Ram Janmabhumi) and by Muslims as the site of the Babri Masjid. The Allahabad High Court had directed a three-way partition of the disputed site, which the Supreme Court …

The Shia Central Board of Waqf Uttar Pradesh filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court challenging a civil judgment dated 30 March 1946 passed by the Civil Judge, Faizabad. The petition was filed after an inordinate delay of 24,964 days, and the petitioner failed to provide a satisfactory explanatio…

The State of NCT of Delhi appealed against the discharge of Brijesh Singh @ Arun Kumar and others by a Special Court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The key dispute was whether charge‑sheets filed in courts outside Delhi could be counted towards the "continuing unlawful activity" requireme…

The accused husband and his sister were charged with murder and dowry death after the victim, Sharada, died from 98% burn injuries. The prosecution relied on two dying declarations in which the victim identified her husband and sister as the perpetrators. The trial court acquitted the accused, holding that the possibil…

The case concerned the murder of Babusingh in September 1992, for which fifteen persons were tried. The trial court convicted seven, including Gajrajsingh, Bhagwansingh and Peer Singh, based on a "Dehati Nalishi" and statements of witnesses PW‑1 and PW‑5. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the three appellan…

M/s D.J. Malpani, a manufacturer of chewing tobacco, collected a voluntary charitable donation called Dharmada from customers along with the sale price of its goods. The tax authorities treated the Dharmada amount as part of the transaction value and demanded excise duty, penalty and interest. The appellant argued that…

M/s JSW Steel Ltd. manufactured pig iron and HR coil sheets and, in its invoices, added a charitable donation called ‘Dharmada’ which was credited to charity. The Deputy Commissioner of Central Excise issued a show‑cause notice under Section 4 of the Central Excise Act, 1944, seeking penalty under Rule 25 of the Centra…

The case concerned a motor accident in which a bachelor died, and the dependents claimed compensation under Section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The High Court had calculated the multiplier for loss of dependency based on the age of the deceased's parents, leading to a lower compensation amount. The insurer app…

The Supreme Court examined a dispute arising from an e‑public tender floated by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) for call‑centre services. Caretel Infotech Ltd. (appellant) submitted its bid, declaring it was not black‑listed, and was awarded the contract. After the award, HPCL’s competitor (respondent No.3)…

Canon India imported digital still image video cameras which were cleared as exempt from customs duty by the Deputy Commissioner of Customs on 24 March 2012 under Notification No.15/2012. On 19 August 2014 the Additional Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) issued a show‑cause notice under …

In a suo motu writ petition, the Supreme Court examined the extension of limitation periods granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier orders had excluded the period from 15 March 2020 to a date to be fixed, allowing litigants extra time to file suits, appeals and other proceedings. Observing that the pandemic situa…

Westinghouse Saxby Farmer Ltd., a state‑owned manufacturer of electrical relays, sought to have its relays classified under Chapter 86 heading 8608 of the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985, arguing that they are used solely as parts of railway signalling equipment. The Revenue argued that the relays fell under Chapter 85…

On 2 June 2014, Shaikh Mohsin was attacked and killed by a group of accused who allegedly targeted him because he belonged to a Muslim community. The Sessions Court rejected the accused's bail applications, finding that the assault was motivated by communal hatred and that the victims had no personal enmity with the ac…

The father, a Class III employee of MGB Gramin Bank, died while in service on 19 April 2006 and his son applied for a compassionate appointment on 12 May 2006 under the 1983 scheme. While the application was pending, a new compassionate appointment scheme came into force on 12 June 2006, with clause 14 providing that a…

The case involves the murder of Lalit Mohan Rai, who was shot by the accused Imran Afreen after an altercation at Hotel Shalimar. The trial court convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC, but the High Court acquitted him, questioning the reliability of the eyewitnesses and the timing of the FIR. On appeal, the Supre…

The Supreme Court examined two appeals filed by National Insurance Co. Ltd. against judgments that enhanced compensation awarded to the dependents of a deceased employee and an injured employee under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. In both cases, the dependents had been given compassionate appointments by the deceased/in…

Mrs. X, a 22‑year‑old woman, was about 24 weeks pregnant when a medical board diagnosed her fetus with bilateral renal agenesis and anhydramnios, conditions that rendered the fetus non‑viable and posed a risk to the mother's physical and mental health. She filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution seek…

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) sought to strike down a Tamil Nadu Government notification that scheduled local body elections in nine newly created districts without first completing a fresh delimitation exercise. The State had increased the number of districts from 31 to 39 and announced an election programme, bu…

The petitioner, a senior pilot with Indian Airlines, applied for voluntary retirement under the company's Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) on 7 November 1994, seeking to retire effective 12 November 1994. Regulation 12(b) of the Service Regulations required a three‑month notice and approval by the competent authority,…

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) blacklisted several rice mills for supplying sub‑standard rice and barred them from receiving paddy for custom milling. To evade the ban, the mill owners executed unregistered lease deeds transferring the mills to new partnership or proprietorship firms, which then applied for paddy …

Universal Ferro & Allied Chemicals Ltd. (UFAC), a 100% Export Oriented Unit, entered into an agreement with Tata Iron & Steel Co. (TISCO) to convert raw manganese ore supplied free of cost into silicon manganese for a fee. The Revenue argued that such job‑work was not permitted under the EXIM Policy and that, under the…

Sadhana Chaudhary, a former Additional District Judge of Uttar Pradesh, was dismissed from service on the ground that she had allegedly awarded excessive compensation in two land acquisition cases, which the enquiry committee deemed "shocking blunders" and indicative of extraneous considerations. The High Court upheld …

The petitioners challenged the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019, which inserted clauses 15(6) and 16(6) permitting a 10% reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and public employment. They argued that the amendment violated the basic structure of the Constitution…

M/S. INOX WIND Ltd. issued purchase orders to M/S. THERMOCABLES Ltd. for wind‑power cables, attaching its own standard terms and conditions which contained an arbitration clause. After the cables were found defective, INOX gave notice proposing a sole arbitrator but received no response, and filed an application under …

The Karad Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd., a financial creditor, filed a Section 7 petition under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) against M/s Khandoba Prasanna Sakhar Karkhana Ltd., the corporate debtor. The Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved a resolution plan submitted by M/s Sai Agro (India) Chemicals, which …

The petitioners, directly recruited District Judges in Tamil Nadu (2011), claimed they were senior to promotee judges but were overlooked for elevation to the Madras High Court. They argued that, under Article 217(2) of the Constitution, their prior advocacy experience should be clubbed with their judicial service to s…

Ramachandraiah was charged under IPC sections 409, 468 and 471 for misappropriating Rs. 6,57,355.90. He died in 1991 while the trial was pending; the trial court nevertheless recorded a finding that he alone had committed the offence, though he could not be convicted. The State then invoked Clause 3 of the Criminal Law…

The appellant, a bank clerk promoted to assistant manager, was suspended in 1982 and charged with four misconduct allegations. An enquiry officer investigated and exonerated him on all charges, but the disciplinary authority disagreed on two charges and dismissed him without recording reasons or giving him a chance to …

The Madhya Pradesh Housing and Infrastructure Development Board (the Board) developed the Indira Nagar colony under a layout plan sanctioned in 1981. In 2004 it sought to modify the plan to change 1.52 hectares earmarked for a commercial shopping complex to residential use; after initial rejections, the State Governmen…

M/s Raveechee & Co. entered into a quarrying contract with the Union of India, which later gave rise to a dispute that was referred to arbitration on 26 September 1988. The Arbitral Tribunal awarded damages and, on the basis of being deprived of those sums during the pendency of the arbitration, granted interest penden…

Chintpurni Medical College obtained an Essentiality Certificate from the Punjab Government to establish a medical college, but the State later withdrew the certificate citing deficiencies and conditions it had imposed. The college challenged the withdrawal, arguing that the State lacked authority to rescind the certifi…

The deceased, a 39‑year‑old employee of the Food Corporation of India, died in a road accident caused by a rash truck driver. The claimants sought compensation under the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which initially based the deceased's income solely on a salary certificate showing a monthly gross salary of Rs. 8,848…

The appellant, Kalpana K. Tripathi, challenged the detention of her husband under Section 3(2) of the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986, on the ground that the detention order dated 23‑11‑2016 was based on incidents that occurred between 2002 and 2007, i.e., nine to fourteen years earlier. The deta…

The Enforcement Directorate, invoking the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), issued a communication on 15 May 2020 directing several banks to debit‑freeze the accounts of Opto Circuit India Ltd. The company challenged the order, seeking its quash and the defreezing of the accounts to enable payment of sta…

The plaintiff, a former driver of PEPSU Road Transport Corporation, did not submit an option under the PEPSU Road Transport Corporation Employees Pension, Gratuity and General Provident Fund Regulations, 1992, and retired receiving only Contributory Provident Fund (CPF) benefits. He sued for a declaration that he was e…

The appellant Suresh Singhal and his father attended a meeting to resolve a property dispute, during which a scuffle broke out and the appellant was allegedly strangled by the deceased Shyam Sunder and his brothers. In the ensuing struggle the appellant drew his revolver and fired, killing Shyam Sunder; the second brot…

The Supreme Court heard extensive arguments in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Jai Bir Singh (Civil Appeal No. 897 of 2002). The Court examined the correctness of the view expressed in Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa (1978) 2 SCC 213, which had been questioned in a prior reference order. Recognising the…

The Supreme Court examined the conviction of respondents under Section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. The trial court had sentenced them to three months' imprisonment, far below the statutory minimum of five years, without recording any special reasons. The High Court further reduced the sentence to four days on…

Cardamom Marketing Corporation and another, registered dealers under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act and Kerala Value Added Tax Act, challenged a 2002 government notification that levied an additional court fee on appeals and revisions before tribunals, directing the proceeds to the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund. They arg…

The landlord, Munshi Lal, sought eviction of his tenant, Hakim Rai (deceased) and his successors, alleging that the tenant had sub-let a Kiraria shop to his son‑in‑law Raj Kumar under a partnership deed without the landlord's written consent. The Rent Controller held the partnership to be a ruse and that the son‑in‑law…

The incident occurred on 24 March 1998 when fourteen accused, armed with axes, iron pipes and spears, attacked the complainant Najabhai Desurbhai Wagh near his house after he rebuked them for damaging an electric pole. The assault resulted in the death of the complainant's brother, Unadbhai Desurbhai. The trial court c…